The top legislative body of The United Methodist Church, meets May 5-15, 2020, at the Minneapolis Convention Center in Minnesota.  Numerous petitions will be considered dealing with the mission and ministry of the church. Several of those petitions provide plans for separation and restructuring, including Protocol of Reconciliation and Grace through Separation. 

Delegates from the Dakotas will be a part of those discussions and decisions. 
"I felt a stirring in my heart to be a bridge-builder in a challenging time in our denomination's history," says Rev. Sara Nelson, who is the reserve clergy delegate to General Conference 2020 in Minneapolis.

The four-member delegation elected at the Dakotas Annual Conference Session in June of 2019 includes: Kara Togel, a member of First UMC in Watertown and a second-year seminary student at Wesley United Seminary in Washington, D.C., will serve as the one lay delegate for the Dakotas Conference. Rev. Rebecca Trefz, who serves as the director of ministries and Southwest District Superintendent for the Dakotas Conference, will serve as the clergy delegate.  Beata Ferris, a member of First UMC in Pierre, South Dakota, is the reserve lay delegate. Rev. Sara Nelson, who serves First UMC in Watertown, South Dakota, is the reserve clergy delegate.

The Dakotas Conference delegation will join 862 other delegates elected from around the world to set policy and direction for the church, as well as handle other important business. Meeting every four years, General Conference is the only entity that speaks for the denomination. The United Methodist Book of Discipline, updated every four years, incorporates changes made by General Conference. View a video here about GC 2020 in Minneapolis.

Several proposals to the General Conference 2020 seek to address the long-standing debate about restrictions on same-sex weddings and the ordination of LGBTQ persons. The 2019 General Conference saw the passage of the Traditional Plan, reinforcing restrictions and expanding penalties. The Traditional Plan has met ongoing resistance, especially in the U.S., by supporters of a more inclusive church. View a comparison of the proposals here.

Other key legislation that will be brought before General Conference 2020:

• A plan to create a U.S. Regional Conference (USRC) aims to ease the burden of U.S. legislation on the General Conference and give U.S. churches parity with those in central conferences.
• Wespath has submitted legislation to General Conference to manage benefits for a group of churches or annual conferences that join a new Methodist expression.
• General Conference's Standing Committee on Central Conference Matters has submitted legislation that adds a new central conference to the African continent and increases the number of  bishops in that area from 13 to 18.
• The United Methodist Board of Church and Society, after an eight-year process, is requesting the General Conference body to affirm the 2020 Social Principles.

With so many big decisions on the horizons, United Methodists throughout the Dakotas will need to listen, learn, and pray. Nelson says, "I'm praying for God to break through to create a path forward for the global church to continue in our mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world."

Grow. Reach. Heal. The gospel imperatives of the Dakotas Conference.

The Dakotas Conference delegation will hold two listening sessions, one on March 15 at 1:30-3 p.m., and one on March 25 at 7-8:30 p.m. The purpose of these sessions is twofold. First, the delegation will share critical information about the process and content of the General Conference's legislative process. Second, the delegation will engage the participants in discussions and respond to questions. You can participate in person or online. View the specific details and register here.

The theme of the 2020 General Conference is "… and know that I am God" from Psalm 46:10. The entire verse (NRSV) reads: "Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations. I am exalted in the earth." The theme will help shape devotions and times of prayer. 

"I encourage everyone to have open minds and open hearts, ask questions, and pray fervently," says Nelson.