JCD 1163

http://archives.umc.org/interior_judicial.asp?mid=263&JDID=1283&JDMOD=VWD&SN=1100&EN=1189

The New York Conference faced dealing with a resolution about welcoming LGBT persons but which the bishop ruled out of order. Despite efforts to amend the resolution, the bishop persisted in ruling it out of order. Finally, the bishop asked for a motion to support his ruling, which the plenary did. The Council was left with a parliamentary situation that it has no jurisdiction to resolve.

It has to be frustrating to advocates for resolutions when they cannot overcome a parliamentary move which passes the house though the bishop had no real grounds.

Even though the resolution took up a large chunk of time in the Conference's agenda, by being voted as out of order, made all that work legally meaningless. The vote in support of the bishop meant it was not before the conference and hence, the Council had no jurisdiction.

This Council often provides enough history to understand the circumstances and their decision.