Rise up, Beloved! Summary of Annual Conference

June 2, 2025


Summary of  Annual Conference

“Love is contagious! Joy is contagious,” declared Bishop Hee-Soo Jung as he presided over the 56th session of the West Ohio Annual Conference. And indeed, both love and joy deepened throughout the gathering. Held May 28–31, 2025, on the campus of Capital University in Bexley, Ohio, this year’s conference centered on the theme “Rise Up, Beloved,” inspired by Mark 5:35–43.
Summary Online



Here are some items of note from West Ohio Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church

Recommendation #6 – Task Force for LGBTQI+ Ministry – ADOPTED
Within three months of adjourning the 2025 Annual Conference, Bishop Hee Soo Jung and the West Ohio Cabinet shall create a LGBTQI+ ministries task force to: Support the LGBTQ+ laity, clergy, and candidates for licensed/ordained ministry; amplify their voices; monitor policy-making committees; and support ministries through educational support and collaboration. 

Recommendation #7 – United Methodist Immigration Ministries of Ohio: Forming an Ohio Site of the Immigration Law & Justice Network – ADOPTED AS AMENDED
West Ohio Conference will support the creation of an Immigration Law and Justice site in Ohio. Financial support comes from a Special Sunday and an Advance. Also, the conference shall support the efforts of clergy and congregations to provide tangible support to migrants, asylum seekers, refugees, and immigrants. A companion recommendation will be considered at the East Ohio Annual Conference. 

CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
In collaboration with annual conferences worldwide, members voted on four constitutional amendments adopted at the 2024 General Conference. For any constitutional amendment to take effect, it must receive a two-thirds majority of the combined votes of all members present and voting from all annual conferences. The Council of Bishops will announce results in November. 

A summary of amendments of note:

  • Regionalization - Approving legislation that grants equal decision-making authority to the church’s geographic regions. 
  • Inclusion - Adding “gender” and “ability” to the list of characteristics that cannot disqualify someone from membership in a United Methodist church. 
  • Racial Justice - Updating Paragraph 5, Article V, to strengthen the denomination’s commitment to racial justice. 

Worship leader Mark Miller and his band, Subject to Change, provided music throughout the conference. One original composition reinforced the conference’s message of belonging, renewal, and ongoing mission. It served as a clear reminder that the Church’s work continues, and we are called to rise and respond. Here is the refrain.

“Rise up, Beloved, love grows strong when we all belong. 
Rise up, Beloved, rise up. 
Rise up, Beloved, God isn’t finished with us yet. 
Rise up, Beloved, rise up.” 

The executive branch of our international denomination, the Council of Bishops, released a powerful statement in support of transgender people.
Read Bishops’ Statement

 

 

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