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)


Tuesday, July 20, 2021

JCD 1404

ee.umc.org/decisions/8153

 

Is the Resolution Aspirational Or a Violation?

 

The bishop of the Michigan Conference ruled a resolution supporting its Board of Ordained Ministry’s right to lament the treatment of LGBTQIA+ candidates as long as they did not act on it.  Then he’d have to step in, based on legislation passed at the special session of the General Conference held in 2019.

 

The Council supported the first part of the ruling but stated it could not support the bishop’s right to intervene.  Again the concurring opinions make clear that at least four of the Council members view the 2019 addition as unconstitutional.  According to ¶33, only the annual conference has that authority to do intervention through fair process procedures.  The whole Council does not disagree in the majority ruling but only uses that opinion to overrule the bishop’s alleged right to intervene rather than outright deciding the 2019 addition is unconstitutional.

 

What is startling in this decision is the identifying the annual conference vote in support of the resolution: 298 to 125. nearly a 3 – 1 ratio.  While the Michigan Conference is not as conservative as West Michigan, this ratio indicates a clear movement toward positively normalizing the LGBTQIA+ community.

 

That says to me that fewer and fewer churches are likely to separate when the split comes.  The dream of the conservatives who want to dominate the world of Methodism is fading faster than they want.  


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