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.

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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, August 22, 2012

JCM 1207

http://archives.umc.org/interior_judicial.asp?mid=263&JDID=1328&JDMOD=VWD&SN=1201&EN=1211

AN INDIVIDUAL’S REQUEST FOR A JUDICIAL COUNCIL RULING

From that Manila Area came a request for a declaratory decision from a suspended bishop. Unfortunately, no conference or other Disciplinary body forwarded it so the Judicial Council could not take jurisdiction.

As I have reported in the past, I was consulted on some matters by those related to the bishop making the request. These matters from the Philippines docketed by the Council this spring were not referred to me. I have no idea what concerns the inquiring bishop has other than that multiple suspensions by the college of bishops of the Philippines that he has faced may not be legal. However, the request was not included in the memorandum. The last I knew, the suspensions continue and the central conference is left to figure out what to do about election to replace that bishop or, as the South Central Jurisdiction has done in bishop Bledsoe’s case, leave an opening until the matter is resolved.
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