| Judicial Board Rulings |
| Ban on Unofficial Identifying Labels Extends to Local Churches and Other Judicial Board Rulings |
| EVANSTON, Ill. (UMNS) - The ban on official United Methodist church bodies labeling themselves as parts of unofficial movements and organizations affects groups at the congregational level, the denomination's highest court has ruled. In a case brought by the Northwest Texas Annual Conference, the Judicial Council extended to the local church or congregation the ban on church organizations adopting identifying labels of unofficial bodies or movements. "A local church or any of its organizational units may not identify or labelitself as an unofficial body or movement," the council's decision said. "Such identification or labeling is divisive and makes the local church subject to the possibility of being in conflict with the (Book of) Discipline and doctrines of the United Methodist Church." The council made this and 18 other decisions regarding church law when it met Oct. 27-30. The council members had first looked at the issue of church bodies joining movements during their October 1998 session. At that time, the court specifically named churchwide agencies and annual conferences as two of the official groups that may not take on such labels as "Reconciling Congregation" or "Transforming Congregation." In making this ruling, the council reversed two of its earlier decisions allowing such identification by first a general agency and later an annual conference. Several other official bodies also adopted labels before the 1998 decision. In recent years, some official bodies have adopted labels that reflect their support for a particular unofficial movement in the church. For example, Reconciling Congregations welcomes the full participation of all people in the life of the church, regardless of sexual orientation. Transforming Congregations believes the practice of homosexuality is a sin and that individuals can be transformed or changed through the grace of Jesus Christ. During its session last summer, the Northwest Texas Annual Conference had passed a resolution giving its congregations 45 days to divest themselves of any such labels. However, Bishop Alfred Norris, who presided over the session, said the annual conference did not have the authority to adopt that measure under the Book of Discipline. The council reversed his decision. Six members of the council joined in a concurring opinion on the labeling issue. Having agreed with the decision, they went on to say: "Our decision does not mean that all bodies within the Church should not be encouraged to engage in study, educational forums, conversation and prayer around sensitive and controversial issues with the aim of finding healing and reconciliation for the sake of the gospel." They also praised the church's historic commitment to critical social issues, reconciliation and witness. |
| Other News The Rev. John Corry of Nashville, Tenn., vice president of the Judicial Council, presided at the meeting in the absence of President Tom Matheny of Hammond, La. Matheny is ill, and this was the first session he had missed in his 28 years on the council, according to other members. In the only case that included oral hearings, the council ruled that the church's open meetings law does not apply to the Council of Bishops and the Judicial Council but does apply to all levels of the church, including general (churchwide) agencies, annual conferences and local churches. (See UMNS story #582.) Similarly, the council found that it does not have jurisdiction in a case from the Northern Illinois Annual Conference. There, Bishop C. Joseph Sprague ruled on the legality of a person's election as a General Conference delegate when the person's suspension from ministry was to begin before the event. The council ruled that the question was improperly submitted because it was not given to the bishop in writing during the session. Since it was not properly before the bishop, the decision was nullified. |
| Discernment Model and Voting Rights of Clergy The California-Pacific Annual Conference sought a declaratory decision on whether its use of a discernment model during decision-making at its 1999 session was legal. The conference used the discernment process as it worked on petitions going to General Conference - the denomination's top legislative body -- and in dealing with other business. The Judicial Council decided that the process was in conflict with the Book of Discipline and contrary to a previous decision by the court. Part of the problem was that the discernment process didn't allow a clear yes-or-no vote on legislative proposals and made no provision for minority reports to be presented on the floor. The council voided all conference legislative proposals that were decided using the discernment model. The California-Pacific Conference also asked the council to decide on the meaning and application of an amendment to the church's constitution that was ratified in 1997. The Judicial Council ruled that the amendment requires that people who vote in the election of clergy delegates to General and jurisdictional conferences must be in full connection and already ordained. A person already approved for ordination but whose ordination ceremony is to be a few hours or days later may not vote. |
| Diversity and Inclusiveness in the Church Another case from the Northern Illinois Annual Conference challenged a newly passed conference resolution on pastoral ministry with homosexual people. The council affirmed Sprague's decision that there was no conflict between the resolution and the Discipline's prohibition against celebrating services of homosexual union. The council also affirmed the decision of Bishop Mary Ann Swenson that a Rocky Mountain Annual Conference resolution on inclusive ministry was not in conflict with church law. |
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| Nov. 2, 1999 News media contact: Joretta Purdue�(202)546-8722�Washington 10-21-28-1B{581} |
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