General Conference is postponed again. What does that mean for the revised Social Principles?

With General Conference postponed until August 2022, we will have to wait another year until the top law-making body of the church meets to make changes to the Book of Discipline.

But what does that mean for the revised Social Principles?

Until another General Conference meets, the 2016 Social Principles continue to be in effect. While not church law, the Social Principles are the church’s official set of social teachings and must be adopted by a General Conference. The Social Principles adopted in 2016 are the United Methodist Social Principles and continue to be the church’s official statements.

The Council of Bishops have issued a Called Session of the General Conference this May. Only administrative items listed in the Letter of Call can be addressed in the May 2021 session. The revised Social Principles are not on the agenda.

The revised Social Principles await the approval of the 2022 General Conference. The document is the culmination of a revision process General Conference authorized nearly a decade ago, with a process involving over 4,000 United Methodists from across the globe.

Watch videos to learn about the revised Social Principles and the revision process here.

Read the revised Social Principles in 10 languages here.