Delegates are convened in St Louis for this specially called General Conference to adjudicate the church's teaching on marriage and sexual ethics. Unlike most other historically liberal USA Mainline Protestant denominations, United Methodism teaches sex is exclusively for husband and wife.

Over the last two decades, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Episcopal Church, Presbyterian Church USA, United Church of Christ and Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) have liberalized their marriage teaching. Schisms and accelerated membership losses followed.

Uniquely among Mainline Protestants, United Methodism is growing but only because of its overseas membership. The church has over 12.5 million members, 6.8 million of whom are in America, the rest mostly in Africa. United Methodism in Africa grows by several hundred thousand members annually, while the USA church loses almost 100,000 annually. Africans are currently at least 42% of membership and will soon become a majority.

African delegates nearly unanimously opposed the One Church Plan despite pressure from USA bishops and USA church bureaucracy. They were joined by most Filipino and European delegates.

All the forces of institutional USA United Methodism were arrayed behind the One Church Plan. But USA evangelical and overseas delegates together were an insurmountable majority. As the USA church declines and continues to lose delegates in favor of Africa, overturning the church's marriage teaching becomes increasingly unlikely.

General Conference delegates will discuss the Traditional Plan, which would enhance enforcement of the church's marriage teaching. Parts of the plan, which was approved yesterday in legislative committee, must be amended to overcome constitutional objections from the church's top court.

United Methodist Action Director and elected General Conference Delegate John Lomperis commented:

"This was a historic turning point for our denomination, and will hopefully help make the United Methodist Church look refreshingly very different from what we have seen in the last several years."

IRD President Mark Tooley commented:

"This General Conference is further proof that the center of gravity in the United Methodist Church is shifting from the United States and to the vibrant, growing Christian faith of the Global South.

"The United Methodist Church is no longer rooted in a declining liberal U.S. mainline Protestant tradition and is instead reflecting its identity as a global church."

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