After approving the Traditional Plan in the morning, General Conference delegates spent the afternoon debating and ultimately voting against the One Church Plan and the Simple Plan.
Delegates opposed the bishops’ recommended One Church Plan by a vote of 436 to 386. The vote was 53 to almost 47 percent.
Delegates also voted against moving forward with the Simple Plan, submitted by the unofficial United Methodist Queer Clergy Caucus, by a vote of 494 to 323.
Dorothee Benz, delegate from New York, made an amendment to pull the Simple Plan from a motion to reject all remaining petitions.
The Rev. Adam Hamilton, a delegate from Great Plains, stood to speak for the motion, saying not at least discussing the plan would inflict harm.
“Yes, it’s going to be defeated, that’s clear. But this is the one opportunity to say we care enough to listen for a moment.”
Fred Sayeh, Liberia, argued that the Simple Plan should not be singled out for “special treatment.”
“Every plan had an opportunity. At this point it’s clear delegates are finding a way forward,” he said.
General Conference 2019 delegates moved the Traditional Plan forward to plenary but not the One Church Plan. Here’s an overview of what happened this afternoon https://t.co/hep6ips6ES #UMC #UMCGC #GC2019
— UM News Service (@UMNS) February 25, 2019