4 'woke' moments from UMC General Conference

Bishop Karen Oliveto (in blue jacket) and her wife, Robin Ridenour (front, center) join in embracing delegates and visitors at the 2024 United Methodist General Conference in Charlotte, N.C. after the conference voted to remove the denomination’s ban on the ordination of clergy who are “self-avowed practicing homosexuals” — a prohibition that dates to 1984.
Bishop Karen Oliveto (in blue jacket) and her wife, Robin Ridenour (front, center) join in embracing delegates and visitors at the 2024 United Methodist General Conference in Charlotte, N.C. after the conference voted to remove the denomination’s ban on the ordination of clergy who are “self-avowed practicing homosexuals” — a prohibition that dates to 1984. | Mike DuBose, UM News

After years of delay, the United Methodist Church finally held its 2020 General Conference, which lasted two weeks, from late April to early May, with the churchwide legislative gathering festivities coming to a close on Friday.

Delegates at the conference in Charlotte, North Carolina, made history by voting overwhelmingly to end the denomination’s ban on gay marriage and the ordination of people involved in same-sex relationships.

The votes came after thousands of mostly conservative congregations departed the UMC in recent years in opposition to theologically liberal leaders' refusing to enforce the rules in the UMC Book of Discipline.

Apart from the votes on the UMC rules, there were other happenings during the General Conference that critics could describe as “woke" in nature. In recent years, the term "woke" has become a popular buzzword used by conservatives to describe teachings, statements or ideologies that promote left-wing social justice causes. 

From pronouns to diversity monitors, the following pages highlight four occurrences at the UMC General Conference that raised the eyebrows of critics, including the popular Twitter account Woke Preacher Clips. 

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