Petition Text: 20083-IC-NonDis-O

Understanding Petition Numbers

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Even though the ideal of a church universal serving and professing one Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, should always remain the goal of the people of God, the means to such a unity should not be in opposition to the Gospel of Jesus Christ or to The Discipline of The United Methodist Church.

The notion of covenant has never been one of agreeing to "look the other way" while someone breaks the Law of God. Covenant has always been a means by which two parties strive together to keep God's laws.

And even though much may be accomplished by lowering the fences which divide denominations and even though much may be gained through a new understanding of our relationship to the Body of Christ and to the Church Universal, we must first remain true to our understanding of the Gospel even if such an understanding continues to divide us.

Whereas, the delegates to the Consultation on Church Union (COCU) are proposing a covenant for church unity; and

Whereas, such a unity would covenant us with denominations who openly accept and ordain persons whose lifestyle is "incompatible with Christian teaching" and, therefore, against The Discipline of The United Methodist Church; and

Whereas, said covenant would "include all persons as a sign of wholeness" regardless of whether their doctrines and beliefs were in agreement with The United Methodist Church; and

Whereas, the General Conference of 1996 shall make a decision on whether or not to endorse such a covenantal relationship; we ask

Therefore, the General Conference not to enter into the COCU Covenant as long as such a covenantal relationship would require The United Methodist Church to compromise its understanding of the Gospel and to disregard its Discipline

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Petition Text: 20083-IC-NonDis-O
1996 United Methodist General Conference