This issue guide is focused on a decision taking place in the spring of 1908. The General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church is convening its 25th session in Baltimore, Maryland, on May 6. Modeled after the United States Congress, the General Conference is responsible for ecclesiastical policymaking. Its decisions become part of the official church doctrines and discipline for the denomination’s thousands of connected congregations.

As the United States slowly emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic, many questions remain about what communities should do over the long run to keep people safe, get their local economies moving again, and prepare for future outbreaks.

This issue advisory presents three options for moving forward, each coming from a different perspective and each reflecting a different set of ideas about what should be done. Most people will find something to agree with in all three approaches, but each also has trade-offs, risks, or drawbacks that need to be taken into account and worked through.