I think this is the text of the changes, more or less as it was adopted. There were a few minor amendments that I think I missed…but nevertheless here is the new language, in spirit if not quite completely accurate:

G) Human Sexuality-We affirm that sexuality is God’s good gift to all persons. We call everyone to responsible stewardship of this sacred gift.

Although all persons are sexual beings whether or not they are married, sexual relations are affirmed only within the covenant of monogamous, heterosexual marriage.

We deplore all forms of the commercialization, abuse, and exploitation of sex. We call for strict global enforcement of laws prohibiting the sexual exploitation of children and for adequate protection, guidance, and counseling for abused children. All persons, regardless of age, gender, marital status, or sexual orientation, are entitled to have their human and civil rights ensured and to be protected against violence. The Church should support the family in providing age-appropriate education regarding sexuality to children, youth and adults.

We affirm that all persons are individuals of sacred worth, created in the image of God. All persons need the ministry of the church in our struggles for human fulfillment, as well as the spiritual and emotional care of a fellowship that enables reconciling relationships with God, with others, and with self. The United Methodist Church does not condone the practice of homosexuality and consider this practice incompatible with Christian teaching. We affirm that God’s grace is available to all. and We willseek to live together in Christian community, welcoming, forgiving, and loving one another, as Christ has loved and accepted us. We implore families and churches not to reject or condemn lesbian and gay members and friends. We commit ourselves to be in ministry for and with all persons.

was hardened.

Eventually, the church will become completely irrelevant.

More later.

By a vote of 298 to 574 we rejected a petition to support committed unions, regardless of the gender of those involved in the union.

There is a display from Eyes Wide Open outside the convention center that makes a powerful statement about the war in Iraq. The boots there represent Texan soldiers lost in the fighting….

Today, we expect to vote on most of the issues related to sexuality. Stay tuned for updates. Right now we are voting on our new Social Creed – and there is much debate…

The first week here (which is now a distant memory) was largely spent casting a vision for our church. The vision that was cast was hopeful, positive and emphasized our strengths. The vision came from a variety of places, but there were some consistent themes.

The bishops outlined “Seven Vision Pathways” that describe the best of who we are as Methodists, and offer avenues of promise for the future. These pathways are:

1. teaching the Wesleyan model of reaching and forming disciples of Jesus Christ;
2. strengthening clergy and lay leadership;
3. developing new congregations;
4. transforming existing congregations;
5. ending racism as we authentically expand racial and ethnic ministries;
6. reaching and transforming the lives of new generations of children; and
7. eliminating poverty in community with the poor;

In addition, the General Secretaries identified four areas of focus for our ministry. These areas of focus:

1. Developing principled Christian leaders for the church and the world. The church must recruit young people for ministry and provide them with the skills necessary to be effective in this new time of opportunity. That includes women and people of color the world over. Similarly, we must offer leadership training for lay people who are in ministry in countless ways.
2. Creating new places for new people by starting new congregations and renewing existing ones. If we are to remain faithful to our commitment to transform the world, we will reach out with genuine hospitality to people wherever they are. We will make them feel welcome as we start new faith communities, seek to renew existing ones and inspire faithful discipleship.
3. Engaging in ministry with the poor. As an expression of our discipleship, United Methodists seek to alleviate conditions that undermine quality of life and limit the opportunity to flourish as we believe God intends for all. As with John Wesley, we seek to change conditions that are unjust, alienating and disempowering. We engage in ministry with the poor, and in this, we especially want to reach out to and protect children.
4. Stamping out killer diseases by improving health globally. Conditions of poverty cause illness and death. The lack of access to doctors, nurses, medications and appropriate facilities is deadly, especially among those who live in conditions of poverty. But the diseases of poverty are not inevitable. We believe the people of The United Methodist Church can play a significant role in educating others about diseases such as HIV/AIDS and malaria, and treating and preventing their devastating effects.

It’s interesting to notice the overlap – leadership, new churches, a serious focus on global poverty. Not a bad agenda for the global church – but I wonder about the local church. Can a local congregation really relate to these areas of focus? Thinking about Hartford, where I serve, the idea of engaging in ministry with the poor is exciting – if we understand that the poor are not simply “over there” but also “right here.” Poverty in Hartford should be a central focus of my congregation – and I would wager that many other urban congregations in the United States are on the front lines of poverty as well. An emphasis on children in poverty is also important, but we must not forget that such children are growing up in our communities, attending our schools. Fighting poverty begins at home. What if our General Conference created structures, agencies, and funds to encourage and facilitate a focus on ministries of poverty that bring urban or rural congregations into mission with their suburban counterparts to bring a variety of resources together for a truly effective engagement with poverty?

Metholebrity #1: I cornered Adam Hamilton today when he wandered into the press room. I helped him find a room to use for a radio interview – and he was nice enough to pause for a photo op.  He’s a nice guy – especially considering his success. 

I wrote this mainly for my local church blog, since many of my members have no idea what General Conference is about. But, it might be interesting to you as well… 

For those of you who are unfamiliar with General Conference, I thought I would offer a bit of a primer – sort of General Conference 101.

First of all, General Conference is the highest legislative body of the church. Composed of 1,000 elected delegates  from around the world (half lay and half clergy), the conference is the only body that is empowered to speak on behalf of the entire church. The conference meets for a couple of weeks every four years.

The main business of the conference is to respond to 1,600 petitions that have been submitted by local churches, individual Methodists, church agencies, and task forces. The most important petitions are ones that affect the Book of Discipline which is the church’s book of law. The General Conference is the only body that can make changes to the Book of Discipline.

The first few days of the conference are devoted to worship and preaching (with amazing music) and reports from task forces and committees. Then, legislative sections are organized. The legislative sections are smaller committees of delegates that divide up the petitions in order to negotiate, rewrite, and recommend adoption or rejection. If more than 90% of the legislative sections concur on an action with respect to a particular petition, it is placed on a consent calendar for the entire conference to adopt at a general plenary session. If less than 90% support an action, then that petition will be dealt with directly on the floor of the general plenary session.  The more successful the legislative sections are in building consensus, the faster things go.

Yesterday and today has largely been devoted to this legislative process. Because the reports are not final until they are approved by the general plenary, there is no official news to report. Once the legislative sections start finishing their work, the general plenary will be able to adopt consent calendars and debate petitions. That should get started early next week.

All sorts of groups and organizations have an interest in manipulating and influencing this process, and so they have people here who function as lobbyist. Groups hand out material, organize displays, offer public witness and generally try to state the case for their cause. 

Needless to say, the first few days are far more interesting (and less depressing) than all the lobbying and voting. I’ve enjoyed hearing our bishops preach and cast a vision for our church. It can truly be inspiring – at least for the moment – but the legislative process eventually starts to chop away at my inspiration. If you have any questions about how General Conference works, leave me questions in the comments.