1. h)(2) The penalty fixed by the Trial Court shall take effect immediately, except where the penalty changes the ministerial relationship of the respondent. The presiding officer of the Trial Court, at his/her discretion, may order a stay of penalty.
(3) Because the clergy session of the annual conference is responsible for all matters of character and conference relations of its members (¶ 36), the results of a Church trial are to be reported there. If those results would provide a negative judgment of the pastor's character and/or change the pastor's conference relations, the executive session may choose to review the proceedings from the time the complaint was first made through the entire appeals process in order to determine whether or not the matter was handled with justice and the proper results obtained. The pastor affected may be present and may have counsel. Motions to initiate this review may be made by any member of the executive session. The executive session has the right to all information necessary to determine the person's qualifications for ministry. The pastor alone may claim confidentiality on any matter, though the Board of Ordained Ministry, Cabinet members, or others may not invade the pastor's privacy for anything that does not add measurably to the information needed by the conference to make their judgment (¶ 733.21). The executive session, with the permission of the pastor accused (¶ 706.9), has the right to all records of the committees and bodies that participated in actions against the pastor for the sake of determining if the pastor was treated respectfully, fairly, and within Church law at all levels of the actions taken. The executive session then has the right to accept, modify, or reverse the results of the Church trial or call for a new trial.
General Conference Webmaster: Susan Brumbaugh
PETS Creator: John Brawn
Petition Text: 22396-GJ-2626.1-D
1996 United Methodist General Conference