Posted on 05/09/2016 6:51:50 AM PDT by xzins
The United Methodist Church General Conference convenes once every four years to make policy decisions and set the direction for the denomination.
Beginning Tuesday (May 10), 864 delegates, half of them clergy, will converge on the Oregon Convention Center in Portland for 10 days for the General Conference. More than 40 percent of those delegates will come from outside the U.S.
They’ll consider 1,043 proposals listed in the conference’s legislation tracking system.
Here are six of the most talked-about issues:
1. LGBT inclusion
The United Methodist News Service tallied up more than 100 petitions alone on sexuality.
Several plans have been proposed to streamline all that legislation, including “The Simple Plan” supported by the Reconciling Ministries Network. That plan would change six paragraphs in the denomination’s Book of Discipline that forbid clergy from marrying same-sex couples or and regional conferences from ordaining LGBT clergy. The denomination’s Book of Discipline calls the practice of homosexuality “incompatible with Christian teaching.”
The Connectional Table, which coordinates Methodist missions, ministries and resources, has proposed the “Third Way Plan” to allow individual clergy to decide whether to perform same-sex unions. It’s similar to “A Way Forward,” another plan that would allow local church bodies to decide whether to perform same-sex marriages, and conferences to decide whether to ordain homosexual clergy.
2. Abortion
(1976) A fish-eye lens view of the quadrennial United Methodist General Conference at Portland's Memorial Coliseum. During the 10-day meeting the 986 delegates from the U.S. and some 20 other nations charted the denominatino's course for the next four years. Religion News Service file photo *This day in history: On November 11, 1966 the Methodist Church & Evangelical United Brethren Church united as United Methodist Church. (1976) A fish-eye lens view of the quadrennial United Methodist General Conference at Portland’s Memorial Coliseum. During the 10-day meeting the 986 delegates from the U.S. and some 20 other nations charted the denomination’s course for the next four years. Religion News Service file photo *This day in history: On November 11, 1966 the Methodist Church & Evangelical United Brethren Church united as United Methodist Church.
Seven petitions suggest changes to the wording of The Book of Discipline’s paragraph on abortion. Several aim to strengthen language about preserving the life of a baby in the womb, while others encourage adoption and protection for health care professionals who do not want to participate in abortions as “a matter of conscience.”
Another petition, submitted by five annual conferences, encourages the General Board of Church and Society and the United Methodist Women to withdraw their membership in the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, which it calls a “one-sided political lobby that opposes all disapproval or limitation of abortion.”
3. Religious freedom
The General Board of Global Ministries has proposed a resolution calling on Methodists to “honor, respect, and advocate for religious freedom for all faith communities” and urging all governments to do the same.
4. Welcoming immigrants and refugees
At least three pieces of legislation address the needs of immigrants and refugees.
One would update figures in Book of Disciple about the number of migrants who have died crossing the border between the U.S. and Mexico — more than 3,860 between the years 1994 and 2009, it said. It also would direct churches to “welcome newly arriving immigrants into our congregations” and push a path to citizenship.
Yet another proposal would expand a section on Global Migration and the Quest for Justice.
And a new resolution titled “Housing for Persons on the Margins” would direct churches to work together to create housing for immigrants and refugees, among others.
5. Divestment from companies supporting Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Four resolutions prepared by the United Methodist Kairos Response ask the Methodist church to divest from Caterpillar, Motorola Solutions and Hewlett Packard — companies that profit from Israel’s occupation of Palestinian lands — and end any other investments that relate to illegal settlements. The church already opposes the occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Kairos Response isn’t the only group encouraging divestment; an advocacy group called Fossil Free UMC is calling on the church to divest from fossil fuel companies, as well.
6. Gun violence
A new resolution calls on Methodists not only to support those who have been affected by gun violence in their communities, but also to advocate for laws meant to prevent or reduce gun violence.
I have ministered in this denomination for decades now and this sickens me. The issues read like the democratic party platform.
I hope they again turn down the homosexualist agenda, but I really feel called away from the denomination.
It simply doesn’t feel like ‘home’.
To paraphrase Hebrewws, I suppose I seek a better city whose builder and maker is God.
It begins tomorrow and lasts until the 20th.
It’s not hard to figure out why this denomination is so difficult to get a decision out of. They meet only once every 4 years and then for only 10 days.
They’ve barely figured out where the transgendered bathrooms are in only 10 days.
I attended FL Annual Conference as a Lay Delegate for the last time in 2014. During a floor debate, my pastor turned to me and said, “do you feel the work of the Holy Spirit in this place?”
I looked at him, because I had just been thinking that, and said “No.”
He said, “me either. I wish I wasn’t United Methodist anymore.”
I left the church 2 weeks later.
It is terribly sad but this is what is happening in many denominations right now. It’s as if God’s Word doesn’t take precedence any longer. Do they really thing God has changed His mind?
“Homosexual inclusion” will eventually be approved. The homo lobby keeps pushing it year after year. Even if it gets voted down, they keep pushing until the opposition is eroded.
That United Methodism has repelled "official" recognition and affirmation of homosexual conduct in the past is no indication of what they'll do in today's "church," which is even more infested with godless leftists than ever before.
I think this is my last trip around the track. No matter what happens, sans-culotte is right. Even if disapproved, these people will remain within causing turmoil after turmoil.
They cannot leave because they cannot grow churches. That means they have no money. So they will hang on agitating because there are paychecks here.
I’m done, Harley. I’ve had it.
Even if the leftist positions are voted down, the fact that they are even on the table for “discussion” indicates very deep rot in the UMC body, probably incurable.
There’s no doubt about the rot, fw. And there are still some really faithful people, especially our churches in Africa. But the leeches will hang on because the money comes in from the living churches, and it feeds them and houses them and gives them a platform which their dying churches could never otherwise afford.
Even if they were permitted to leave with everything at no cost, they wouldn’t do it. They know they would shrivel and die.
fwdude, and xzins:
It sickens me, too. Our local Methodist church is so good, and some of our strength comes from the overall organization. We are active, reasonably conservative, and have strong useful outreach programs.
Unfortunately, some rot comes with UMC. At times, I am particularly bothered by the democrat agenda espoused. If same-sex pseudo-marriage is approved, either directly or indirectly, I am out of there.
Oldplayer
I think LCMS has a form of requalification for pastors who want to embrace LCMS. Here is the Concordia Seminary site.
You are right, ultimately it is about the paychecks, and the liberals know this.
I understand completely. Even our PCA church is starting to have liberal leanings. I told one of the elders I cannot understand how church leaders can support abortion, homosexuality, and a Democratic party that boos God in public.
It’s as if the world has gone crazy. I am totally convince that we are in the end game.
Follow that encouragement from Hebrews. There is no “fellowship” around error. For any church to equivocate on a no-brainer such as “a man shall leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh” is inexcusable. Disqualifying.
God loves and cares for the freaks, vagabonds and sexual misfits but NEVER condones their sin. Look at all the wolves in their WE’RE NICER THAN GOD sheep’s clothing, patting the lost on the back and driving them further into error just so they can get a self-righteous high.
Me, too. The beginning of the end. But you know that I’m premil.
I didn’t think I’d see the PCA crumble so fast. My guess is that the PCUSA sent tares along on purpose. Perhaps I give them too much credit.
I just looked for a LCMS in my area, and the closest is an hour away. But, I do think it is a solid pro-life, scripture honoring, biblical leadership church. At this point, I’m in favor of those who are believers in the inspired Holy Scripture, the Trinity, the real death, burial and resurrection, a male priesthood, holy biblical marriage, and adherence to the classic affirmations of faith. LCMS fits all of that. While there are advantages to living out in the country, there a times when you are really far from some opportunities.
I really agree with your last paragraph. They suffer under a delusion.
The dangerous approval will be the so-called ‘neutral’ plans that are offered. They try to sound so balanced when they say, “We’ll pass something where each church gets to decide for itself.”
And that will be true. Your church will decide against homosexual marriage and ordination in your church.
But...the church across town or county will decide in favor of homosexualism, and that will make you and your church members of a denomination that approves of the advancing homosexual agenda.
Notice how subtle this is? The enemy is in the details.
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