UMC JUDICIAL COUNCIL FALL 2012 SITTING ROUNDUP GUARANTEED APPOINTMENT UPHELD

The UMC Judicial Council in it just concluded fall 2012 sitting has upheld the long stand guaranteed appointment of UMC clergy. Though I am a huge fan of clergy excellent performance, yet I still felt the General Conference “missional purpose” which calls for abolishment of guaranteed appointment is ambiguous.  Hence the decision of the council:

“Security of appointment has long been a part of the tradition of The United Methodist Church and its predecessor bodies. Abolishing security of appointment would destroy our historic plan for our itinerant superintendency. Fair process procedures, trials and appeals are integral parts of the privilege of our clergy of right to trial by a committee and of appeal and is an absolute right which cannot be eradicated by legislation. The amendments to ¶ 337, as contained in Calendar Item 355, are unconstitutional and violate the third and fourth restrictive rules of the Constitution. The original ¶ 337 of the Discipline is restored and maintained and the changes made thereto at 2012 General Conference are null, void and of no effect. The amendments to ¶ 321, as contained in Calendar Items 352, is also declared repugnant to the Constitution and hence, unconstitutional. The original ¶ 321 of the Discipline is restored and maintained, and the changes made thereto by the 2012 General Conference are null, void, and of no effect. Calendar Item 358, the new transitional leave ¶ 354, is declared unconstitutional, and Calendar Item 359, which removed the language of a transitional leave from ¶ 354 of the Discipline, is also declared unconstitutional. The current language for a transitional leave as provided for in ¶ 354 is restored and maintained.”

The next questions are:  what mechanism do we have in place that will insure effectiveness of our clergy? How can the General Church adequately help the ineffective clergy in meeting the expectation of the church? What are we doing to make the pastoral vocation attractive for young generation of clergy who are contemplating joining this ministry? We all agree that we need congregational vitality, but still we are not able to diagnose the real problem that is causing decline in our church before offering solution. We are captivated in treating secondary causes while the primary cause lays beneath untouched. We read to rise up to reality and stop treating church like a business center.

 

REMOVAL OF GUARANTEED APPOINTMENT THE DILEMMA IN UMC

               

In the General Conference 2012 delegates made a major change to the long-standing United Methodist itinerancy system when they voted in favor of ending guaranteed appointments for ordained clergy. This change has given UMC bishops the right to end pastor’s career for “missional” purposes if they are found ineffective. The petition focused on paragraph 338 in the Book of Discipline, which states, in part, “Full-time service shall be the norm for ordained elders in the annual conference.”

The approved amendment to the paragraph includes, “The bishop may appoint an ordained elder, provisional member elder, or an associate member to less than full-time service. The clergyperson shall be notified at least 90 days prior to the annual conference at which the appointment shall be made. Special attention shall be given to ensure that the values of open itinerancy are preserved ...”

The legislation also permits bishops and their cabinets, with the approval of their boards of ordained ministry and annual conference’s executive session, to place elders on unpaid transitional leave for up to 24 months.

Each annual conference will name a task force to develop criteria impacting full time missional appointments.

The opponents of this legislation continued to express their disappointment, seeking to point out what they considered unintended consequences. On the final day of General Conference, a motion was made to request a declaratory decision from the Judicial Council to review the constitutionality of this new legislation.  The motion passed and the Judicial Council has placed this on their fall agenda. 

Reading blog commentaries of different people on this subject, Wes John has this to say “I am more than suspicious of the big push to give bishops the ability to end a pastor’s career for “missional” purposes. In the little experience the church has had with this new paradigm, “missional” seems to be a code word for favoritism. The committee’s “we have to do it this way because it’s right” attitude is equally unsettling. Why is this the best way of dealing with the situation? Why doesn’t each bishop publish a list of those clergy who are in their sights and then work with them to improve rather than be so anxious to kick them out? Why don’t they list the 85% of “underperforming churches” so that those churches can know they are considered as less than important? I get the feeling that the committee and those who are pushing for this huge change are doing so not out of collegiality or a love for the church but rather as a way of enhancing and cementing their own power and authority. The whole process feels a little like drilling holes in the bottom of the Titanic in order to let the water out” (comment on the United Methodist Reporter blog).

This matter is now before the judicial council, who will decide whether action taken by the 2012 General Conference, the denomination’s top legislative body, to end guaranteed full-time appointments for clergy is constitutional. In addition to the constitutional issue, the Judicial Council could weigh whether the 2012 General Conference actually made the intended change to guaranteed appointments at all, a question that arose after the controversial action was referred to the court.

In the General Conference 2012 delegates made a major change to the long-standing United Methodist itinerancy system when they voted in favor of ending guaranteed appointments for ordained clergy. This change has given UMC bishops the right to end pastor’s career for “missional” purposes if they are found ineffective. The petition focused on paragraph 338 in the Book of Discipline, which states, in part, “Full-time service shall be the norm for ordained elders in the annual conference.”

The approved amendment to the paragraph includes, “The bishop may appoint an ordained elder, provisional member elder, or an associate member to less than full-time service. The clergyperson shall be notified at least 90 days prior to the annual conference at which the appointment shall be made. Special attention shall be given to ensure that the values of open itinerancy are preserved ...”

The legislation also permits bishops and their cabinets, with the approval of their boards of ordained ministry and annual conference’s executive session, to place elders on unpaid transitional leave for up to 24 months.

Each annual conference will name a task force to develop criteria impacting full time missional appointments.

The opponents of this legislation continued to express their disappointment, seeking to point out what they considered unintended consequences. On the final day of General Conference, a motion was made to request a declaratory decision from the Judicial Council to review the constitutionality of this new legislation.  The motion passed and the Judicial Council has placed this on their fall agenda. 

Reading blog commentaries of different people on this subject, Wes John has this to say “I am more than suspicious of the big push to give bishops the ability to end a pastor’s career for “missional” purposes. In the little experience the church has had with this new paradigm, “missional” seems to be a code word for favoritism. The committee’s “we have to do it this way because it’s right” attitude is equally unsettling. Why is this the best way of dealing with the situation? Why doesn’t each bishop publish a list of those clergy who are in their sights and then work with them to improve rather than be so anxious to kick them out? Why don’t they list the 85% of “underperforming churches” so that those churches can know they are considered as less than important? I get the feeling that the committee and those who are pushing for this huge change are doing so not out of collegiality or a love for the church but rather as a way of enhancing and cementing their own power and authority. The whole process feels a little like drilling holes in the bottom of the Titanic in order to let the water out” (comment on the United Methodist Reporter blog).

This matter is now before the judicial council, who will decide whether action taken by the 2012 General Conference, the denomination’s top legislative body, to end guaranteed full-time appointments for clergy is constitutional. In addition to the constitutional issue, the Judicial Council could weigh whether the 2012 General Conference actually made the intended change to guaranteed appointments at all, a question that arose after the controversial action was referred to the court.

UMC Judicial Council meets to determine legislative matters

Denominational discussions on job security for clergy and job evaluations for bishops are among the topics addressed in 18 docket items before the United Methodist Judicial Council at its Oct. 24–27 meeting in Elk Grove Village, Ill.
The top court will decide whether action taken by the 2012 General Conference, the denomination’s top legislative body, to end guaranteed full-time appointments for clergy is constitutional. In addition to the constitutional issue, the Judicial Council could weigh whether the 2012 General Conference actually made the intended change to guaranteed appointments at all, a question that arose after the controversial action was referred to the church court.
In a docket item that relates to the involuntary early retirement of Bishop W. Earl Bledsoe, the South Central Jurisdiction College of Bishops is requesting a declaratory decision on constitutionality of the church law provision the episcopacy committee referred to in making its decision on Bledsoe.
Paragraph 408.3 of the Book of Discipline, the denomination’s law book, says that a jurisdictional episcopacy committee, by a two-thirds vote, can place a bishop “in retired relation” if the committee finds it “to be in the best interests of the bishop and/or the Church.”
During the South Central Jurisdictional meeting in July, it was noted that the paragraph was amended at the 2012 General Conference. The amendment added a sentence that said the committee would need to report clearly the reason for a decision on involuntary retirement to the jurisdictional conference. The change took effect immediately.
Bledsoe himself has appealed to Judicial Council for a decision regarding his retirement. His appeal will be considered during a special session Nov. 9–11 in Phoenix.

Other issues before the council

The Western Pennsylvania Annual (regional) Conference has asked the top court to determine whether funds given to the East Africa Annual Conference by the former Pittsburgh East District were used in accordance with the intent of the donors as required by the 2008 Book of Discipline (Paragraph 258.4.f).
Concerns expressed by some in Western Pennsylvania are among the unanswered questions and accusations that have clouded several mission projects by U.S. United Methodist conferences working in East Africa.
Bishop Daniel Wandabula, episcopal leader for East Africa, has disputed the accounting concerns that also have led to the temporary suspension of funds by some church agencies.
The council will review a ruling by Wisconsin Area Bishop Linda Lee on questions of law regarding the conference’s proposed clergy covenant team. She said the questions were hypothetical and therefore not properly before the conference. The Judicial Council automatically reviews rulings on questions of law.
The clergy covenant team concept was initiated by the Rev. Amy DeLong, who was convicted of performing a same-sex union in 2011 and sentenced to a 20-day suspension and a yearlong process to “restore the broken clergy covenant relationship.”
Another document item reviews a bishop’s decision of law in the California-Pacific Annual Conference regarding the “Resolution in Response to General Conference 2012” approved on June 15.
The resolution renounces the denomination’s position “that homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching, and declare that it is itself incompatible with the life and teachings of Jesus Christ” and commits to building church communities inclusive of all people.
Other annual conferences this summer also debated or rejected the church stance on gay rights and same-sex marriage.

New council members

This will be the first regular session for the new Judicial Council, which convened in July for orientation. Two new members, as well as alternates, were elected during the 2012 General Conference last spring in Tampa, Fla.
Joining the council are the Rev. J. Kabamba Kiboko, originally from Southern Congo, now a clergy member of the Texas Annual (regional) Conference, and N. Oswald Tweh Sr., of the Liberian Annual Conference, both in Africa.
The Rev. Dennis L. Blackwell, Greater New Jersey Conference, and Beth Capen, New York Conference, were re-elected for a second term. The five council members continuing their eight-year terms are the Rev. William B. Lawrence, North Texas Conference; Angela Brown, California-Nevada; Ruben Reyes, Philippines; the Rev. Kathi Austin-Mahle, Minnesota and the Rev. F. Belton Joyner, North Carolina.
*Bloom is a United Methodist News Service multimedia reporter based in New York. Follow her at http://twitter.com/umcscribe. www.umu.org

WHO ARE THE UNITED METHODISTS?

The United Methodists are Evangelical Christian body who follow the teachings John Wesley; a former Anglican priest who was evicted from the Church of England for his fervent preaching on holiness.  One of my favorite quotations from this preacher is: “Do all the good you can . . .

in all the ways you can . . .

in all the places you can . . .

to all the people you can . . .

as long as ever you can.” This guy has travelled over 250, 000 miles on horseback, only to preach the message of love. The Christian body called The United Methodist Church is the result of his tireless effort. Today we have eight million (8m) United Methodists in the United States and another 3.5 million in countries around the world. Our congregations are deeply involved in their own communities and in outreach far from home. Both women and men are clergy/pastors.  We believe we are all in ministry together. Our decision-making bodies always include clergy and lay church members. We have two sacraments – baptism and communion – and our communion table is open to all (Yes, that really means everyone.), our name, Methodist, at first was a term meant to poke fun at our theological founder, John Wesley.

Who can be baptized? People of any age, from infancy through adulthood, but once is sufficient because it is God’s act, not a denomination’s. (If you were baptized in another faith and later join a United Methodist church, you can “confirm” or “reaffirm” that baptism, but God got it right the first time). How is baptism done? Ordinary water and the hands of a minister are the tools. (Most people get sprinkled, but some prefer pouring or immersion).

Communion! Just what is it? Communion is an act of worship that uses bread and wine (unfermented grape juice, actually) to open ourselves to God’s love, to remember Christ’s life and to be bound to a bigger community. Who is it for? United Methodists have an “open table.” It’s not “our” table, but the family table to which Jesus welcomed everyone and a sacred time of inclusion. (You don’t have to be a member. You don’t have to be baptized. You don’t have to be an adult. It really is open to all).

Our clergy! United Methodist pastors can be women or men, single or married. All are screened rigorously (background checks, psychological testing, the works). Ordination comes after years of full-time ministry. A church may have one or more ordained ministers or a person who is licensed for ministry.  Church staff may also include others who are schooled in music, Christian education, youth ministry and other disciplines.

After reading this don’t you think God is calling you for ministry in The United Methodist Church? If you felt called, respond to the gentle voice of the Holy Spirit! Be blessed.

 

References

1.      Wesley and the people called Methodist by: Richard P. Heitzenrater, 1995.

2.      John Wesley's sermons: an anthology by: Albert, C. et’ al, 1991

3.      Methodist Doctrine: The Essentials, 2nd Edition by: Campell, Ted A. 2011.

4.      The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church 2012.

      5. www.rethinkchurch.com

 

 

 

 

FACTS ABOUT UMC BISHOPS ELECTION OUTSIDE THE U.S

The United Methodist Church is not a congregational church in terms of leadership, it is a connectional church and its structure of administration is Episcopalian in nature. Therefore, The United Methodist Church is not the “Church of Nigeria” but the “Church in Nigeria.” Meaning it is an extension of other United Methodist Church around the globe, bond in leadership and administration. Wherever there is a break on this bond, it ceased to be United Methodist Church.

The United Methodist Church built its powers on conferences, either jurisdictional (in U.S.A) or central (outside U.S.A). The principal source of it authority is taken from what is called “the Wesleyan quadrilaterals;” which has the Bible, tradition, reason, and experience as the sources of decision making in the Church. The Wesleyan quadrilaterals are the basis in which the church form it constitution called “The Book of Discipline.” In this book every decision concerning spirituality, administration, leadership, and governance of the Church is driven.  

That is why some time it is very hard for people outside the church to understand the polity and administration of the Church. If people outside the church want to meaningfully contribute to the success of this church, it is paramount that they should understand the polity and administrative procedures of the church. Rather than depending on hear saying, and receiving information from unsubstantial sources that are saturated in sectionalism, tribalism, malice, egocentrism, and nepotism.  The world is now a global village, substantial information are available for everyone to access online. It is safer and reliable to read these things from a reliable source than to depend on egoistic information circulating verbally.

Regarding election, consecration, and assignment of UMC bishops, detail are found in paragraph 404-415 of the Book of Discipline 2008, the 2012 Book of Discipline has not make any remarkable changes regarding election. However, these paragraphs may require interpretation as they may content terminologies that are only understood by people who have familiarized themselves with the church law. Here are some abstract from these paragraph that will help you understand how bishops are elected in UMC.

First and famous I will like you to know that there is a difference in the way bishops are elected in jurisdictional conferences (in U.S.A) and central conferences (outside U.S.A). In U.S jurisdictional conferences, the election of bishops is determined by the number of church members. “Each jurisdiction having 300, 000 church members or fewer shall be entitled to five bishops and each jurisdiction having more than 300, 000 church members shall be entitled to one additional bishop for each additional 300,000 church members or major fraction thereof” (404.2a BOD 2008).  Outside U.S, central conferences the numbers of bishops is determined on the basis of missional needs. The request for a bishop is approved by the General Conference, when recommended by the Standing Committee on Central Conference matters (404.1 BOD 2008).

The question is; at the recommendation and approval of the General Conference, how is central conference bishop elected?

Constitutionally, there are four stages involved in nomination and election of a bishop; one is barely the responsibility of the annual conferences while the other three are exercised only by the central conferences:

1.       Naming of nominee(s) by annual conference (405.1 BOD 2008).

2.       Election of one among the annual conference nominee(s) or nomination and election of different nominee(s) by the central conference (405.1 BOD 2008).

3.       Consecration of the elected person as a bishop at the session of the central conference by the bishops from central (405.2c BOD 2008);

4.       Assignment of the elected bishop by the central conference committee on episcopacy after consultation with the college of bishops, with the support of the central conference (406.2 BOD 2008).

It is worth noting that the power of ascertaining the appropriate procedures for election is only vested on central conference. In other words, central conference is the constitutional/ legal body that has the right to elect a bishop for a particular area. Such person can come from any annual conference provided he/she is a full member of an annual conference within that region (405.1 BOD 2008). “The jurisdictional or central conferences are authorized to fix the percentage of votes necessary to elect a bishop. It is recommended that at least 60 percent of those present and voting be necessary to elect” (405.2b BOD 2008).

When a bishop is elected following the above procedures, he/she is said to be dually elected a United Methodist bishop, not only for his/her area but UMC globally.

He/she can only be removed from the status of a UMC bishop whenever convicted of the following chargeable offenses: “Immorality including but not limited  to, not being celibate in singleness or not faithful in a heterosexual marriage, practices declared by The United Methodist Church to be incompatible with Christian teachings, including but not limited to: being a self-avowed practicing homosexual or conducting ceremonies which celebrate homosexual union; or performing same-sex wedding ceremonies; crime; failure to perform the work of the ministry; disobedience to the order and discipline of The United Methodist Church; dissemination of doctrines contrary to the established standard of doctrine of The United Methodist Church; relation and/ or behavior that undermines the ministry of another pastor; child abuse, sexual abuse; sexual misconduct or harassment, or racial or gender discrimination” (2702.1 BOD 2008).

It is only under such offenses would a bishop be charged and if found guilty he/she will receive penalty as the judicial council may deem fit.

 

Is Religion Against Humanity?

Economic security and sheer power are the remote and immediate reasons why people polarized in the Church. It is unfortunate that religion in history is used as a major force by egoistic persons to control the minds, attitudes, and action of the unwitting folks in the society; to sacrifice their happiness, families, friends, and the welfare of the society to fight for power and give it to these egoistic persons.

If you look closely at people who claimed they are fighting for God, beneath their claims and motive God is far way. They have discovered that religion is the easiest weapon of manipulation, easily used in history to retained political and economic power. Incite the unwitting folks to go and fight and bring power to the so-called “our leaders.”

If their claims are truly godly, why not let God to fight his battle Himself? Or do you think God is incapable of fighting His battle that he needs your help? Please be reasonable, don’t allow someone to lure you into fight with your families, friends, and your society in the name of church, religion, tribe, section or nepoty.

For many years we have made for ourselves a god that demands and receives the sacrifice of anything or anyone who gets in our ways. Let’s allow God to fight His battle in His own way.

NEW BISHOP ELECTED FOR UMC NIGERIA

FREETOWN, Sierra Leone (UMNS) — The Rev. John Wesley Yohanna of the Mungo Dosso area in Nigeria has been elected a United Methodist bishop by delegates of the West Africa Central Conference. Yohanna, 49, succeeds Bishop Arthur Kulah who was recalled from retirement about five years ago to lead the Nigeria Episcopal Area.
The Nigeria Episcopal Area encompasses three annual (regional) conferences — the Central Nigeria, the Northern Nigeria and Southern Nigeria annual conferences.

Bishop John Wesley Yohanna is consecrated Oct. 7 at King Memorial United Methodist Church in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Yohanna is a new bishop of the Nigeria Episcopal Area. UMNS web-only photos by Phileas Jusu.

“I have a huge responsibility resting on my shoulders,” Yohanna said. “It is to pursue peace as articulated by West Africa Central Conference theme (‘Seek Peace and Pursue It’). I need to serve the people of the United Methodist Church in Nigeria and show servanthood leadership to ensure transparency in every transaction that I make and picking everybody along the peace and development process,” said Yohanna.
Yohanna was elected Oct. 6 at Bishop Baughman Memorial United Methodist Church on the first ballot with 57 votes of the 65 clergy and laity delegates from the four nations that form the West Africa Central Conference — Cote D’Ivoire, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone.
Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa and the seventh most populous worldwide, according to the CIA World Factbook. Half of the nation’s roughly 170 million people are Muslim, while 40 percent are Christian. That religious division has been a source of violence in recent years.
“Since my election Saturday night, I have received several calls from non-Christians congratulating me on my election victory, and they are looking forward to working with me as the bishop of The United Methodist Church. With the foundation already laid by General Board of Church and Society workshops, we will be able to continue with interfaith dialogue in our Episcopal Area,” Yohanna said.
Challenges facing Nigeria
Nigeria faces other challenges. As of 2009, the country had the world’s second highest number of people — 3.3 million — living with HIV and AIDS.
“I will work hard to restore the functionality of the hospitals and health centers within the episcopal area,” he said. “We need skilled volunteers, sufficient medical equipment and drugs to keep our medical institutions running. Once we have the machinery in place, we would be ready to combat malaria and HIV effectively.”
Beside this, malaria has taken its toll on Nigerian rural and suburban population. The 2012 Malaria Consortium report indicate that 2,969,950 cases were reported in 2007 out of which 10,289 died.

Bishop Yohanna waves to the cheering crowd as he joins the west African bishops and the presiding bishop, Julius Trimble, (right) after his election.

Yohanna has to help glue together the leadership of three annual conferences. There have been internecine fights among various church leadership caucuses.
Those squabbles affected the West Africa Central Conference gathering. Only one annual conference in the Nigeria Episcopal Area — the Central Nigeria Conference — sent delegates to the gathering.
A communique signed by the 13 absent delegates titled “TOTAL BOYCOTT OF THE NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN NIGERIA ANNUAL CONFERENCE DELEGATES TO THE 2012 WEST AFRICAN CENTRAL CONFERENCE” reads in part: “Any attempt to impose or elect anybody on our behalf will not be acceptable to us in the interest of peace, unity, justice and fairness”.
The release cited a flawed process leading to the nomination of episcopal candidates, unresolved boundary demarcation disputes and doubt over the fairness of Bishop Arthur Kulah in the process as key among other reasons for the boycott.
Wants to build bridges
Yohanna said he will seek to build bridges with supporters of the boycott.
“I will engage everybody in having dialogues with all stakeholders, and these are the common people in the church whose voices have been drowned for too long,” he said. “In the church of Jesus Christ, we learnt a leadership model from Master Jesus. Christ came to reach those at the bottom to bring them to the top as evidenced in the scripture that says ‘if I am lifted up, I will draw people to myself’ (John 12:32).”
In a similar vein, Yohanna said leadership is not thinking of being at the apex, but it is about the people at the base. It is about offering more privileges to the less fortunate.
In the West Africa Central Conference, like the United States, a bishop is elected for life on his or her first election.
Before his election, Yohanna was the administrative assistant to the bishop of the Nigeria Episcopal Area. He was district superintendent in the Central Nigeria Annual Conference from 2005 to 2010. He has served in several positions in the Central Nigeria Annual Conference including director, Council on Ministries; secretary, Board of Ordained Ministry and a pastor at Saladuna and Piribi local churches. He was also an instructor at Ahmadu Bello University at Zaria-Banyam Theological Seminary from 1991 to1993.
Born to staunch Evangelical United Brethren parents, Yohanna spent his formative years in the Karim Lamido local government area of Taraba State, Nigeria.
The Evangelical United Brethren missionaries had a lasting impact on his parents, and they handed down to him and his siblings an unshakeable faith. He draws inspiration from the name John Wesley, founder of the Methodist movement, and this has seen him through his faith journey fraught with various challenges from persecutions in the church and threats of arrests. God held him with God’s victorious right hand, the bishop said.
“My prayer for Nigeria Episcopal Area is to restore peace in the Nigeria UMC by going to the people, discussing with the people and finding solutions together with the people,” he said.
Another issue Yohanna discussed was to restore the church’s various ministries, namely aviation, education, agriculture and medical.
Furthermore, Yohanna hopes to improve visibility by increasing membership of The United Methodist Church in a predominantly Muslim area by reaching out to the eastern and western parts of Nigeria, even in Abuja, the federal capital of Nigeria.
“I pray that all the UMC boards and agencies will come to our aid at this juncture in the history of our church to move us from the lower rung of the ladder in order for us to reach the mountaintop in all our ministries,” he said.
Yohanna was consecrated Sunday, Oct. 7, at King Memorial United Methodist Church in Freetown, Sierra Leone  (source UMC NEW UMC.org).