WELCOME!

Associates in Advocacy now has two sites on the internet. Our primary help site is at http://www.aiateam.org/. There AIA seeks to offer aid to troubled pastors, mainly those who face complaints and whose careers are on the line.

Help is also available to their advocates, their caregivers, Cabinets, and others trying to work in that context.

This site will be a blog. On it we will address issues and events that come up.

We have a point of view about ministry, personnel work, and authority. We intend to take the following very seriously:

THE GOLDEN RULE
THE GENERAL RULES
GOING ONTO PERFECTION

Some of our denomination's personnel practices have real merit. Some are deeply flawed. To tell the difference, we go to these criteria to help us know the difference.

We also have a vision of what constitutes healthy leadership and authority. We believe it is in line with Scripture, up-to-date managerial practice, and law.

To our great sadness, some pastors who become part of the hierarchy of the church, particularly the Cabinet, have a vision based on their being in control as "kings of the hill," not accountable to anyone and not responsible to follow the Discipline or our faith and practice. They do not see that THE GOLDEN RULE applies to what they do.

If you are reading this, the chances are you are not that way. We hope what we say and do exemplify our own best vision and will help you fulfill yours. But we cannot just leave arrogance, incompetence, and ignorance to flourish. All of us have the responsibility to minimize those in our system.

We join you in fulfilling our individual vow of expecting to be perfect in love in this life and applying that vow to our corporate life in the United Methodist Church.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

If you have any questions or suggestions, direct them to Rev. Jerry Eckert. His e-mail address is aj_eckert@hotmail.com. His phone number is 941 743 0518. His address is 20487 Albury Drive, Port Charlotte, FL 33952.

Thank you.

(9/26/07)


Saturday, May 14, 2011

JCM 1157

http://archives.umc.org/interior_judicial.asp?mid=263&JDID=1276&JDMOD=VWD&SN=1100&EN=1189

A policy on sexual conduct of the Baltimore-Washington Conference was the subject of a request for a declaratory decision on its effect and application in light of Paragraph 605.8. The conference voted to forward the request to the Council. The Council held a hearing with the parties at interest.

The analysis was not of the issue in question but of what allows the Council to have jurisdiction. This is the longest discussion of their criteria I have seen in one place.

They ruled they had no jurisdiction!

It appears there was no specific case on which to base the request. I think the Discipline allows requests for declaratory decisions that could have an effect on someone but so far, the Council has not agreed with me. My argument goes back to their JCM 1048. (See my argument related to that on this blog dated January 11, 2011.)

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