[lightman]

But there is: the Council of Bishops, as guided by the General Conference

The General Conference meets once every four years (same years as US Presidential elections) and has become increasingly dominated by UM's from Africa who are, unsurprisingly, much more conservative, Biblically grounded, and theologically orthodox than their North American counterparts.

This has put the liberals from North America into a tailspin. They don't want to play the "white supremacy" card like some parts of the Anglican communion, so their only apparent alternative is to leave the UMC.

"Apparent" because there always is the preferred option of repentance.

[chajin]

The General Conference meets once every four years (same years as US Presidential elections) and has become increasingly dominated by UM's from Africa who are, unsurprisingly, much more conservative, Biblically grounded, and theologically orthodox than their North American counterparts.

Now that's interesting; I haven't been following General Conferences of late (meaning the last 15 years or so :> ). FWIW, it was the African bishops in the early 1980s who blocked allowing missionaries to Japan, which was the beginning of the long trek away from the UMC for me.

[Albion Wilde]

The General Conference meets once every four years... and has become increasingly dominated by UM's from Africa who are, unsurprisingly, much more conservative, Biblically grounded, and theologically orthodox than their North American counterparts. This has put the liberals from North America into a tailspin.

It's a delicious irony, isn't it?