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Connecting Knowing Loving Growing
United Methodist Church June 2012 Issue
What’s the Latest in the United Methodist Church ? The United Methodist Church just had its quadrennial meeting called General Conference. For two weeks 988 delegates from around the world came to Tampa, Florida to discuss matters that would affect the entire 13 million member denomination. Just in case you weren’t live streaming the conference on your computer for two weeks solid, I thought I’d give you an update on what took place. 1) This General Conference was billed as one that would bring sweeping changes to the United Methodist Church. There were proposals to change some of the structure of the UMC and consolidate many of our General Boards and Agencies. Space limits me from going into a lot of detail; but I will say that a proposal was passed by the majority of delegates and then was quickly found unconstitutional by the Judicial Council. So, in the end, our structure over the next four years will look a lot like the structure of the church over the previous four years. This certainly grieved many who had put in a lot of work to create more oversight and streamline our General Boards; nevertheless, many delegates left Tampa believing that changes will come in 2016. 2) Elders in the church will no longer
Experience
have guaranteed appointments. Previously, ordained elders could be moved from one church to another if things went sour in a particular appointment; but the elder would always have an appointment somewhere until retirement. This will no longer be the case. The pastor could lose his or her credentials if deemed not effective. Meanwhile, each annual conference will have a board that will work in conjunction with the resident bishop to make sure that there are protections for women and minorities who might otherwise be re-assigned on account of local prejudices. 3) The official wording in the Discipline regarding homosexuality did not change. This is an issue that always grabs a lot of headlines, as you might expect. A proposal was put forward that basically said that there are faithful Christians on both sides of this issue and that we agree to disagree. This proposal was narrowly defeated. Personally, I found it incredibly ironic that we refused to agree to disagree. Clearly people in the United Methodist Church do disagree on this issue. Some believe homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching and others do not. As you know, people have very strong opinions on both sides of this issue, and there is a lot of hurt and pain over this issue. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender people are hurt to be officially excluded from ordination and marriage.
Opening Worship service at the UMC General Conference. This photo belong to: UM Newsphoto streaming.
Meanwhile, people on the other side of the issue believe that their historic faith is under attack. It is easy for us to believe that we are right and that someone on the other side is just flatout wrong; but I would urge you to pray for unity. It is hard for me to catch a vision of what that unity might look like; but I know that God’s ways are better than my ways. In my impatience, I simply wish God would make a way sooner rather than later that would lead to peace and resolution because this issue seems to create so much bitterness and hate instead of love and grace.
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