General Commission on the
Status & Role of Women
Challenging the UMC for the full and equal participation of women
If you have experienced sexual misconduct in the church call our
confidential toll-free number 1-800-523-8390 for support.
Status and Role of Women
The General Commission on the Status and Role of Women advocates for full participation of women in the total life of The United Methodist Church. We’re helping the church recognize every person – clergy and lay, women and men, adults and children - as full and equal parts of God’s human family. We believe that a fully engaged and empowered membership is vital to The United Methodist Church’s mission "to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world."
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News and Updates
In 2024, the General Conference of The United Methodist Church issued an apology “for the times we allowed our desire to protect the Church to outweigh our desire to care for victims and survivors of sexual misconduct.” The statement importantly acknowledged that “an apology is worthless without a commitment to the challenging work which must follow.” And so, the Church made a series of pledges, including to “develop a trauma-informed response to complaints of sexual misconduct.”
The General Commission on the Status and Role of Women (GCSRW) and the General Council on Finance and Administration (GCFA) today announced the launch of a new monitoring dashboard designed to track and report data on clergy status, gender, and race across the US connection. The dashboard represents a collaborative effort between the two agencies to provide clergy, conference leaders, and church members with accessible, reliable data to support equity and inclusion efforts.
This initial release represents the first phase of the project. Development of a dashboard that will reflect data from the Regional Conferences in Africa, Asia, and Europe is currently underway as the project continues to expand.
Find all of the GCSRW webinars and videos including conversations, resources and interviews here.
Follow along as the GCSRW staff, including General Secretary, Stephanie York Arnold offers reflections on current events, social justice and equity.
Monitoring is a reflection of how our Church is functioning. It is the intentional act of observing and reflecting back to the Church who has access, voice, and power in our gatherings, meetings and decisions. It helps us put into practice our value of equity when we can observe who is invited to speak, ask questions, lead or make decisions. It allows us to better understand the barriers that prevent equity and equality between all persons in the total life and mission of the church. Please also add below that text this: You may also find the Monitoring Tool-Kit here: Monitoring Toolkit – GCSRW
GCSRW offers a monthly e-newsletter designed to communicate information to facilitate the advancement of women at all levels of The United Methodist Church. GCSRW also offers intermittent communication when there is new resourcing or announcements. We would love to connect with you.
Contact Information
Address: 1901 Chestnut Avenue, Glenview, Illinois 60025 | Phone: 800-523-8390 | Email: [email protected]