Reports of the Legislative Committees

1996 United Methodist General Conference

Church and Society (4/17/96)

The committee organized into four subcommittees, each handling approximately 80 petitions:

• Human Sexuality A [homosexuality]: Dale Weatherspoon, chair; Jeremy Vetter, secretary
• Human Sexuality B [abortion]: Beth Capen, chair; Chuck Hefley, secretary
• Human Community: William Scott III, chair; Mary Virginia Taylor, secretary
• Global Peace Issues: Claudia Bloem, chair; Rufus Campbell, secretary

The committee created the following subcommittees:

• Pensions: Grady Knowles, chair; Mary Miller, vice chair; Mone Mae Waymire, secretary
• Budget/GCFA: Lee Sheaffer, chair; Phyllis Rodriguez, secretary
• Conference/Other: Jeannie Trevino-Teddlie, chair; Helen Potter, secretary

Asked for referral of petitions 10593, 10603, 10605, 10774, 21482, 21569, 23071, back to the General Council on Finance and Administration.

The committee organized into four subcommittees:

• Constitution Questions and Site Selection Process: Harriet J. Olson, chair
• Missional Study Proposals, Special Days, and Advance: Sam Wynn, chair
• General Administration and GCOM Legislation, Connectional Issues Study and Global Nature of the Church: C. Rex Bevins, chair
• Judicial Matters: Alfred Johnson, chair

The committee organized into five subcommittees:

• Structure and Structural Related Resolutions: Twick Morrison and Paul Dirdak, chairs
• Rural and Urban Ministries: Marilyn Outslay, chair
• Ethnic Ministries: Mary Silva, chair
• Health Related Issues: Bill Hines, chair
• International Resolutions: Skip Keels, chair

The committee divided its work into five subcommittees:

• Religion and Race: Grant J. Hagiya, chair
• Archives and History: Phyllis Butler, chair
• COSROW: Becky Haase, chair
• Communications: Kimberly Pace, chair
• Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns and COCU: Patricia Toschak, chair

The committee organized itself into subcommittees by disciplinary paragraphs:

• Paragraph 100s dealing with the Local Church and Paragraph 201-Paragraph 207: Jean Dowell, chair
• Paragraph 208 - Paragraph 243: Mary Brown Oliver, chair
• Paragraph 244 - Paragraph 259: James A. Harnish, chair
• Paragraph 260 - Paragraph 270: Terry Clark, chair
• Paragraph 2525 - Paragraph 2554: Robert Rosas, chair

The committee adopted a motion to use the Ministry Study as the basis of its work. They also decided to break into 10 subcommittees (5-10 people) as follows:

• Foundations and General Ministry: Renae Extrum-Fernandez, chair
• Candidacy and Probationary Period: Sharon Rhodes-Wickett, chair
• Full Connection--Deacon and Elder: Larry Goodpastor, chair
• Local Pastors: Deborah Pritts, chair
• Formation and Transition: Lee-Wi Tan, chair
• Oversight--Division of Ordained Ministry and Higher Education, Superintendency, General Boards and Conference Boards (petitions related to Paragraphs 500s, 700s, and 1500s, but not related to Ministry Study): Ruth Daugherty, chair
• Grievances: Lawrence McCleskey, chair
• Sexuality, Interim Pastors, GCCUIC: Cecile Adams, chair

During the session, Bishops David Lawson and William Oden gave the committee a historical review and a synopsis of the study and responded to some of the issues raised in the reflection groups from the morning prenary. Those issues included: concerns about the proposed office of Lay Ministry Steward which the respondents felt would undermine other lay offices and have the potential for divisiveness and inconcsistency with the ministry of all Christians; relationship between deacons and elders; and legal issues raised by the structure proposed in the study.

General Conference Webmaster: Susan Brumbaugh
PETS Creator: John Brawn