General Conference 2004

Rocky Mountain Conference News and Resources

Day 11

Task Force Will Study Link Between Teen Sexual Identity, Suicide Risk

May 6, 2004

By Melissa Lauber*

PITTSBURGH (UMNS) — Professing a belief in the sanctity of human life, United Methodist delegates at the General Conference voted May 6 to create a task force to study teen sexual identity and suicide risk.

Government studies show that last year, 1 in every 13 U.S. high school students attempted suicide. Teens dealing with issues of sexual identity are two to three times more likely to attempt suicide than other youth.

The task force, which has been allotted $375,000 for its efforts, will publish a summary of research on this issue and a resource for congregations and families to assist them in addressing teen suicide.

Delegates reminded those assembled that sexual identity is not the only cause of teen suicide.

The task force will report back to the 2008 General Conference.

*Lauber is associate editor of UM Connection, the newspaper of the United Methodist Church’s Baltimore Washington Annual Conference.

News media contact: (412) 325-6080 during General Conference, April 27-May 7.
After May 10: (615) 742-5470.

United Methodist News Service
Photos and stories also available at:
http://umns.umc.org

General Conference links:

General Conference 2004 Web site

If the main General Conference site is slow or busy, you can also try some of the General Church agency web sites below, or the unofficial ones listed on the main RMCUMC GC2004 page.

• General Board of Global Ministries GC2004 site
• General Board of Church and Society
• General Board of Discipleship
• General Board of Pension and Health Benefits GC2004 Information
• General Council on Finance and Administration

Please keep the Rocky Mountain Conference Delegates in prayer: Janet Forbes, Youngsook Kang, Olon Lindemood, Chuck Schuster, Aaron Gray, Judy Hill, Brad Laurvick, Dan O'Neill, Liwliwa Robledo, and Peggy Sewell.