Regionalization is perhaps the biggest push this year's General Conference is receiving from institutional bodies. As this episode demonstrates, it is the latest iteration of a legislative effort that has failed at the last couple General Conferences. The basic idea is to create a new level of administration for the denomination that will allow for continental regions to become more isolated from the influence of other continental regions, simultaneously gaining rights to further adjust their norms to suit their context. It will require a very invasive amendment to the denomination's constitution, which will require, not just a 2/3 majority vote at General Conference, but also a 2/3 vote of all annual conference delegates the following year. There is a lot on the line with this issue. This is only the first episode in which we will talk about it, with two more to follow. This episode covers a good deal of the history and the framework out of which this push has come. The topic isn't boring. It is rather necessary to understanding the precipice upon which the UMC currently sits.

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