The United Methodist Book of Discipline mandates responsibilities to the General Commission on the Status and Role of Women (GCSRW). Among those is the responsibility to monitor conferences for gender inclusion and report findings back to the conferences and to The United Methodist Church. The goal of monitoring is to help the denomination, its members, and leaders to hold the most inclusive sessions possible, where every voice is respected and given an opportunity to be heard.
Monitoring is meant to be a process where an outside observer notes dynamics of the conference and reports back to the Church. In that reporting, we celebrate where we model beloved community, take note of where and how improvements may be made, and become more aware of our conduct toward one another.
GCSRW has developed a standardized form for monitoring conferences and trains all monitors to note participation and leadership using these standard parameters. This form is available as a resource for annual conferences to use in their sessions.
This report highlights the five jurisdictional conferences in the United States and the Philippines Central Conference. As GCSRW receives information from other Central Conferences we will update this report.
Positive aspects and celebrations as well as challenges and suggestions for growth are listed in the compiled report, here.
About the General Commission on the Status and Role of Women
The General Commission on the Status and Role of Women advocates for full participation of women in the total life of The United Methodist Church. GCSRW helps the church recognize every person – clergy and lay, women and men, adults and children – as full and equal parts of God’s human family. They believe that a fully engaged and empowered membership is vital to The United Methodist Church’s mission "to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” Learn more at GCSRW.org. Contact: info@gcsrw.org.