printer-friendly email a friend

General Conference News

2008 General Conference News Summaries

The 2008 General Conference session continues in Ft. Worth, TX.  General Conference meets once every four years, and this year's conference includes 992 delegates from United Methodist churches in the United States, Africa, Asia and Europe. Click here to see the list of delegates from the New England Conference: NE Conference Delegates

 

Visit www.neumc.org/gc2008 for regular updates on General Conference.

 

 

Issues Before General Conference

The General Conference assembly is considering action and legislation on a number of issues, including abortion, AIDS, budget, divestment, environment, global church, immigration, ministry study, race relations, sexuality, social creed, stem cell research, and war. For a summary of these issues, along with related news updates, click here:

General Conference Issues Summary

 

 

Daily Wrap-up  

Click on the dates below to get the daily news summaries from General Conference, in session April 23 through May 2, 2008.

 

April 23

Key items:

- Opening Worship

- Council of Bishops meets

- Orientation sessions

- AIDS Conference

 

April 24

Key items:

- Episcopal Address

- First Ever Young People's Address

- Laity Address

- Explanation of Four Areas of Focus, Seven Pathways

- Budget Plans.

 

April 25

Key items:

- UMC receives $5 million grant to fight malaria and other diseases of poverty

- Legislative committee work begins.

- Task Force on Immigration holds press conference

 

April 26

Key items:

- Delegates Renew Baptism

- Planting Seeds of Hope,

- Nothing But Nets benefit game raises $300,000

 

April 27

Key items:

- Central Conference Commission meetings

- Black Church Initiative

- Global Warming Task Force created

- Cote d'Ivoire formally admitted as a United Methodist Conference

- Bishop Gregory V. Palmer installed as President of Council of Bishops

 

April 28

Key items:

- Africa Education

- Study of the Global Church

- Faith & Order Committee created

- Judicial Council elections held

 

April 29

Key items:

- Address by Liberian president

- Study of Ministry continued

- Higher Education banquet

- Mission Statement updated

 

April 30

Key items:

- Assembly retains stance on homosexuality

- Pastoral authority and membership

- 100 years of men's ministry

- Africa University report

- Human rights in Philippines

 

May 1 

Key items:

- A witness for inclusion

- Pension and health benefits

- Gates thanks United Methodists

- Support for Tibet, Sudan, Taiwan

- Constitutional amendments

- Boundaries

 

May 2

- Budget issues

- Social issues

- Closing: A message of hope 

 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -  

For full coverage of General Conference, visit www.gc2008.umc.org