The Global Methodist Church was formed mostly by laity, clergy, and congregations leaving The United Methodist Church. They left because many United Methodist leaders were dedicated to loosening Christian morals regarding sexuality and marriage, disobeyed church doctrine and discipline, and somehow avoided accountability and consequences for their disobedience. So around 7,600 congregations left The United Methodist Church. Most transitioned to the new Global Methodist Church.

In 2024, the Global Methodist Church held a Convening General Conference in Costa Rica. During that conference, the delegates adopted a Book of Doctrine and Disciplines that often simply abbreviated The United Methodist Church’s Book of Discipline.

More recently, from August 30 through September 5, the Global Methodist Church held its 2026 General Conference in Johannesburg, South Africa. Significantly, this General Conference adopted the “Articles of Faith,” which combines “The Articles of Religion” (from The Methodist Church) and “The Confession of Faith” (from The Evangelical United Brethren Church) into one list of doctrines.

The Global Methodist Church’s most recent General Conference also approved “Our Witness to the World.” It is made up of fourteen affirmations that strive to guide the church, its clergy and laity, to “learn to do right, seek justice, defend the oppressed, take up the cause of the fatherless, and plead the case of the widow” (Isaiah 1:17). According to Dr. C. Chappell Temple (an instructor at the Wesley House Pastoral Studies Program at Truett Seminary of Baylor University, and chair of the Social Witness Legislative Committee at the 2026 General Conference), these brief affirmations aim at “inspiration, not regulation” (C. Chappell Temple, “Our Word to the World: Revisiting the GMC Social Witness,” September 15, 2026, Firebrand Magazine website).

 The Affirmation for Life

The adopted affirmation on human life addresses abortion in this way: “We believe that all human life, regardless of level or development or ability, is sacred. The sacredness of all life compels us to resist the practice of abortion. In the cases of tragic conflict of life against life when the mortality of the mother or the child is at stake, premature delivery may be necessary with the baby and the mother cared for as separate patients. We call upon all Christians, as disciples of the Lord of Life, to prayerfully support mothers and fathers facing unintended or unwanted pregnancies by prayerfully providing them with care, counsel, and resources” (Book of Doctrines and Discipline [2026], Paragraph 302.3).

On assisted suicide, the same affirmation continues: “We oppose the euthanizing of any person. This is not a condemnation of the removal of life support from terminally ill patients with no medical expectation of recovery and facing near-term death, but a rejection of the practice of terminating life directly or through the facilitation of their suicides, rather than allowing their lives to end in natural death” (Paragraph 302.3).

 A Social Witness That Builds Up

The Global Methodist Church’s social-witness affirmation on life (regarding abortion and euthanasia), as quoted above, expresses Christian moral truth in love. It is not complex, not highly nuanced, not overly qualified. Nor does it read like a compromise statement that emerged from a bruising, protracted, late-night church debate. Nor does it seek to make everybody in the church, and everybody in society, happy. Rather, it simply points to God and God’s creation, to God’s Word and will. And it offers plenty of challenge to Global Methodist congregations, laity, and clergy to strive to be obedient to the Lord of Life—and not compromise with the culture of death.

Thankfully, this affirmation on life does not speak of “exceptions”—that is, specified circumstances when abortions and assisted suicides are morally allowable. The United Methodist Church’s Social Principles are well practiced in the science of exceptions. Global Methodists decided to take a higher road.

This social-witness affirmation of the Global Methodist Church should be read, taught, studied, and even preached in congregations around the world. In most cases, it is sure to unify and not divide, deepen and not distract. With the help of the Holy Spirit, it can increase faithfulness to God, the Gospel, and the Apostolic Faith of the Church catholic. Because of that faithfulness, children will be born (not discarded), and the debilitated will be blessed (not abandoned).

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A version of this article will appear in the December 1, 2026 issue of Lifewatch.