Today an announcement was made about a plan of separation developed in consultation with a professional mediator and representatives of centrists, conservatives and progressives in the denomination, led by bishops both from outside and inside the US.
The plan allows those churches that wish to leave the denomination to form a new Methodist denomination and provides funds to help them get started. It keeps intact the United Methodist Church for all who wish to remain, with plans to remove all restrictive language and policies from our Book of Discipline regarding LGBTQ participation in the full life of the church.
This plan must be approved in May at our next General Conference, but at this point leaders from all three segments in the church – left, center and right – have supported the plan.