Posted on 02/27/2019 5:59:50 PM PST by lightman
Here is a brief summary of the accomplishments of the special called 2019 General Conference of The United Methodist Church held in St. Louis.
Given the opportunity to support the full court press of the majority of North American bishops in their advocacy of the One Church Plan, a decisive majority of delegates instead chose the Traditional Plan.
By a vote of 438 to 384 (53.3 percent), adopted the Traditional Plan, parts of which will not be able to go into effect because they are unconstitutional. Parts that willgo into effect are:
• Expanded definition of “self-avowed homosexuals” to include persons living in a same-sex marriage or union or who publicly proclaim themselves to be practicing homosexuals
• Explicitly prohibits bishops from consecrating bishops, ordaining or commissioning clergy who are self-avowed practicing homosexuals
• Requires all persons nominated to serve on the annual conference board of ordained ministry to certify that they will uphold and enforce the Book of Discipline’sstandards for ordained clergy
• Establishes a minimum penalty for clergy convicted of performing a same-sex wedding of a one year suspension (first offense) and loss of credentials (second offense)
• Explicitly prohibits district committee and conference board of ministry from recommending a candidate for ministry who does not meet the standards, and orders the bishop to declare any such unqualified candidate out of order
• Prohibits a bishop from arbitrarily dismissing a complaint against a clergy person
• Requires the involvement of the complainant in all stages of the resolution process and that every effort must be made to have the complainant agree to any just resolution
• Allows the church to appeal the verdict of a trial court in cases of egregious errors of church law or administration
• Petitions defining how clergy pensions are to be handled when a clergy person or congregation leaves the denomination
• An exit path for congregations seeking to leave the denomination with their property, in exchange for one (extra) year’s apportionments and payment of pension liabilities. This legislation will not go into effect because it is believed to be unconstitutional.
All constitutional defects in the various pieces of legislation could have been fixed with simple amendments. But stalling tactics by proponents of the One Church Plan prevented these important amendments to be enacted. It would be possible to pass them at the 2020 General Conference next year.
Defeated the One Church Plan by a vote of 374 to 449 (54.6 percent opposed)
The most vitriolic atmosphere ever at an annual conference, with even leading centrists engaging in hateful rhetoric, lies, and character assassination, casting doubt on their claim to want to live together in one church body.
Bishop Cynthia Fierro Harvey observes the results from a Feb. 26 vote for the Traditional Plan, which affirms the church’s current bans on ordaining LGBTQ clergy and officiating at or hosting same-sex marriage. The vote came on the last day of the 2019 General Conference in St. Louis. Photo by Paul Jeffrey, UMNS.
Therefore:
Lutheran (EL C S*A) Ping!
* as of August 19, AD 2009, a liberal protestant SECT, not part of the holy, catholic and apostolic CHURCH.
Be rooted in Christ!
NOTE: The August 19 date pertains to the adoption of gay agenda policies, NOT the UMC agreement!
The Methodists should just kick the American liberals the hell out of their church.
Thank God for the African UM...they held the ground.
Thank God there are denominations that stand with God.
For years I thought the UMC was the "liberal" denomination, unaware of how the Episcopalians and Presbyterians were sinking in the muck.
The Methodists, once a Christian franchise, is trying hard to come back to God. I pray they will succeed. Queers are an abomination to Our God, there is no excuse for it or for tolerance of this evil mental disease.
It is ONLY because, by God’s grace, the UM General Conference is comprised of global delegates—especially Africans—that the votes had such results.
As I understand it, there will be an even higher percentage of global south delegates at the 2020 General Conference.
The “progressives” saw this special session as their last hope.
Let us pray for an amicable separation as the cancer is expelled.
I used to be United Methodist, have some family and friends there, and still check in from time to time to see what's going on there.
This is Bishop Karen Oliveto, the first openly-lesbian UMC bishop, who is married to a woman. What happens to her? The plan says that it "explicitly prohibits bishops from consecrating bishops, ordaining or commissioning clergy who are self-avowed practicing homosexuals." Are they planning to put their money where their mouths are, are will they just kick the issue down the road again? How much longer can they say one thing and do another, as they have in past church trials of practicing homosexual pastors, and of pastors who have conducted homosexual marriages? Those clergy were brought to trial for violating the Book of Discipline -- and they admitted to doing it -- but were they acquitted all the same.
I think it depends where you live. My Methodist church is as conservative as any Baptist church, but the there is a Methodist church 140 miles away, in the state capital (NC), that is extremely liberal.
I saw on the news where one open homosexual at the conference, hinted that a split from the United Methodist Church is possible.
If that happened, then the liberals could leave and the remaining Methodist Church organization would have upheld traditional values.
It’s really distressing to see denominations possibly splitting over homosexuality.
The Methodist we work with in Cuba are conservative, fundamentalist, and evangelistic, probably a big reason why they are growing and the liberal churches here are contracting.
Looks like the liberals may be on the verge of regaining control of the Southern Baptist Convention.
No, it is distressing to see denominations embracing homosexuality. Splits are far better.
Liberals have been loudly saying they will beat a path away from the church, but it’s the last thing they want to do. They rather stay and infect and disrupt the desires ilif the majority.
To me, it is heartening to watch this great winnowing of the wheat from the chaff.
Our Lord is--true to the words of the Forerunner, Prophet, and Baptist John--clearing His threshing floor in order to gather grains to present a pure loaf to His Father.
Why don’t the libs just go to a Unitarian Church?
There are conservative Presbyterian denominations. Several. All affiliated with NAPARC.org. Maybe 200,000 or more members?
Most interesting.
I agree. The liberals are not looking for a place to worship, they are looking to fundamentally change the Methodist church. And they are succeeding incrementally as this cultural trend “leavens the whole lump”.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.