What Do We Expect at Annual Conference?

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the North Alabama Conference did not have its regularly scheduled 2020 or 2021 Annual Conferences in person. They were held virtually. However, Annual Conference will be held in person in Huntsville, Alabama on June 22-24, 2022.

It will be good to be together.

Due to this unfortunate world health crisis, General Conference 2020 has been delayed for a fourth time until 2024. The Protocol has therefore not passed as anticipated at General Conference, so nothing regarding a vote to leave our denomination may be considered during the 2022 or 2023 Annual Conferences. The Judicial Council ruled in May of 2022 that any such proposal would be ruled out of order.

However, because of legislation that passed at General Conference of 2019, individual local churches may, upon completing the required 3-6 month discernment process, vote to disaffiliate. While they would be able to retain their real property, this would require settling their financial obligations with the Conference and a vote of approval for their disaffiliation at the Annual Conference session in 2023. After such a vote, the local church would be immediately disaffiliated and may no longer have laity continue attending as a voting member of the Annual Conference session in progress. Clergy who disaffiliate by a vote of the Clergy Session will also no longer be able to attend as a voting member of the session in progress.

If some version of the Protocol passes in 2024, it is still possible that members of the North Alabama Annual Conference will call for a vote on whether or not to leave The United Methodist Church. Therefore, Stay UMC remains vigilant because we strongly believe we are better together. Assuming passage of the Protocol in its current form, we would need 43% of Annual Conference members to vote to Stay UMC.