At the 2020/2024 General Conference an important amendment to The United
Methodist Constitution was passed. The amendment is called Paragraph 4, Article IV
and it reads:
In the United Methodist Church, no conference or other organizational
unit of the Church shall be structured so as to exclude any member or
constituent body of the Church because of race, color, national origin,
ability or economic condition, nor shall any member be denied access to
an equal place in the life, worship, and governance of the Church because
of race, color, gender, national origin, ability, status, or economic
condition.
1. Inclusive Constitutional Amendment:
This amendment prohibits exclusion from church membership or participation based on
race, color, national origin, ability, economic condition, and gender.
2. New Protections:
This amendment adds "ability" and "gender" to existing protected categories in the
UMC Constitution. It explicitly prevents pastors from denying membership in a church
regardless of disability, and gender, (because they have a disability, are female or
male).
3. Voting for Ratification:
To make this amendment permanent, it needs to be ratified through a two-thirds
majority vote across all annual conferences. Every voting lay and clergy member of each
annual conference will vote, with the aggregate (overall) total determining ratification.
In other words, ratification is based upon the popular vote. Also, a certain percentage of
votes do not have to come from each annual conference. The percentage of yes votes
is based upon the overall number of individual voting members.
4. Background and Progress:
A similar amendment in 2016 aimed to add "gender" to Paragraph 4, Article 4 but was
not ratified, missing the required two-thirds majority by 5%. Since then, shifts in church
polity and membership offer renewed hope for achieving the necessary votes.
5. Voting Process:
Voting will occur via paper ballot, and no additional amendments are permitted. Ballots
will be counted by the Council of Bishops to finalize the vote and determine if the
amendment passes.
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6. Take Action:
GCSRW encourages members to spread awareness by sharing resources with their
churches, districts, and conferences. Supporting this amendment will help build a more
inclusive church by legally affirming membership rights across a diverse population.
7. The Opportunity to Make History:
Ratifying this amendment is an opportunity to protect principles of equality and
inclusion, ensuring no one is excluded based on their gender or ability. This moment
allows The United Methodist Church to lead by example in building a truly inclusive
Christian community.
8. Encouragement to Vote Yes:
This season offers an opportunity to affirm the church’s commitment to inclusion.
Members are encouraged to vote yes on Paragraph 4, Article IV, helping ensure that all
individuals have an equal place in the life, worship, and governance of The United
Methodist Church.