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.
As I said: “. . . either directly or indirectly . . ..”
Oldplayer
I commuted 67 miles each way for three years while converting to Lutheranism. Finally things changed and now I live a few minutes away from church. It has been worth it. But I hear you, and every situation is different. My life is relatively unencumbered compared to many people.
So where do we Methodists go? Our church had an “Occupy Arkansas deal”. For Easter last year, Nelson Mandela was mentioned more than Christ. I kid you not.
I had a similar experience at the annual conference for the Baltimore-Washington conference a couple of years back. They literally are the DNC now. They had the democrat mayor of Baltimore (Yes, THAT one) speak there two years in a row. They approved messages supporting homosexuality in clergy (and I know of several that are ordained). They also were pimping anti-gun positions. I resigned my Lay Speaker and Conference Delegate duties and quit the church. There was so little talk of God. It didn’t even feel like God was in attendance.
So, Nelson died on the cross for our sins.
Sadly, I can almost hear it being preached.
That’s just a long trip, Albion. I commend you for it. I doubt seriously that I’ll move...maybe I will as I get older...but right now I don’t see it.
I will be lay rep from my church to my fourth UM regional conference in June. My first year, some incremental gay-supported issues were put on the agenda, debated from the floor the same way as all agenda items, and resoundingly defeated.
Year 2 featured the pro-gay agenda supporters wearing rainbow ties or collars. The pro LGBTQs sponsored a booth in the display area and chanted like they were right out of 1968. Another resounding no vote.
Last year, we were Delphi’d. The conference workshops all were cancelled in favor of carefully planned discussion groups. I arrived early to hear instructions given to the “facilitators,” first clue the Delphi Method is in use.
They were told to remove their rainbow gear and take care not to reveal their position. When they dispersed, at least two went to each table of eight. Most of the session was a listening tour. There was no direct indoctrination. Instead, they tried to build warm fuzzy feelings toward each other, and gain affirmation of “the process.”
There was no floor debate last year. A binding secret ballot was handed out at our discussion tables. No proposition was listed. They referred to a fine-print monstrosity available only if you’d read the district website in advance.
Fortunately, a woman at our table had brought a printed copy. Our session ended with a touchy-feely survey on the process, and how well we liked each other.
This process resulted in a flip from 60-40 the previous year against the incremental gay agenda items to 60-40 in favor. The results were quietly announced early the next morning as most people were just arriving.
Frankly, I continue to attend as a subversive. Someone has to expose them and their methods, don’t they? Until it’s pointless. Perhaps that’s where you are, xzins. I may not be far behind.
Now is a whirlwind going to pay a visit to the meeting like it did to a certain ELCA gathering in Minneapolis?
Rule 44 at this week’s general conference will be decided upon early. If it passes, they will use the technique you just described to deal with legislation this year. IOW, they will attempt to subvert voting itself in favor of ‘group process.’
If rule 44 is the method, then I’ve no doubt they will sideline the African delegations who are solidly opposed to homosexualism. They will put them all at their own tables, and all other tables will outnumber theirs.
As I said, I’m so sick of the subterfuge, the agenda setting prior to meeting, and the powers at the top in position to stifle dissent that I’m on my final lap around the track.
I’ve said this before out of frustration over my time as a freeper. This time it is real.
Sow the wind and reap the whirlwind.
I have zero doubt, Fred, that if this conference approves of a homosexualist agenda that the candlestick will be removed as per Revelation 2-3.
My MIL was a multi descendent Methodist, and her ancestors helped to build and establish the Methodist Church in her midwest home town.
After a lifetime of church attendance and generous donations of time, treasure and talent, She moved to live to a retirement home, and she never had a Methodist Minister visit her at her retirement home for over 12 years.
She still attended her church on a regular basis. Any concern/pastoral actions stopped at the church doors when she left a service to go back to her retirement home.
Then, a series of non caring and non believing pastors including homosexuals drove her away from her church. Their so called sermons were PC speeches not sermons. These non believing/caring pastors drove away many life long members, like her.
So, she stopped going to the church of her ancestors, and the church where she raised her children, who were married in that church.
She changed her will re her funeral requests. Instead of using the Methodist Church, she requested her funeral be held in at funeral home a few miles away. She requested that a local Baptist preacher deliver her eulogy. There was standing room only at at the large chapel at the funeral home.
Later, at the church reception hall, her post funeral reception could not hold everyone, and the crowd flowed over in to the patio/garden area. One of her DIL’s said that was the last big function in the church. At her request, the pastor at that time was told not to bother coming to the funeral and reception.
The church closed about a year later as attendance got so low, they could not afford to keep it open.
That is a sad story, Dave, and it hurts old time Methodists to hear it. But it is a story that in similar versions exists across this country.
The doors closed as you write above, and that that's because the homosexualist message MUST jettison the bible in some fashion to arrive at their conclusions.
And if you can jettison it in one place, then you can jettison it in others....to include the REAL resurrection.
And why be a Christian if there is no resurrection, no bible, no Word of God?
Might as well be in the Kiwanis club.
May God bless you for standing in the Truth!
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