JCD 1164

JCD 1164

http://archives.umc.org/interior_judicial.asp?mid=263&JDID=1284&JDMOD=VWD&SN=1100&EN=1189

All earlier attempts by annual conference to define the word “status” in Paragraph 4 have been in reference to persons seeking or holding ministerial standing in our denomination. Northern Illinois Conference was trying to apply it to church membership. By opening the definition of “status” to include sexual orientation and transgender identity for their annual conference, the hope was to provide a precedent other conferences could follow.

The Council pointed out that they have persistently said that the definition of “status” as they do in this decision was the task of the General Conference.

The analysis is a helpful study of the judicial efforts of our denomination to consider this issue. I find such good research by Council members helps clarify where we are in this issue, making the Council’s work more helpful, and therefore more interesting.