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Daily wrap-up:

Four jurisdictions will each lose one bishop

For April 30, 2008

Written by United Methodist News Service
Edited by Daniel R. Gangler, Indiana Area United Methodist Communication
Complete stories with pictures can be found at www.gc2008.umc.org.

FORT WORTH, Texas (UMNS) — Delegates to the 2008 General Conference of The United Methodist Church approved a plan that will result in one less bishop in each of four of the five U.S. jurisdictions, beginning in 2012.

In an April 29 legislative session, delegates agreed that savings from those reductions will be used to fund new episcopal areas outside the United States. Those new areas – each to be led by a bishop – will not be created until the 2012 General Conference

The North Central, Northeastern, South Central and Western jurisdictions will each have one less bishop under a new formula for determining the number of bishops. The action will not affect the Southeastern Jurisdiction, as it already has one less bishop than the present formula allows, and it is not requesting an additional Episcopal leader. The Northeastern Jurisdiction will lose a bishop in both 2008 and 2012.

The new formula will not take effect until Jan. 1, 2009, so it will not affect the numbers of bishops to be elected in the U.S. in July.

A Task Force to Study the Episcopacy, mandated by the 2004 General Conference, proposed the reduction, but the legislative committee considering the petition voted 44 to 13 not to recommend the new formula to the entire 992-member body. Only eight laypersons served on that 57-member committee.

At present, each jurisdiction having 500,000 church members or fewer is entitled to six bishops. Jurisdictions with more than 500,000 members are entitled to one additional bishop for each 320,000 members. There is a provision for additional bishops if episcopal areas average more than 55,000 square miles.

The task force noted that the current formula results in great inequities in the number of churches per bishop (256 to 928) and the number of members per bishop (58,970 to 225,814).

The new formula provides for one bishop for every 150,000 members or one bishop for 100,000 members in jurisdictions where episcopal areas average more than 55,000 square miles.

United Methodists uphold homosexuality stance

Delegates to the 2008 General Conference on April 30 rejected changes to the United Methodist Social Principles that would have acknowledged that church members disagree on homosexuality.

Delegates instead adopted a minority report that retained language in the denomination’s 2004 Book of Discipline describing homosexual practice as “incompatible with Christian teaching.”

The adopted wording in Paragraph 161G also states that “all persons are individuals of sacred worth, created in the image of God,” and that United Methodists are to be “welcoming, forgiving and loving one another, as Christ has loved and accepted us.”

Delegates also approved a new resolution to oppose homophobia and heterosexism, saying the church opposes “all forms of violence or discrimination based on gender, gender identity, sexual practice or sexual orientation.”

In its majority report, the legislative committee, chaired by Frederick Brewington, New York Conference, recommended that delegates delete the incompatibility sentence and adopt the statement, “Faithful, thoughtful people who have grappled with this issue deeply disagree with one another; yet all seek a faithful witness.”

The revision also would have asked United Methodists and others “to refrain from judgment regarding homosexual persons and practices as the Spirit leads us to a new insight.”

The Rev. Kent Millard, South Indiana Conference, said the petition reflects reality among United Methodists. “The truth is, we are divided,” he said. “Let’s just acknowledge that it doesn’t say one is right and one is wrong. It just says we disagree.”

For the complete story, log on to www.umc.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=lwL4KnN1LtH&b=1723955&ct=5315905.

Church adopts proposed creed as litany

A proposed new Social Creed for The United Methodist Church became a “companion litany” instead after action by the denomination’s lawmaking body on April 30.

A task force under the leadership of the United Methodist Board of Church and Society worked on the “poetic” 2008 Social Creed that was proposed to the denomination’s General Conference meeting in Fort Worth through May 2.

Even though it will not replace the United Methodist Social Creed, the Rev. Neal Christie, staff on the board and a member of the task force, said it is “a gift to the church and reinforces and reframes the creed… The proposed Social Creed was a beautiful, elegant expression about hope, and I will be excited to teach it as a litany,” he said.

The proposed creed went on a worldwide tour during 2007 and 2008 and reflected hours of careful crafting by United Methodists in the United States, Norway, Africa and the Philippines.

The task force wanted to present a social creed that would be easier to use than the 1972 creed. The original creed was written in 1908 as a denominational statement decrying child labor and supporting the economic rights of workers, better workplace conditions, better wages and worker safety. The Book of Discipline, the denomination's book of law, recommends the Social Creed be emphasized regularly in every congregation and used frequently in Sunday worship.

Delegates celebrate centennial of men’s ministry

General Conference delegates celebrated on April 30 the 100th anniversary of ministry to men in The United Methodist Church and its predecessor denominations. At the 1908 General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, delegates officially authorized the newly created Methodist Brotherhood. Men’s ministry was launched that year because two-thirds of Methodists worshipping on Sunday morning were women, the video stated.

“This is huge,” said the Rev. David C. Adams, top executive of the Commission on United Methodist Men, in a six-minute video presentation. “Other men’s ministries over the years have come and gone. But United Methodist Men has been steadfast.”

That hasn’t changed, Adams said, which is what makes the ministry of United Methodist Men so essential. “The number one crisis in the church today is the lack of men in church, and the lack of men growing spiritually,” he said in a press conference following the presentation. “We need to address this and find ways to bring men back into the life of the church.”

United Methodist Men has initiated new programs to achieve this goal, and recently received the top award from the ecumenical National Coalition of Men’s Ministries, which represents 100 men’s ministries across the United States. Plans are under way to host a national gathering of men in Nashville in 2009.

Bishop Fisher preaches against ‘sin of racism’

Necessity calls the church to take a more challenging route to end racism, Bishop Violet L. Fisher told to United Methodists in her April 30 sermon to General Conference.

“If we’re going to be serious about the future of our church around the sin of racism, some tables will have to be overturned,” said Fisher, episcopal leader of the New York West area.

Fisher quoted Bishop Leontine T.C. Kelly, and asked the delegates to proclaim with her, “Racism does not belong in the church!”

Preaching about Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well, Fisher said, “Jesus deliberately and unabashedly modeled for His disciples” both gender and racial inclusiveness by going into Samaria and speaking with the woman.

“Are we willing to go through Samaria?” Fisher asked the conference.

“Like Jesus, we must choose the most difficult route and challenge ourselves to open the doors of diversity in The United Methodist Church,” she said.

The service opened with music from the Africa University Traveling Choir and continued with a clip from “Truth in Wholeness: Replacing White Privilege with Gods Promise,” a new DVD produced by the United Methodist Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns.

Fisher said the church must examine itself and its ministries through “sincere and repentant acts of restorative justice.” She referenced beliefs United Methodists proclaim through the 2004 Book of Discipline, the Book of Resolutions, the songs in the United Methodist Hymnal and the Council of Bishops’ seven vision pathways — which all affirm the denomination’s commitment to eradicate racism.

The bishop encouraged the denomination not to pretend it has done all it can do to “eliminate racism, white privilege, discrimination and clever tactics of subterfuge that leave our racial and ethnic ministries and pastors of color underfunded, underappreciated and misunderstood.”

Fisher challenged the denomination to make the elimination of racism a priority over the next four years so that when leaders return to the 2012 General Conference, they will come bearing the fruit of inclusivity.

People in 48 countries view General Conference online

The number of people experiencing The United Methodist Church’s top legislative assembly goes far beyond a few thousand people in the heart of Texas.

People in 48 countries have been going online to watch the business sessions, worship services and special events of the 2008 General Conference in Fort Worth. The proceedings are being streamed live on the assembly’s Web site, www.gc2008.umc.org.

The broadcasts are being picked up in 26 different languages on five continents.

The General Conference Web site had been viewed 487,890 times between opening day on April 23 and April 29, according to United Methodist Communications data. General Conference continues through May 2.

The site has had 53,033 viewings of the live streaming video as of the end of the day April 29.

In addition to streaming, the site is offering news stories, video coverage and audio reports. Visitors to the site can also track legislation and obtain resources such as a logo and a General Conference primer.

Petitions seeking to control Judicial Council ruled unconstitutional

Legislative petitions to direct how the Judicial Council organizes and how it works are unconstitutional, says the top court of The United Methodist Church. But requiring the entire court to be present to rule on the constitutionality of General Conference actions is permitted by the Book of Discipline, the council said.

On April 27, the denomination’s Judicial Council responded to the 2008 General Conference’s request for a declaratory decision on four petitions submitted to it. The petitions relate to recusal, conflict of interest issues, judicial conduct and the establishment of a quorum.

Issued on April 30, Decision 1096 says the General Conference can determine the number and qualifications of Judicial Council members and how they are elected. But the constitution of the church empowers the Judicial Council “to adopt its own methods of organization and procedure.”

The General Conference can also set the number of members constituting a quorum and can require “that only the whole of the Judicial Council may consider and decide the constitutionality of acts of the General Conference.” The council is made up of nine members, divided between clergy and laity. Twelve alternates — six clergy and six laity — are elected to serve if needed.

The constitution of The United Methodist Church provides a judicial system for the denomination, which includes the Judicial Council as the highest legal authority. Paragraph 56.6 of Division IV of the church’s constitution gives the council the authority to set its own rules.

Correction to yesterday’s update

Bishop Woodie W. White, former bishop of the Indiana Area, was not the first African-American bishop of The United Methodist Church. Roy Nichols was the first African-American elected bishop after the 1968 creation of the denomination, and African Americans had also served as bishops in the predecessor churches. – United Methodist News Service

Today’s schedule can be found by logging on to: www.umc.org/site/c.lwL4KnN1LtH/b.3989527/k.97F7/Today_at_General_Conference.htm