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)


Wednesday, March 18, 2020

JCD 1398

ee.umc.org/decisions/81135

Anti-TP Resolution Is Null and Void

There was no dancing around in Cal-Pac last June.  Their resolution did not mince words.  They will not comply with TP and further, they will not authorize funds for background investigations, etc, that are called for by PT.  The bishop, of course, had to rule it null and void.

Read the journey of the resolution onto the consent calendar where it was passed and how the lay person fighting it tried to get two kinds of questions into Conference so that he could get a ruling.

I know two members of the California-Pacific Annual Conference and know they knew the resolution was clearly a call to violate TP.  The passage of the resolution, even if called null and void, still clearly expressed the mood of Cal-Pac and was a witness to what they see as unjust.  The price for their rebellion?  An official denunciation of their resolution, which does little more than stop any such official actions that will somehow still, when official action takes place, end up in results contrary to the intent of TP.

This is the most unabashed challenge to TP among the many in this session’s docket.  

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