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)


Friday, January 25, 2019

JCD 1363


It Ain’t There!

There is no JCD 1363.  The chances are that the number was assigned to a case that for some reason, the Council decided late in its deliberations was not ready to a ruling.  

It’s my view that things are getting more complicated and sometimes, last minute discoveries of older church law or something obscure in the Discipline comes up and throws a monkey-wrench in the thinking of the Council.  

It might be that someone on the Council cannot make up his/her mind on a decision where the rest are split and the Council cannot act.  Again, it could be that the decision was held till the last minute and then not possible to resolve.

Most likely, there was an editorial error made.  They are rare but in actual numbers over the years, are the most likely to have occurred.

The Judicial Council makes human errors.  Who knew?!

Curious as we all are, those nerdy enough to want to know, we probably will never get a reason.  And once this kind of error is made, it becomes irrelevant since numbering a decision is like naming a child.  

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