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Bishops' president foresees more dialogue after judicial session

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Bishop Janice Huie

May 3, 2006

A UMNS Report
By Neill Caldwell*

The president of the United Methodist Council of Bishops reacted cautiously to news that the church's top court had declined to reconsider two decisions with which the bishops had expressed strong disagreement.

On May 2, the Judicial Council handed down rulings from its recent meeting in Overland Park, Kan., including the denial of appeals of Decisions 1031 and 1032. Those two decisions, rendered last October, dealt with the Rev. Ed Johnson of South Hill (Va.) United Methodist Church, who prevented a practicing gay man from becoming a member in the church.

The Judicial Council ruled that a senior pastor does have the right to determine who is ready to take membership, and that the Virginia Conference had violated Johnson’s right to due process. Johnson, who had been placed on leave by the conference, was reinstated to his appointment at South Hill following the council’s decision.

Bishop Janice Riggle Huie, of the Texas Annual Conference, said she was disappointed that the church court did not vote to reconsider the rulings, but said she "respects the Judicial Council and their process." Huie began a two-year term as president of the denomination's Council of Bishops this month.

She said she also agreed with comments made in a concurring opinion issued with the ruling that "it is time for the issues addressed in Decision 1032 to now be debated by the United Methodist Church, as is occurring."

"I agree that this larger issue belongs to the church, and the proper place for the debate to continue is in our church, specifically at the 2008 General Conference," she said. "We will continue our dialogue on how the church responds to homosexuals."

Huie declined to speculate as to what might happen at the next General Conference, which will be held in Fort Worth, Texas, in late April, 2008.

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Bishop Charlene Kammerer

Bishop Charlene P. Kammerer of Virginia, a principal in the two Johnson cases, said May 3 that she was disappointed in the Judicial Council's response, but added: "I will do my part by modeling Christian conversation and civility within our family of United Methodists here in Virginia as this conversation continues.

"As I reflect on the concurring and dissenting statements issued by the council, I recognize that the Judicial Council is split in its opinion, resulting in a five to four vote," said Kammerer, who filed one of the appeals for reconsideration. "I believe that members of the Judicial Council have signaled their encouragement for the wider church to continue in Christian conferencing around the important issues at stake. I believe those issues include the meaning of membership, inclusiveness and our Wesleyan understandings about grace.

"I understand that the Judicial Council is charged with interpreting church law," she said. "However, it is only the General Conference of our denomination that makes and changes church law."

The United Methodist Church's Book of Discipline holds that homosexuals are people of sacred worth but that the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching. It also bans the performance of same-sex unions by United Methodist clergy and in United Methodist sanctuaries.

Huie said that as questions about the Judicial Council's decisions arise, "I would ask pastors to work with their churches and district superintendents and their bishop as we follow the teachings of Jesus and uphold the Discipline as faithfully as we can."

She said she would direct clergy and laity in her own conference to look at the statement issued by the Council of Bishops last fall. "We continue to stand by that," she said.

In that Nov. 2 pastoral letter, issued after the Judicial Council's original rulings, the Council of Bishops said that homosexuality should not prevent people from becoming members of a United Methodist Church. "While pastors have the responsibility to discern readiness for membership, homosexuality is not a barrier," the bishops said.

"With the Social Principles of the United Methodist Church, we affirm 'that God's grace is available to all, and we will seek to live together in Christian community,'" the bishops said, quoting from the Social Principles in the Book of Discipline. "‘We implore families and churches not to reject or condemn lesbian and gay members and friends. We commit ourselves to be in ministry for and with all persons.'"

Huie noted May 3 that "the Judicial Council was asked to reconsider those rulings and they've declined. We're exactly where we were in the fall."

The Council of Bishops will not meet again until November, when the bishops will travel to Mozambique.

In the meantime, Huie said she will "be listening carefully to pastors and congregations over the next few weeks to hear what they're saying, and determining how to respond."

*Caldwell is a freelance writer based in High Point, N.C.

News media contact: Tim Tanton, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.

 
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Resources
Council of Bishops
Decision 1031
Decision 1032
Rules of Practice and Procedure
Judicial Council Dockets