Plenary Session Proceedings
Tuesday, April 23: Morning Session
BISHOP ROBERT C. MORGAN: Excuse me please, if there is a doctor, Dr. Holzinger. There is an accident in the back. If all of you would just take your seats now, please. There is an accident back there. And if there is a doctor, Dr. Emerick, I think I saw. Leon, there's an accident back here. If the rest of you would please just be seated. I know you join me in expressing appreciation to the worship leaders today. Bishop Hoyt, Dr. Davaney, Dr. Robbins, and this wonderful choir. They all came to us and they laid it on the line for us and we thank you. [applause]
Now we come to the time, as we do each day, of discernment, where we turn to our neighbor just for a few moments, to do some reflection and a moment of prayer. On the screen you will see the two questions, I say this to our ecumenical visitors, we would invite you to join with us in this. If you would please return to your seats now, and let us be in a moment of quiet and reflection. If you would turn to your neighbor now, and reflect together, discerning God's will for our life together. If the visitors would just please remain quiet, so our delegates can do their work. Thank you. If you are leaving, just leave quietly. We're now in a very important part of our day. A time of prayer and discernment. If you will turn now to your neighbor.
And now if you would join us together as we pray together. Let us sing together, a little hymn, we can sing it without accompaniment. Join me if you will.
Amen. We begin the day, by recognizing the bishop from Indonesia. I want to do this right, Bishop Doloksarieu for a special presentation. Bishop, we welcome you, we thank you for seeing that this wonderful choir came to our conference. If you will great the bishop. [applause]
BISHOP H. DOLOKSARIEU: Thank you, bishop. Dear beloved Methodists, good morning. I'm grateful to God for this wonderful moment, to be among you and speak to you. As you can see, there are 50 people who come from Indonesia. It is 18 hours flight to Denver.
The main purpose of our coming here is to praise our Lord Jesus Christ and to thank you, all members of The United Methodist Church for your faithful support in mission in Indonesia since 1905. Since then, with the missionaries' support and cooperation, many mission works have been achieved successfully. In this regard, allow me to name some of the missionaries the American Methodist Church has sent to Indonesia. Rev. (unintelligible) from Indiana, Rev. John Wesley Day from New Jersey, Mr. Angalanda, Mr. Reems, Rev. Dale Walker from Illinois, ....
Rev. Freddie Ginglock from Estes Park, Rev. W. Armstrong from Texas, Rev. Harbock from Kentucky, Bill Imler, Rev. Joe Daniels from North Dakota, Rev. Thurman, Rev. Lionel Mutaya, just to mention some.
My heart drew me to say again, I Corinthians, chapter 15, that "their labor in the Lord is not in vain." Now there are 100,000 members of The Methodist Church in Indonesia, 500 ministers, hundred and hundred churches, hundred thousand students at Methodist schools and university, many health clinics, in addition to many rural development and clean water projects. We believe this is the most grand gathering of the Methodists in America. In this regard, we think, now is the most appropriate time to say thank you to all of you.
As a token of our deep heart thankfulness, on behalf of the Methodist Church of Indonesia, I would like to present a flag and a banner, in this regard, to the General Board of Global Ministries, and to this General Conference. I would like to invite Dr. Randolph Nugent and Bishop Herbert Skeete.
BISHOP F. HERBERT SKEETE (Boston area): I'll share the plaque with you. "We wish to express our greatest and heartfelt gratitude to God and to our brothers and sisters of the United Methodist Committee on Relief of the United Methodist Church. Last year we celebrated together the 90th anniversary of Methodism in Indonesia. Thank you on behalf of UMCOR." (applause)
RANDOLPH W. NUGENT JR. (general secretary General Board of Global Ministries): The plaque reads the same for the General Board of Global Ministries, "Serving the Lord together with you for 90 years, the Methodist Church of Indonesia." I should like to say we are deeply grateful for the recognition and want to be in with you for the future, and say to the General Conference, the leadership which you have seen here has followed the tradition in which we have been working to leave in place, to enable the people of the region to be the leaders. Presently there are now only two missionaries in Indonesia, Warren and Jo Harbert, who are in theological education, serving and enabling pastors in evangelism. Thank you. (applause)
BISHOP DOLOKSARIBU: And lastly, I would like to present this to this General Conference. Would you please... (presenting a banner)
BISHOP MORGAN: I accept this on behalf of the General Conference, and we will place it in a very significant place here at the General Conference. It says, "Thank you, American Methodist Churches, for your 90 years of mission in Indonesia, 1905-1995," cross and flame. (applause)
BISHOP DOLOKSARIBU: Thank you and God bless you all.
BISHOP MORGAN: Now we have an order of the day to recognize our distinguished ecumenical visitors. Bishop Melvin Talbert, who is the secretary of the Council of Bishops, and also is our ecumenical officer of the church, will make these presentations.
BISHOP TALBERT: Thank you, Bishop Morgan. Good morning, sisters and brothers. I am Melvin Talbert, secretary of the Council of Bishops, and it has been my privilege to be ecumenical representative of the Council of Bishops for the last eight years.
Before I present our distinguished guests, I think it's important for me to let you know that, at this General Conference, there are various categories of guests that are present with us. The first category is churches with concordant relationships, and these two churches are seated in the bar with unique relationships. And they are the British Methodist Church and the Methodist Church in the Caribbean and the Americas. They are the only churches with which we regularly exchange delegates.
The second category is autonomous affiliated churches. There are many persons here representing autonomous affiliated churches. These churches have a special relationship with us, because they were begun by missionary outreach of The United Methodist Church or one of our predecessor bodies. Many of those persons are seated with us in the bar of the conference or on the podium.
Third, there are churches with whom we have an act of covenant. These are different churches from across the world who have signed special covenants with us under the leadership of the Council of Bishops, affirming each others' ministries and missions. In 1992, we signed eight such covenants. Tomorrow we will vote on and hopefully honor two additional covenants, one with the Evangelical Church of Spain, and another with the West Africa Methodist Church of Sierra Leone.
Finally then, we come to the ecumenical guests from the churches and organizations within the United States. These are the guests that I'm privileged to present to you at this time, and we are honored and indeed delighted to have them join us this morning and to be recognized at this time. I understand that the pages are passing among you a list of these, but as I present these, our guests, for this morning, I would ask them to stand and remain standing. And if you would hold your applause until the complete list has been shared with you, I would appreciate it very much.
May I present these our ecumenical guests. Representing the African Methodist Episcopal Church, Bishop H. Hartford Brookins. Representing the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, Bishop Joseph Johnson. The American Baptist Churches in the USA, Dr. Louise B. Barger.
BISHOP MELVIN TALBERT: Representing the American-Jewish Committee, Ms. Anita Fricklas. And may I add I'm not sure but this may be the first time that we've had someone from the Jewish community with us at our General Conference. (applause) Representing the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), the Rev. William C. Crowl. Representing the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church and our preacher of the morning, Bishop Thomas L. Hoyt Jr.
Representing the Consultation on Church Union, Dr. Vivian U. Robinson, President and Dr. Daniell C. Hamby, General Secretary. Representing the Episcopal Church, the Right Rev. Edward F. Gulick, Jr. Representing the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Bishop Ralph Kempski.
Representing the Free Methodist Church of North America, the Rev. Dr. Richard Morrow.
Representing the International Councils of Community Churches, Dr. Michael J. Owens and Mrs. Michael J. Owens. Representing the National Baptist Convention of America--I have not seen him but he may have arrived--Dr. James Diehl.
Representing the National Conference of Catholic Bishops the Most Rev. William S. Skylstad of Yakima. And let me pause here. Six members of the Roman Catholic Church under the leadership of Bishop Skylstad--he co-chairs the Roman Catholic-United Methodist dialogues with Bishop Bill Grove--prior to this General Conference heard about the "Guide to Prayer and Preparation." They asked for copies of that devotional guide and used it for forty days praying for our General Conference prior to our coming here, and we are most grateful. (applause)
Representing the National Council of Churches in the United States of America, the Rev. Dr. Joan Brown Campbell, general secretary, and then of course myself as president. Representing the Orthodox Church in America, the Very Rev. William Leonid Kishkovsky. Representing the Reformed Church in America, the Rev. David Dutchmas. Representing the United Church of Christ, the Rev. William F. Dark. Representing the Wesleyan Church, the Rev. Phillip L. Harris and Mrs. Betty Lou Harris. And representing the World Council of Churches, Mr. Phillip E. Jinkes. Let us give our ecumenical guests a warm hand of welcome. (applause) Now my friends, we could have a hallelujah time this morning inviting all of these guests to greet us and we could learn a lot about them, but we are not going to do that. What we're going to do is ask one of these guests to greet us, and it is my privilege to do that now.
One that I've been privileged to work with over the last many years and over the last four years in a very close way is the General Secretary of the National Council of Churches, Dr. Joan Brown Campbell. She is a tremendous person, a great ecumenical leader, a great visionary, and one who is able to lead us in such a way that we are all so proud. It is not easy to work with 33 comunions when they all have their own goals and directions and try to bring them together as one to foster a common direction, goal, and spirit. But Dr. Campbell has done that magnificently and we are delighted to greet her. It is my privilege to have worked with her as president-elect in the last two years traveling with her, not only in this country but in places like Russia and Armenian, and then this year it is my privilege to serve as president for 1996 and 1997. Let us greet Dr. Campbell and enable her to greet us in the name of Christ. (applause)
JOAN BROWN CAMPBELL: Thank you, Bishop Talbert. Dear sisters and brothers in the family of God; grace and peace to each and every one of you. I greet you this morning in the name of the one who in the face of the cross called us to be the one people that we are intended to be. Jesus knew and knows us so very well. How clear he was that a hungry, hurting, and war-weary world would yearn for people of faith who could speak and act together. To stand under a banner that lifts up the great commitment to unity of this important Church is humbling, comforting, and challenging. In all essentials unity. In essentials unity. Can the congregation join me by saying, "amen."
CONGREGATION: Amen.
CAMPBELL: I greet you today and believe me, it is indeed an awesome task as I look at those who stood when I stood; those who are gathered now behind me. I greet you on behalf of all of those, and the cloud of witnesses that they represent. Each one of them, as Bishop Talbert said, could give you a special greeting. Together I believe that those gathered here bespeak the diversity of the family of God.
And what we want to say to you today is a very simple message. We want to say to you, you are not alone. But even more than that we want to say to you, your decisions matter enormously. And much as you may think they are your decisions, we would say to you, they are not yours alone; for they matter to the people of God. We are all related my friends, related by nothing less than the blood of Jesus Christ. We are related here in this country, we are related to sisters and brothers all over this world. I bring special greetings today to those who call themselves Methodists and who come from around this world.
I was deeply touched as I walked into this room and walked passed the translation booths, and realized the vast diversity of those gathered here. I would say to those of you from around the world, your cultures enrich us, your witness informs, your faith deepens our faith. Your struggles enrich our mission. They quite rightly command our resources and very often test our comfort. You add richness to the tapestry of our common life.
Especially today I would be remiss if we did not thank you for the enormous gifts of leadership of The United Methodist Church, gifts of leadership shared nationally, internationally, and in cities and towns all throughout this great nation. You have shared with us generously. Ecumenically, The United Methodist Church gives leadership to ecumenical efforts throughout this land; especially to the National Council of Churches, the World Council of Churches, and the Consultation on Church Union.
And now just one personal word. A word of special thanks and of warmth and gratitude to Bishop Melvin Talbert. Time would not allow me to say what I would like about this great and good man who has brought courage and strength to a struggling ecumenical movement. Thank you, Bishop Talbert, thank you United Methodist Church, for the gift of this man in our life, and thank you Ethelou wherever you may sit for sharing him with us.
Our prayers are with you now as we move forward together to witness as one. To witness as one, not simply because it is convenient, not even because it is politically effective, but profoundly and earnestly so that the world might believe, and that all might receive the promise of eternal life. We pray for you that you might be gifted in these days with vision, with wisdom, with courage, and with charity in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God's peace be with you and with all those for whom you pray. Amen. [applause]
BISHOP TALBERT: As people called United Methodists, we have never assumed that we are the Church. In the spirit of John Wesley, we have always proclaimed that to be who we are, we must be involved ecumenically. And so we have invited our guests to be with us this morning to demonstrate the fact that we are serious about that. We cannot do our work effectively as people of faith unless we commit ourselves to being on the journey of faith with our sisters and brothers in other communions and denominations in our communities.
Sisters and brothers, this ecumenical journey does not simply belong to us at the national level. It is our common witness at the very grassroots of our life with the congregations in our communities. We greet our sisters and brothers who have come to be with us this morning in the name and in the spirit of Jesus Christ.
The corporate responsibility for ecumenism belongs to your Council of Bishops. But in order to give someone the privilege of sitting around the table in the ecumenical arena for the past eight years and throughout the history of the council, the secretary has been designated the one to carry that responsibility. And as I said earlier, it has been mine to do that in behalf of this council and in behalf of this church for the last eight years.
Assuming that you will approve an agenda item coming before you later, Bishop William Boyd Grove will be my successor as Head of Communion in the next four years. I want to say to you again it's been a joy and a privilege representing you, but that task could not have been completed or been done successfully without the support of Dr. Bruce Robbins and staff of the General Commission on Christian Unity and Concern; without Bill Grove and his leadership as president of that council, and without many of the general agencies of our church and who have in behalf of all of us made ecumenical commitment in and through the National Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches.
So, it's been a joy and privilege representing my church, and it's been an inordinate privilege for me to represent you in presenting our ecumenical guests this morning. And as they stand and leave the stage, let us again, greet them and welcome them in the name of Christ. (applause)
BISHOP MORGAN: We are so grateful for the presence of the ecumenical--you may be seated--and we're so proud of Bishop Talbert who is the president of the National Council of Churches.
We're in the midst of an Order of the Day, friends. I will call on you at the appropriate time. We're still in the midst of this moment, and I think it was not said specifically, and I should have said that when I presented him, and what a tremendous honor that is for the whole church for him to serve us in that capacity.
Yes, back here. Go to microphone 14. What is your purpose?
ELAINE STANOVSKY (Pacific Northwest): The Western Jurisdiction Committee on Episcopacy has asked for me to present a "Petition of Commendation" for Bishop Talbert.
BISHOP MORGAN: All right, we'll hear that.
STANOVSKY: "Whereas Bishop Melvin G. Talbert has served our denomination and Christ's Church Universal in an exemplary manner, and whereas, Bishop Talbert has been elected and is now serving as President of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America, therefore be it resolved that the 1996 General Conference of the United Methodist Church hereby gratefully express our appreciation and joyful support of Bishop Talbert as he fulfills the office of President of the National Council of Churches in the United States of America."
As United Methodists, we, indeed, are proud of the leadership that Bishop Talbert offers, conveying to all that the Church is one in Christ Jesus. We thank God for Bishop Talbert and his ministry within our church, and now representative of the church throughout the United States and the world. We rejoice that God has given us Bishop Melvin G. Talbert, especially at such a time as this. Congratulations, Bishop Talbert, and our prayers are with you. I would move its adoption.
BISHOP MORGAN: And let us affirm that petition with our applause. That would be the way, rather than using the electronic things on that. (applause)
BISHOP MORGAN: I think that was unanimous applause. Thank you for that. Very appropriately now, we move to the COCU report, Churches Of Christ Uniting, in that same spirit. And I turn to Bishop William Grove and those who will be making this presentation, and the legislative committee appropriate, who will make this. Bishop Grove?
BISHOP WILLIAM GROVE: Thank you, Mr. President. Members of the General Conference, and friends. It is a blessed opportunity for us to present this report on churches in covenant communion within the context of ecumenical joy which we're experiencing this morning. Sharing with me in this report will be Mr. Byrd Bonner, a lay delegate from the Southwest Texas Conference, a member of the General Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns, and the chair of the task force of the General Commission that has been dealing with this covenantal possibility for us through the years.
Ecumenical witness is an evangelical imperative. Jesus' prayer for the unity of his disciples represented, I believe, the deepest yearning of Christ's spirit: "May they all be one, as you, Abba, and I are one, that the world may believe." The division of the church is a major impediment to our evangelical task.
The United Methodist Church is constitutionally ecumenical. I read to you from Division I, Article V of the constitution: "As part of the Church Universal, the United Methodist Church believes that the Lord of the Church is calling Christians everywhere to strive toward unity, and therefore, it will seek and work for unity at all levels of church life. Through world relationships with other Methodist churches and United churches related to the Methodist Church, through councils of churches, and through plans of union with churches of Methodist or other denominational traditions." Our constitution represents our essence, what is constituative of us: our bone marrow and our blood. Our constitution commits us to seek the unity of the church.
We now face the opportunity of a new form of unity, a unity that is not organizational, but covenantal; that is not institutional, but spiritual; a unity in sacred things, as the document, "Churches in Covenant Communion," describes the relationship.
BISHOP GROVE: "Churches in Covenant Communion" represents a covenantal relationship among communions while allowing them to retain their own ecclesial heritage, identity and authority. The dimensions of the covenant into which we are invited to enter are the following:
This proposal is put before you by the Council of Bishops by unanimous vote. Over the last seven years, the council has devoted more time in plenary session of the Council of Bishops to this proposal than to any other issue, with the exception of the ministry study. In 1991, the council withheld its recommendation to the 1992 General Conference so that we would have the time, within the council and throughout our church, to gain clarification about some issues that we believed at that time, needed clarification. We delayed the recommendation for four more years.
In spite of the fact that the Council of Bishops withheld its recommendation in 1992, 19 annual conferences recommended to the 1992 General Conference that we enter into covenant communion. When we came finally to our vote within the Council of Bishops on this proposal, there were two votes in the negative; and after the vote, those who had voted in the negative asked to have the vote reopened, so that it could be made a unanimous vote.
In addition to the Council of Bishops, the General Commission on Christian Unity and Interrreligious Concerns, and 34 annual conferences have petitioned the General Conference for approval of the covenant.
The following churches have voted to enter into this covenant: The Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, as we heard from Bishop Hoyt; the International Council of Community Churches; the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America; the Christian Church, Disciples of Christ; the United Church of Christ; two other churches--the African Methodist Episcopal Church and the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, will vote on the covenant in their general conferences this summer.
No member church of the Consultation on Church Union has rejected the covenant. We pray for the day when the Episcopal Church, which still has the covenant under study, may decide to join us within the covenant.
Imagine some scenarios that might soon become reality within this covenant. In a small town in Ohio, or in Nebraska, or in the state where you live, four of the covenanting churches have congregations. They decide that once a month, or four times a year or more, they will meet for a shared Eucharist, with all clergy as co-celebrants. They also decide that they will do all their baptisms together. Or they decide that when they do their baptisms in their own congregations, there will always be representatives of the other churches within the covenant present at the baptism.
In one annual conference in New York or in California, or in Virginia or Georgia, a decision is made to have a shared service of ordination. For the United Methodists, the ecumenical service of ordination is an adjourned session of the annual conference. But in another annual conference, the decision is made to have representatives of the covenanting churches present at the annual conference, when the service of ordination takes place, to participate in the laying on of hands. Both are possible within the covenant.
This covenant will move faith and order ecumenism to the local congregational level. It will help us all--laity, pastors, superintendents, and bishops--to experience the life of the one Church in a new and dynamic way. I believe that this is the most significant ecumenical challenge to be placed before the General Conference of The United Methodist Church in nearly half a century, since we first voted to enter the National and World Council of Churches. To quote a good preacher, "We are challenged to march beyond our maps." [applause]
BYRD BONNER (Southwest Texas): In the late 1800's a French impressionist painter named George Seurat began to develop a painting technique called pointilism. I am certainly no painter, but my understanding of that technique is that individual distinct dots of paint are placed on a canvas with a hope and conviction that, upon viewing the painting from a distance, the entire landscape of hue and color appear.
My name is Byrd Bonner, and I am a first time lay delegate to a General Conference from the Southwest Texas Conference. I was baptized and confirmed in a United Methodist Church in a county seat town in the North Texas Conference. My wife and children and I now are members of an inner city church in San Antonio. Like most of you, I have been United Methodist all my life. But the way that we too often go about our ministries within the walls of our congregations and sanctuaries, or cocoons, as Bishop Hoyt visioned, is troubling.
Covenanting helps us address some of that isolation with a fresh understanding. It will encourage a broader understanding of baptism, Communion, and mission. We are all aware of the significance of the ecumenical movement, and many in this room have been particularly important players in that movement. The general church level is the primary place where the ecumenical movement has been played out. But ecumenism is not primarily lived out here. We now understand and proclaim evangelism and mission to primarily take place in our local churches. The unity we seek is primarily lived out at the local level as well.
Upon learning about "Churches in Covenant Communion" in presentations, many people have said to me, "We do this already." True, many do, but not all. Covenanting is the first unique opportunity for the ecumenical movement of this century and the widespread ecumenism going on at the grass roots, finally to meet. If covenanting can be described as some kind of marriage, I suggest that this is the marriage, not necessarily one between Methodists and Presbyterians and Episcopalians and AME and CME and on and on, but a marriage between the grass roots ecumenism, the power of Spirit and ministry that we encounter in our local churches, and the ecumenical, theological movement that has been going on amongst our denominations.
This is the first General Conference action relating to ecumenism that has had such a direct and immediate impact on our local churches. The congregations that we come here from, yearn to take something back that will affect them. The use of the study guide, "We are the Church Together," has resulted in more than 40 petitions to this General Conference, urging the adoption, from all parts of the church. If your annual conference is not among the ones, if they're in the minority of conferences not sending petitions to General Conference urging adoption, then one of your neighboring conferences is among that majority of conferences.
I first heard about covenanting while on our Conference Commission on Christian Unity in the late 80s, trying to wade through all the theological movements and acronyms of the world of ecumenism. I saw in it a place where laity can plan and carry out dreams of understanding and unity as partners in ministry with their sisters and brother clergy. The covenanting councils in local areas no more constitute some kind of new bureaucracy than a ministerial alliance or an Emmaus reunion group...
They simply set the stage for the framework for joint worship, communion, and mission as never before. Whether your image for the opportunity available to us in covenanting is that of vibrant strands of thread woven into a colorful tapestry, as Bishop Craig so prophetically shared with us last week, or whether it is even that of my Presbyterian uncle on the coastal plains of south Texas, who sees many deep, time-worn, dirt, livestock trails, all leading up to the summit of a low hill where there is a common well overflowing, as an approach to salvation available through Jesus Christ, unity is not something that we can afford to nonconsent.
The unity of the body of Christ is a gift of God. It is we who divide it. I am also no theologian, but it seems to me that God has placed each one of us here, corporately and individually, as distinct dots on God's canvas, with our own gifts and graces, our own qualities to bring to the body of Christ. And that as God backs up from that canvas, we portray the entire color of God's masterpiece landscape. We must not leave this place saying, in a very United Methodist voice, that we want to remain one single color of thread, only one hue of landscape, or one narrow, deep trail, thinking that we have the shortest or only route to God.
Covenanting is not the answer to the unity of the church and its dividedness. What it is, is a significant, unique step, through which many more steps can be taken to other traditions and denominations, with them and to other spiritual growth and life movements, thriving within the lives of the churches. This is not a time to wait. We Methodists have always been leaders in this ecumenical dialogue and the ecumenism that happens in our grass roots. We must not take this opportunity to wait further. We must take this opportunity to say, "yes!" Our oneness in Jesus Christ is not a matter of cooperation or of efficiency, or of convenience, it is a matter of our salvation. Thank you. [applause]
BISHOP MORGAN: All right. Thank you. Now, where we are, is that we will turn now to the Calendar Committee to present the Consent Calendar. In the first item up from the legislative committees will be Independent Commissions, will present a report of this matter that has just been presented to us. Who will report, Fitzgerald Reist, Sarah Miller? You're on.
SARAH S. MILLER (Wyoming): First let me call your attention to a correction. If you'll note on today's DCA, page 329, there's a note about moving two items that were incorrectly listed yesterday under Consent Calendar A03, items number 639 and 640, should have been listed under the Consent Calendar 304. They were still on the Consent Calendar, so we assume we can still deal with them today, but just under a different category.
FITZGERALD REIST: Consent Calendar...but before I get into that, if anybody's noticed today's DCA, at the top of the page headers during the calendar sections, they are now identified. Appreciation to the DCA staff for hearing the concern and making it easier to follow where we are in the book.
Consent Calendar A03 is on page 202. And in today's DCA, the items removed from the Consent Calendar are found on page 389. Calendar Items 480, 490, 543, 545, 547, 548, 552, 553, 554, 555, 556, 557 are all removed from Consent Calender A03.
MILLER: Bishop, I move the adoption of Consent Calendar A03 with the exceptions noted.
BISHOP MORGAN: All right. Let me say to you as you vote today for the first time, you will just be entering a "yes" or a "no" vote. Abstain vote, you just don't vote, and it is not counted. We will just be counting "yes" and "no" votes. If you will approve the Consent Calendar report, vote when the light appears. [871 approved] And it is supported.
REIST: Consent Calendar B03 is found on page 213 of the DCA, and removed from the Consent Calendar are listed on page 390. There is a correction to be made. Item 559 is removed from Consent Calendar B03, but also item 575, you will want to insert there, is removed along with item 576. Those three items are removed from Consent Calendar B03.
MILLER: Bishop, I move the adoption of Consent Calendar B03 with the exceptions noted.
BISHOP MORGAN: All right. It is before you. If you will vote when the light appears.
BISHOP MORGAN: You have supported the report. [884 approved]
REIST: Consent Calendar C03 begins on page 221. The removals from C03 are found on page 390. Those are Calendar Items 656 and 710.
MILLER: Bishop, I move the adoption of Consent Calendar C03 in its entirety.
BISHOP MORGAN: Consent Calendar C03 is before you. Vote when the light appears. You have supported Consent Calendar C03. [861 approved]
REIST: May I, sir, just a word of clarification for the delegates. The "Remove from Consent Calendar" forms, that are available in the secretary's office, will now of course need 10 signatures and printing of 10 names. Just to clarify that for everyone. Thank you.
BISHOP MORGAN: Thank you, Fitzgerald. Turn now to Carl Stewart, Independent Commissions to...Yes, microphone 2.
DONALD AVERY (Louisiana): If a motion to limit debate would be in order at this time, I would like to make one.
BISHOP MORGAN: What kind of motion are you talking about?
AVERY: For the balance of this General Conference session, I would move to limit debate to two speakers for, two speakers against, and two minutes each, for all matters.
BISHOP MORGAN: That's in order. It would take a two-thirds vote. Are you ready to do that. Rather a majority vote, excuse me, not a two-thirds vote. If you...I don't see a...Yes? Microphone 4.
MERLIN ACKERSON (Iowa): I think it does take two-thirds, by the way, does it not? To change the rules? More than that, I think that this is too early in the week to start limiting debate. We have some very important issues coming before us. I don't think two speeches on each side is enough. So I would urge the conference to vote against this motion.
BISHOP MORGAN: The rule now is that you have two speeches on either side, but you may have a maximum of three, then you go to the vote. All right. It is before you. If you would support it, the motion, vote when the light appears. [Results: yes, 301; no, 633; abstained, zero] The motion fails.
All right, Mr. Stewart.
CARL E. STEWART (Louisiana): Thank you, Bishop. On the platform with me is Patricia Toschak, delegate from Minnesota, who is the subcommittee chair on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns. We will consider Calendar Item 780. Calendar Item 780 is found on page 257 of the Daily Christian Advocate. It is Petition 20970, found on page 921 of the Advanced Edition, the red book. There is a minority report. It is also found on page 258 of the DCA.
The petition before you involves the proposal for the adoption of the Church in Covenant Communion about which we have heard this morning. The committee celebrates the work of the study committee and wholeheartedly echoes the words spoken this morning by our bishops, Bishop Grove, Bishop Talbert and also Bishop Hoyt. We rejoice in the presence of our ecumenical friends as we present this historic opportunity to the General Conference.
The committee recommends concurrence with the petition with amendments. The amendments made in committee are contained in the DCA, and they are of three types. On page 258 in the left hand column, you'll see in bold "whereas, the United Methodist Council of Bishops on May 5, 1995 unanimously adopted the resolution and support..." The petition was amended to insert that and updated the balance of the amending you see in that same left column, primarily was just modifying language to make the petition current, and to indicate appropriately where the designations and the Church of Christ Uniting.
Still on page 258, but in the center column, you'll see language in bold at the top that the committee added. That amendment was to the effect that The United Methodist Church shall maintain its own standards for ministerial training and the ordination of ministers which shall also apply to our reception or transfer of ministers or other denominations, including any prohibitions set by General Conference.
The last amendment that I just read was added primarily as a result of discussion in the subcommittee, that it would be well to clarify or refine the language to so indicate that's there. So the committee presents to you and moves for adoption of the petition with concurrence with the amendments that I have indicated.
BISHOP MORGAN: Thank you Judge Stewart. Will you present the minority presenter?
STEWART: Mr. Riley Case from our committee is present and on the podium to speak to the minority report. If that's in order.
BISHOP MORGAN: He'll present that now? And then we'll come back and perfect the majority.
RILEY CASE (North Indiana): We've had two hours of sermons, speeches, and introductions all assuming that the Church of Christ Uniting is an accomplished fact, that the decision has been made, and that there is widespread and almost unanimous support. It is not necessarily so. We still do have a choice. One option is with the minority report which says let's continue our commitment to the conversations and Consultation on Church Union, but let us proceed with caution. So the minority report is there for you. Do you want me to continue or just finish the report?
BISHOP MORGAN: No, no. That's before us now, then we will turn to Judge Stewart to now perfect the majority report, then we'll come back to you, Riley.
STEWART: Thank you bishop, on behalf of the committee, would say that the amending language that you see before it, is in our opinion, is an effort to ameliorate concerns that were expressed. The document is before you and you have read it, and we feel that the time for action is now.
BISHOP MORGAN: What is the wish of the body on how we receive it? I would assume that we take it seriatim, because the first one is a constitutional amendment, and we would need to take two-thirds vote on that. Is that All right would you Dr. Stewart? All right, it's before you now. Anyone wish to speak? Yes, I recognize microphone 2, and I would assume number 1 is before us right now. Charles Brockwell of Louisville, home of the national champions.
CHARLES BROCKWELL (Louisville): Well, in 1986, and in the future. Bishop Morgan and sisters and brothers of the conference, I speak in behalf of the majority report, and I hope that we will affirm our covenanting in the COCU covenanting proposal. I'm a member of the Louisville Conference. I'm also a member of the Louisville Presbytery. My ministry at the Presbyterian Seminary qualified me to apply for membership as a Presbyterian minister under the Book of Order of the Presbyterian Church, which I did. Without reordination, I was received into the Presbytery. And I work on the Board of Ordained Ministry of our conference and the Committee on Preparation for Ministry.
BISHOP MORGAN: Dr. Brockwell, let me interrupt you. I misled you there. We are perfecting this. If you have an amendment, I will call on you later, when we come back, to speak to the report. What we have now, are there any amendments or changes you wish to make? We're not looking for speeches right now. We'll give you a chance in a moment. Yes, microphone 3, and we're looking at number 1. The article which is the constitutional revision.
HENRY RADDE (Central Texas): There is a correction that needs to be made, but it's not in number 1. It's in the beginning on page 257, I believe the third paragraph down "whereas Jesus prayed for the church that they may all be one," scripture quote John 17:20. I believe that should be John 17:21.
BISHOP MORGAN: All right, an editorial, and we thank you. Let me try you again now, on number one are there any amendments? I do not see any hands. All right number 2 paragraph 2402, are there any amendments? I see a hand right back here, a guard. Come to microphone 9 please or 14, whichever you prefer.
ELIZABETH HULICK (Virginia): I just have an editorial correction. When we discussed this in the committee, on page of 258 of the blue book, we had changed the date from 1992 to 1991.
BISHOP MORGAN: At the top of the page in the left column? Is this correct?
RADDE: At the top of the page in the left column where you can see it stricken 1992, but they reprinted 92 again.
BISHOP MORGAN: All right, thank you. Number two. Are there any amendments on number two. I do not see a card. All right, I'm moving to number three. Are there any amendments that you wish to make? All right, number four. Any amendments? I do not see a card. Number five, any amendments? All right. Is there anywhere else in the document of the report that you wish to make any changes or amendments? I do not see a hand, so I would declare that we have perfected the majority report, and if, brother Case you would come now, we will do the same for the minority report and I'll come back to you, Judge.
Let the chair, Brother Case, Brother Riley. As I read the minority report, and I want to try something, rather than perfecting this, it seems to me that what you're asking for is a postponement to study. Can we not just address this together as a body? In reality, what would be before us, do you want to vote on it now or do you want to wait four years to deal with it right? Is that what you're asking?
CASE: Basically.
BISHOP MORGAN: Can I try this on the body, if they'd be willing to? Do you feel comfortable with that? Rather than, you know, working on perfecting it. I think the essence of your minority report is delay four years or postpone four years, and then vote. If the body would support that approach to the minority report, then we'll discuss that, and give you a chance to speak to that, and everyone else who wishes to speak to that do so. If you would support that idea of approach to this minority report, please vote when the light appears. This would be without perfecting it. [Results: yes, 537; no, 334]
You support the chair, well, not overwhelmingly, but you did support me, 537-334.
All right, now the minority report which is basically to postpone to further study is before us, and I'll give you the closing crack at it, right.
CASE: I'm impressed that so many or so few really, so few of our local communities even know about this proposed half merger, let alone are enthusiastic about it. Many of the communities that I know there is, indeed, a decided lack of enthusiasm. The minority report says let's continue in COCU, which for those in central conferences and beyond the bounds of the United States, means Consultation On Church Union. Let us continue in these efforts, but before we enter into marriage, let's have a time of engagement. Let's have a time of getting to know each other. We have done that on the national level. Let's have a time of getting together on local levels.
Let's call together our other communities, our communions, the other churches who are part of this COCU consultation. Let's have some worship services, let's have some studies, some gatherings, some celebrations. We already have this unity in Christ, we don't need a covenanting service to express that unity. Let's express that unity now, to see if there truly is interest in proceeding with this half-merger. And if local churches are committed enough, and really want to add another layer of structure, and the apportionments that go with it. And if we're sure that this will best express our unity, then let us rejoice and let it be. Let's test to see how deep is our commitment.
My Presbyterian friends tell me the COCU proposal may not pass the General Assembly this summer, at least in its present form, without some qualifications. My Episcopal friends tell me there are serious question around apostolic succession and the laying on of hands. It is still not settled for them. Things would be very complicated if we, clergy, got hands laid on, without the Episcopalians. Let us continue our ecumenical efforts.
Let us continue our COCU walk, but let us proceed with caution. We sometimes do march beyond our maps to greater victories. But sometimes we march off our maps into the desert and into disaster. Let's proceed, but let's give ourselves some time to set the course.
BISHOP MORGAN: Thank you. Is there anyone who wishes to speak from the floor. I see a card, a man standing, in the blue, go to microphone 10.
Now, once again, Joel, before I...all that is before us now is to discuss the minority report. The minority report basically has been perfected. We talk about delaying and amendments and so forth, in order that you may speak for. Are you speaking for or against?
JOEL S. GARRETT (Western Pennsylvania): I'm speaking against.
BISHOP MORGAN: All right.
GARRETT: I rise to speak against the minority report. Although I understand its intent, my hunch is that those who are opposed to COCU will go home and give it only half-hearted effort, if any at all, while those in favor will go home to support it and make it work. And then in four years we'll come back here and we'll debate this subject all over again based on our success or lack thereof.
As a member of the Legislative Committee on Independent Commissions, I have studied the COCU legislation and I am in favor of the majority report, because the concerns addressed in the many legislations are taken care of in the amendment that you find in the blue book. I'm opposed to the minority report because the Episcopalian and Presbyterian denominations will be meeting later this year, after us. I've opposed the minority report because the COCU plan will enhance our commitment tp Pan-Methodism, not slow it down.
As a former member of our Conference Commission on Christian Unity, and I chaired that commission, I was involved in many conversations with those who were conservative and who were frustrated with a lack of willingness on the part of our General Commission to be engaged in dialogue with people all across the theological spectrum. But again, as a member of the Independent Commissions Committee, I'm impressed with the inclusiveness that the General Commission is expressing in all of the legislation that we have approved on the Consent Calendar.
I support the majority report because of its involvement of people all across the theological spectrum, to bring people to the table of ecumenical dialogue in the mission field of Christian unity. I ask us to affirm those who are leading us in the unity to which Christ calls us. We've been engaged with COCU for 30 years, its time to go to the altar. BISHOP MORGAN: All right. Is there someone who wishes to speak for the minority report. I see, right here, go to microphone 8.I believe it is incumbent upon us to move closer to that dream articulated by E. Stanley Jones to bring together the historic Black United Methodist congregations who left this family of ours in 1786; shortly thereafter, and then in 1866, back under the umbrella of a truly United Methodism. And I think that ought to be our first priority.
This proposal does not suggest that we cut the cord with COCU. It brings to us some common sense and very practical considerations that I think merits our thoughtfulness, our prayers, and our support. And I hope, as you vote, you will support the minority report.
BISHOP MORGAN: Let us indulge the chair a moment. It is time for the break. What is the wish of the body? Do you wish to proceed or do you want to take a break now and come back and pick up right there? Proceed? If you would proceed that we finish this matter, would you vote when the light appears. [836 approved]
BISHOP MORGAN: We have voted to proceed, 836 to 98. We have had one speech for, one speech against. Is there someone who wants to speak against the minority? Over here, right here, on the aisle. Come to microphone 2. You are speaking against the minority report.
CHARLES H. LEE (North Alabama): It sounds as though much that is being said about the minority report seems to suggest that we're entering into a marriage; that's the image that's being used, or suggested, it seems to me. And I don't think it's quite marriage yet; it's still sort of engagement, it looks like to me. Still kind of talking it out, feeling it--well, that might not be a good word. (laughter) When we were in committee, I gave an example of how on World Communion Sunday in the evening service, as a Black United Methodist pastor, I was invited to be the preacher in the evening service on World Communion service at an all White Pentecostal church. They were fully Pentecostal and White. I was fully Methodist and Black.
(laughter) I preached, they shouted, and we all survived. (laughter and applause) I would recommend that we oppose the minority report, and let's go on and talk together a little while in a long engagement.
BISHOP MORGAN: All right, is there now someone who wishes to speak for the minority report? Yes, right here in the middle, go to microphone 9. This will give us two for and two against.
GUY C. AMES III (Oklahoma): I rise to support the minority report. Actually coming from the perspective that what we are asking, many of us, is for a structure that would allow us to, at the local level, really get on with the ecumenical efforts. We've heard today some very fine presentation proposals, and I think much work has gone into what has taken place with the covenanting proposal.
However, my experience as a UMCOR consultant, one of the first twelve that was established back in 86, I've come to understand that ecumenism means many different things across the country. And one of the things that oftentimes has hindered or kept us from getting on with some serious, important task of disaster response or ministry at the local level has been the process by which we often times have to spend time in dialogue and conversation rather than getting on with the actual work of ecumenism. I'm very much in favor of us coming to the table together. I have served as a pastor of an all Black congregation. I have served in ministry beyond The United Methodist Church with Roman Catholics, the Disciples of Christ, with those who are part of charismatic denominations as well as other evangelical churches.
I'm thrilled with the movement of our church to extend our ecumenical relationships beyond the boundaries of COCU. However, I believe this General Conference is moving in ways that will enable us to move toward, not institutional structures of ministry, but person-to-person structures. I do not believe that the institutional and programming structure of COCU and the covenant team experiences that we will be asked to share in at district and local levels will truly enhance ecumenism, at least from where I come from and the communities in which I serve.
We ask that you help us to focus on things that I believe will bring greater unity. The Pan-Methodist merger, which we will propose beyond this next four years, that will bring together four denominations, will do more than just celebrate ecumenism; it will actually lead us to unity. I ask you to support the minority report for these basic concerns.
BISHOP MORGAN: All right, we've had two speeches for, two against. Others wishing to speak? I'm trying to be fair here. I'm looking back in the back, there. I'm not going to get the guy with the jumping jack, but the guy with the, excuse me, the man with the tan suit. You may go to microphone 13. Who wishes to speak back there? Do you not wish to speak?
JULIAN L. BYRD (Texas): I rise to oppose the minority report.
BISHOP MORGAN: All right.
BYRD: For more than 38 years I have served as a chaplain in hospitals in the city of Houston, Texas, working in a truly ecumenical setting with persons of all denominations and faiths. On the staff of the institution in which I serve, the Methodist Hospital in Houston, we have an ecumenical chaplains staff representing denominations of the Protestant and Catholic faith as well as a Jewish rabbi. In the experience I've had in working across denominational and faith lines, I can tell you that when persons face medical crises in their life, in essentials, we stand together in unity. We recognize our differences and provide the opportunity to persons to give expression to those, but we share love with one another. I oppose the minority report because I think we've had enough time over twenty years in working together at the denominational level. It is time now for us to march beyond our maps, and affirm our brothers and sisters in whatever denomination and faith group they happen to express their faith, and come together as one in Christ by voting for the majority report and against the minority report. Thank you for allowing me to give this expression of my belief.
BISHOP MORGAN: All right. Now is there someone who wishes to speak for the minority report? We have one more speech available. Over to the left, here, in the red, on the aisle. Go to microphone 10, please, or to fifteen, whichever you prefer. This will give us three on either side, and we'll go to the minority report.
JAIME POTTER-MILLER (Western Pennsylvania): Bishop, I'm asking for the floor for the gentleman you recognized in the tan suit. He's one of our international delegates and was not able quickly enough to have the translation. He rose, sat, rose, sat, and someone else spoke, and I'd like to hear from him.
BISHOP MORGAN: All right. I'm not going to fight that one. I'm not going to get my dog in that fight, I think Bishop Grove said. Are you speaking for the report of the minority?
ONEMA OMBAKU (Central Zaire): I am speaking against the report of the minority.
BISHOP MORGAN: OK.
OMBAKU: My name is Ombaku from Central Zaire. I don't understand why we need to discuss this question a lot because we have this experience where I live. About thirty years ago, there were about thirty denominations, and we were all separate, but now we are all one, and we have forgotten that we were from different groups. And I often ask myself, are we saved because we are Methodists, Catholics, Presbyterians, etc., or are we saved because we believe in Christ. Habits are hard to break, and that's what I mean, because the adventure is imminent. Jesus is one, and faith is one, and we have--and the church lives in faith. We must work. There are a lot of people that work in the administration, but we really must work at another level. There is a voice that brings us to faith, to unity. We must not wait. I ask this assembly, and I ask this conference to support the report of the majority and vote in opposition of the report of the minority. Thank you. [applause]
BISHOP MORGAN: We must have a speech for; except when the bishop speaks for the minority report. Microphone 10, OK, microphone 13. This is a speech for the minority report.
MICHAEL WEAVER (Virginia): Bishop, a year ago I was privileged to attend a local gathering of the Walk to Emmaus. At that gathering of a movement that includes members of many Christian denominations we, together, witnessed the baptism of a person who had come to learn of and accept God's grace in Christ, while she attended a Walk weekend. It was a true joy to join Christians of different stripes in reciting the Apostles' Creed and celebrate together the initiation of a person into Christ's Holy Church.
I stand solidly in support of relationships with other Christians in other denominations. However, let me express my serious reservation about the COCU proposal. Much of the grass roots ecumenism that takes place today takes place apart from any other structural unity between churches. Movements like the Walk to Emmaus and Promise Keepers bear witness to a unity brought about by the blowing of God's Holy Spirit amidst God's Church.
In addition, I am concerned that the COCU proposal is not sufficiently inclusive of denominations represented in the world today, including denominations not based in the United States, and including denominations that are today experiencing great renewal and growth. For these reasons, I stand in support of the minority report.
BISHOP MORGAN: The speech first, a little while ago, rather than last, but if you just have a comment, not a major speech. I took you out of turn awhile ago, it was my fault. But if you have a comment you may say something here.
RILEY CASE (North Indiana): I think the choice is before us. The minority report does not ask us to end ecumenical involvement; it does not ask us to pull out of COCU; it asks us simply to consider moving at a pace that would allows us, at all levels of the church, to come together to a decision that will affect our future.
BISHOP MORGAN: OK, thank you Judge Stewart for the majority report. Then we are ready to vote.
STEWART: Bishop, do I get a word on...
BISHOP MORGAN: Yes. On the minority, you are the final word now, what your recommendation is from the majority, then we'll come to the majority.
STEWART: With respect the minority report, I'll make it brief. Covenanting delay, is denying it. The minority report in seven paragraphs is conclusionary and speculative. With all due respect to the enthusiasm and the spirit expressed by the authors, it is simply grounded in speculation and not in faith.
There are no facts that are presented to buttress the claims that have been made. It simply asks us to delay this decision into infinity and I would respectfully request that you deny and reject the minority report.
BISHOP MORGAN: All right, we are voting on the minority report. When the light appears, you're voting on the minority report. If you vote yes, you support the minority, if you vote no, you're not supporting. Vote when the light appears. [Results: yes, 361; no, 579] And the minority report fails.
We are now to the majority report. We've already perfected it. Are you ready to move into a vote on that, or do you want to make more speeches? If you are ready to vote on this, would you vote when the light appears? [841 approved] You vote yes, clearly a two-thirds. I think as we vote here, prepare to vote, we need to vote number 1, which is a Constitutional amendment. And we will need to vote that. No, we were voting to vote.
All right, if you would...we're voting on the majority report now. You just voted to say you were ready to vote, is my understanding. If you, number 1 is a Constitutional amendment. If you will take number 1, we're voting on number 1 on page 258, number 1. If you would support that Constitutional...then we'll take the rest of it altogether. It'll take a two-thirds vote on this. If you would support number 1 on page 258, vote when the light appears. [Results: yes, 646; no, 276]
Now, the whole report, the rest of the report is before you. If you would support the report, vote when the light appears. The rest just takes a majority. [Results: yes, 661; no, 288] And it is supported. The report prevails. Thank you. [applause] Now then, we are...we'll come back to you just a little bit later. We're going to take a break now folks, we have a lot on our plate this morning. And we have the connectional issues, that's going to come up beyond the break, and so it is now seven minutes until the hour. Be back in your place by 11:15. We will begin business. Steve will lead us in singing "Blessed Assurance" at that time.
BISHOP MORGAN: All right, thank you, friends. I see you coming to your places. We have an order of the day to hear the Connectional Issues Report from the General Council on Ministries. Bishop William Dew, please come now. It sounds so much like we're in school, and a school teacher saying take your place and that sort of thing. Don't want to do that, but we need to come now to our place; this is such a very important matter. In fact, we gave you a couple more minutes than you normally get for break. If you will be in order now, please. Bishop Dew.
BISHOP WILLIAM DEW JR: Thank you, Bishop Morgan.
BISHOP MORGAN: Excuse me. Please if you're on the floor in the bar, stop your conversations with one another and listen. And if you on the side need to conversation, slip out, have your conversation outside. We need to do business now; a lot is on our plate today. Thank you so much. Now Bishop Dew.
BISHOP DEW: Thank you. This General Conference will provide leadership in determining the future direction of our life together for many years in our future. This may, in fact, become the most significant General Conference in its responsibility of formation of The United Methodist Church as we anticipate the 21st century.
The actions that you will take are going to shape our ministry, and that ministry will be affecting our local congregations, and our annual conferences with yet unidentified challenges and opportunity. Your actions already are beginning to shape a shared vision for our denomination. I remember Bishop Felton May's words, when he was GCOM president at the last General Conference; when he said seeking God's wisdom is often an uncertain task and your service as a delegate to the General Conference will convince you that a single clear vision has not yet emerged among the people called United Methodist. We've now travelled through another quadrennium.
Your conference leaders in the General Council on Ministries have sought to be attentive to God's voice, and to lead the church in a time of discernment concerning the mission of our church. This is provided in the unique opportunity to listen to all of the constituencies of the church, including representatives of all of our congregations gathered in all the annual conference and missionary conference sessions in 1994.
These listening processes and their findings have significantly shaped the response of the General Council on Ministries. You have had the opportunity to see this response in more than 40 individual reports that are presented in fulfilling our responsibilities as outlined in the Book of Discipline. It's also apparent in the response to 26 specific assignments that were voted by the 1992 General Conference to be carried out on behalf of the church.
In all of our listening, we are comforted by the passage from Habakkuk. "Write the vision. Make it plain on tablets so that a runner may read it." But still there is a vision for the appointed time. It speaks of the end and does not lie. If it seems to tarry, wait for it. It will surely come. It will not delay.
As best we can understand God's will and vision, this is an in-between time when the fullness of God's wisdom is not being realized in our communities. What is clear from our observation is that we are fragmented, broken, often seeking our own will rather than God's. And in this day of word search capabilities, we know that the word "vision" appears only six times in the 1992 Book of Discipline. But for the last four years it has become common in our language. But more than that it has helped us realize the need for a compelling sense of mission that will unite us in our common ministry.
Earlier, I had opportunity to give you a brief overview of the work of the General Council on Ministries and now we come to begin to present specific proposals. There are many in the church who believe that the General Council on Ministries is a relatively new creation, having been established by 1972 General Conference. That would say that the GCOM is slightly near 24 years old. However, if one traces the history of the council in terms of functions and responsibilities, we find that both the former Evangelical United Brethren Church and the former Methodist Church each had very similar agencies that were a primary part of its organizational life for decades.
During my renewal leave this past year, I reviewed the history of our conciliar and coordinating bodies. Since the early 1950s, the EUB tradition had a coordinating body known as the Council on Administration and related to it a Program Council. In 1952, the former Methodist Church created a Council on Coordination and the Council on Finance. So for at least 11 quadrennia, we have benefited from a coordinated programmatic approach.
Tracing the disciplinary responsibilities of each of these predecessor denominations, their coordinating units had responsibilities that are essentially synonymous with those given to the General Council on Ministries in 1972, and have continued to the present day. It's very clear that the organizational decisions made by the Wesleyan family of EUBs, Methodists, and later United Methodists, all affirm as core value the importance of a coordinating agency to give leadership and to which other units of the denomination would be accountable.
In the spirit of our history and acknowledgement of this essential role for our denomination, we offer our recommendations for your consideration. Together all of the proposals that are coming from the General Council on Ministries comprise the actions of elected representatives from your annual and central conferences, as well as representatives from the Council of Bishops and colleagues from the program agencies.
Rather than merely seeing these items isolated or as the property of several legislative committees, we would like you to see them as a package, as a collective response to the disciplinary responsibilities of GCOM. First the General Council on Ministries is recommending the report of the extensive connectional issues study and the legislative proposals to fully implement its recommendations.
These recommendations will provide greater organizational flexibility for local congregations and annual conferences; reduce the number of general agency directors from 950 to approximately 640; develop a connectional process team to further develop recommendations for General Conference in the year 2000.
And this will include further development of the connectional issues study and the Council of Bishops' report on the global nature of the church. We will also identify our process of the church to develop a compelling vision to guide our ministry and mission.
We believe this report provides the essential processes to allow the church to be transformed and equipped for the 21st century. I want to say a brief word, you may know that we have a general secretary named David Lundquist. David is having severe back problems and is unable to be with us. He needs rest. So while you may be concerned, I'm going to suggest that you not start making telephone calls and all that. Just let him alone and let him rest. We'll take care of our responsibility, and I think David will trust that.
I want to now introduce to you the chairperson of the Division of the General Council on Ministries, who has given leadership with the Connectional Issues Study. And there will be a team of people who will make this presentation. The chairperson, who will come now, is the Rev. Gordon Goodgame.
Please join us in considering the mission, values, vision and practices to be invested in a God-called, Christ-shaped, Spirit-led movement into the 21st century. From the beginning, when the body of Christ has been open to God's new creation, and willing to journey towards the Lord's promise, the Holy Spirit has breathed vitality into its forms, and blessed its ministry. Faithfulness to this still creating God always involves sensitive discernment, continual realignment, and responsive transformation in organizations and processes.
As a faithful component of Christ's body, and in the face of radical societal change, The United Methodist Church is being called upon to make a relevant transition, while holding fast to the core Christian beliefs and practices. In such a faithful journey, it will be necessary to review our biblical mission, discern and articulate a consistent vision, and take steps to order our lives together so that we can be more effective stewards of all God-given resources.
While maintaining a commitment to God's will, the requirement of this day urges us to focus intentionally on the ministry of all Christians; on the essential role of congregations; on the support functions of connectional units; on an open approach to connectional structures and communications; on moving decision-making as close as possible to the point of ministry, all the while with flexibility, accountability, and broad inclusivity.
BETTE T. TRUMBLE (Nebraska): In 1992, General Conference commissioned the General Council on Ministries to lead the church in a period of discernment, reflection, and study of its mission and structure as it moves into the 21st century. Entrusted to an inclusive and broadly representational task force, this mandate has been carried out in the true spirit of discernment, including Bible study, theological review, and conversations with a broad network of church persons who have contributed input, and reflection.
From the beginning, this has been a shared journey, as concepts and directions have been made public and feedback was carefully considered, and included in our thinking. The Connectional Issues Study, which you have before you, presents a studied synopsis of churchwide listening; identifies key concerns leading to a shared vision; recommends first steps toward restructuring; and grants flexibility to local churches and annual conferences; calls for accountability and enhanced communication from general agencies; proposes a transitional quadrennium for reformation of general agencies, local churches and annual conferences guided by an articulated vision.
The General Council on Ministries Connectional Issues Study Task Force entered into a collaborative process of listening, reflecting, reviewing, and recommending. This resulted in more listening and an ongoing, transforming, feedback process which involved the whole United Methodist Church. This discernment process of the denomination's preferred future has involved a myriad of constituencies across the church. The study's intent was to hear from the grass roots and to learn where God is leading United Methodists.
HEINRICH MEINHARDT (Germany North): The central components were a survey of 35,000 annual conference members, a review of vision statements already developed by annual conferences, consultation with central conferences, a forum of 32, consultation with numerous groups from across the church, the Council of Bishops, the General Council on Finance and Administration, all 13 general agencies, conference lay leaders, conference council directors, ethnic caucus groups, representatives of other churchwide studies.
Summary findings on page 552 of the advance DCA are built upon prayerful discernment, broad input, shared reflection, and open inquiry into historic and current disciplines. Presentations on paradigm shifts, visioning, and theological and biblical roots were made to GCOM members' plenaries to inform and undergird the work of GCOM.
...in the Connectional Issues Study. Minerva G. Carcano, pastor and spiritual leader for the Rio Grande Annual Conference, led sessions on biblical rules and scriptural principles motivating a vital United Methodism into the 21st century.
TRINA BOSE (California-Pacific): Intensive listening to various individuals and groups across the church led to thousands of responses and the collection of essential information. This data was analyzed and combined with other information to form various themes and trends. These themes and trends were widely distributed for review and reflection. Several drafts of the evolving Connectional Issues Studies Report were distributed across the church, inviting responses in specific ways, including voice mail, FAX, consultations, and mailings, resulting in further revisions. These findings indicate that:
BETTE T. TRUMBLE (Nebraska): The United Methodist Church is alive and vital throughout the world. The church wants a clearer vision, focused direction, and Christ-shaped servant leadership. Our people seek a Christ-centered, spiritual foundation;
WILLIAM "BILL" S. HATCHER (South Georgia): The church must be inclusive of all persons. United Methodists are committed to the benefits and the responsibilities of connectionalism. The local congregation is understood to be the primary base for mission and ministry;
KATHI AUSTIN MAHLE (Minnesota): Effective communication is needed throughout the denomination. Worldwide outreach and ecumenical cooperation are essential. Structural flexibility is needed at local church, district, and annual conference;
MEINHARDT: The spiritual and temporal leadership roles of bishops are affirmed. Consistency of a positive variation of how some general agencies resource and serve them. A serious disconnection exists between general program agencies and annual conference Councils on Ministries. The size of general church organizations needs to be reduced.
TRIMBLE: These findings are foundations calling for servant leadership, a greater role of laity.
HATCHER: Decision making, taking place closest to the points of ministry. Utilization of local church conferences as the visioning and policy setting body for mission and ministry of the local church.
BOSE: Organizational flexibility for the conferences. Creation of regional and global conference. Optimum size of general agencies.
MEINHARDT: A vision-led ministry focused on doing God's will in the world. Accountability of all connectional structures.
GORDON GOODGAME (Holston): Yet these recommendations are more than a summary of findings or the ideas of a single task force. A mission-focused vision, biblically grounded and theologically tested, emerged at the heart of this process and is interwoven throughout the recommendation. It has become clear that the church will share in God's redemption of creation by calling, nurturing, equipping, and sending disciples. The discerned promise is a vision, a vision of a world transformed in the likeness of Christ, where faithful persons actively manifest the love of God and neighbor while fostering true community among all.
This vision will include an interactive connection of disciples who live, teach, and model a Christ-like service in and to the world, gathered in congregations that invite, nurture, equip, and send faithful disciples into the world as living witnesses to the sovereignty of Christ; guided by districts and annual conferences that connect local churches in mission by providing support and training, leadership personnel, and resources; by regional conferences that maintain the connection and are responsible for visioning and resourcing the annual conferences in the region to enhance faithful discipleship; and by a global conference that cares sensitively for matters of faith, doctrine, polity, purpose, order, and vision for a global connection.
JAMES R. KING, JR. (Tennessee): Beautiful people, the purpose of all connectional structures is to enable disciples gathered in learning congregations to fulfill the commission of Jesus Christ. Historically the church has taken on shades and practices which represented the best thinking of the day. More recently, much has been discovered about how communities can be guided in focusing on authentic purpose and values, empowered by commitment to a shared vision, and strengthened through servant leadership to move forward for the mutual good. This identity, purpose, and mission has already been voiced through the United Methodist Constitution and other parts of the Book of Discipline and is reaffirmed now by the Connectional Issues Study.
Here you can see this identity and purpose portrayed as roots to a living vine or organism. These roots are from the 1992 Discipline of The United Methodist Church, listed on page 558-562 of the ADCA. The Connectional Issues Study and its related legislative petitions seek to claim once more the power of a people connected in vision and mission.
Vision is God's will, the work of the Holy Spirit leading the church's mission in transforming the world through faithful disciples. Such a God-called people would best be served through a collaborative process of interdependence, undergirded by a Christ-shaped servant leadership, and knit together by open interactive communication. Being led by the Holy Spirit, we can create together something new and greater than that possible when we work alone.
The United Methodist ideal has always been to work together in conference and through conciliar processes. This study recommends a connectional design which seeks to align the alignment of identity, purpose and ministry through an interactive connection of conferences and involving a pattern of interdependent decision-making within the conferences. This design encourages, empowering each conference to renew its vision and responsibility, shaping its practice of ministry as it deems best.
This design stresses minimal functions which can be nurtured and expanded as a sense of mission and the capacity for Christ-like service grows. The focus is on three primary areas of ministry. First, outreach, nurture, and witness. For many in our church the church has lost its sense of purpose.
Our purpose is mission and ministry, going into the world, making disciples of young and old alike, edifying the believer, claiming the poor and the marginalized.
Then the second area of ministry is leadership, a servant leadership ministry. God seeks to use our mouths, to use our hands, to use our feet, as resources enabling mission and ministry to take place in the world.
Then the third area of ministry is administrative and physical. Unfortunately, for too many in our church, we have been administratively led rather than being led by the Holy Spirit. The work of administration, the work of order, the work of finances, are very important to God's work. But they are resources for mission and ministry.
Now these ministries collaborate and focus a unified ministry. At every place, the conference will devise policies and allocate resources consistent with its understanding of identity and values. Our council, comprised of ministry leaders and additional members, will maintain stewardship of the shared vision. Membership within this interactive design will intentionally represent a cross section of the church including ethnicity, youth, young adults, older adults, and persons with disabilities. This design ensures that the whole people be engaged in ministry which calls, nurtures, equips, and sends disciples into the world.
With each part of the body, local church, annual conferences, regional conferences, and global conference, we will ask them prayerfully to be open to an interdependent connection with other parts. The call will be to responsible ministry rather than structural conformity. In our growing trust, grounded in renewed covenants, reason, accountability, and creative communication, there is great potential for creatively responding to God's call in a particular circumstance. Local churches, districts, annual conferences, and general agencies will be encouraged to experiment with effective structures to help a people discern God's will for their ministry and become transformed as missional communities.
KATHI AUSTIN MAHLE (Minnesota): As we move into this new century, we continue to seek God's unfolding vision. The recommendations before you in this Connectional Issues Study were birthed out of a process of listening and discernment and move us forward as we continue the journey of discerning God's vision for the church.
The transition process in the next quadrennium, led by a broadly representative group called the Connectional Process Team, allows for a comprehensive transformation of the United Methodist organization. We urge the General Conference to avoid adopting a piecemeal or quick fix approach with organization. Instituting partial changes incorrectly assumes a mechanical and independent arrangement of parts. The United Methodist Church is valued for its connection. In seeking God's vision for the church, conferencing together across the whole church can lead us all forward into that vision.
The Connectional Process Team will bring continuity to the study process. But it will not be another study. It will shepherd, manage, and enrich the reorganization of local churches, districts, annual conferences, and general agencies. We are on a journey together, and these steps towards aligning ourselves with the perceived will of God are before us. Aware that much remains to be done, it is recommended that the 1996 General Conference acknowledge the renewed direction set before this body and call our denomination forward by establishing a 30-member Connectional Process Team, or CPT, to manage, guide, and promote this transformational direction during the 1997 through the year 2000 quadrennium, approving, in principal, the interactive connectional model; affirming greater organizational flexibility for the church; challenging all 13 general agencies to refine and reshape themselves to enable ministry in annual conferences and local churches; encouraging the Council of Bishops to continue discerning and articulating God's vision for ministry for the whole United Methodist Church as guided by the Holy Spirit.
So, what will be the immediate impact on The United Methodist Church by your approval of the Connectional Issues Study and the related implementing petitions? This process will begin a new organizational structure to The United Methodist Church and general agencies for adoption by the 2000 General Conference.
It will establish this Connectional Process Team to manage the renewal and reformation of the church, including concepts developed by the bishops' Global Nature of the Church Committee, the Connectional Issues Study, and other groups that will have input. It will reorganize The United Methodist Church from within, guided by a confirmed identity, purpose, and mission. It will establish a focus on congregations being resourced and supported by connectional bodies. It will grant greater flexibility through the interactive connectional model for structures in local churches, districts, and annual conferences, empowering them to organize in a manner that best fulfills a unique call to laity-led ministry resourced by servant leaders.
It will initiate a transitional quadrennium during 1997 through 2000 in which general agencies will be transformed organizationally. This will be initiated by, first, reflecting each agency's responsibility and commitment to support and resource the ministries of annual conferences and local churches. And secondly, effecting a reduction of the total membership of general agencies from 950 to approximately 640. It will facilitate the discernment of God's global vision for The United Methodist Church and articulate that vision as a guide for the ministry and organizational forms of United Methodism under the leadership of the Council of Bishops.
BISHOP DEW: You committed this task to the General Council on Ministries four years ago. We now have brought it to you. We trust you, and we trust the spirit of God. It is going to be placed in your hands for your action. Thank you.
BISHOP MORGAN: Bishop Dew, will the legislative committee now come? How will you make your case?
BISHOP DEW: No, the Global Nature of the Church report is coming.
BISHOP MORGAN: All right, Bishop Nacpil?
BISHOP EMERITO P. NACPIL (Baguio and Manilla): Bishop Morgan and members of the General Conference. When I introduced to the College of Central Conference Bishops-- of the Council of Bishops in 1988 the resolution that led to the study of the global nature of the church, little did I think that it would reach all the way to the floor of the General Conference, and that I would present a progress report on it. Yet, here am I by the grace of God. Only in The United Methodist Church can such a thing happen. And I want to thank the Council of Bishops and the General Conference for this privilege.
As you all know, the 1992 General Conference asked the Council of Bishops to study the global nature of The United Methodist Church and make a progress report to the 1996 General Conference. The Council of Bishops did make the study, and it is submitting its progress report which appears on pages 168-174 of the Advance DCA.
If we do not take this step now, this great church will most likely face the dangerous possibility of becoming fragmented into autonomous or national churches in various parts of the world, with the American segment becoming merely that, namely, an American fragment of the once future global United Methodist Church.
Surely, you do not want this church to break up into Humpty-Dumpty pieces that cannot be put together again? And so, let us go global! Move out of an American to a global map. There are proposals in the report as to how this might be done. For example, there is a proposal to create a global conference, which will deal mainly with Methodists distinctively connectional and leave matters distinctively national or regional to a regional conference yet to be established.
The second suggestion in the report of the Council of Bishops is to use the period of the next quadrennium, 1997 to the year 2000, as a time for perfecting the concept of the global church, developing the legislation and structures that will put it in place, and educating our constituency in the implications of a global church. These are tasks not easily done, and they require adequate time and wisdom to do them well.
The third suggestion of the Council of Bishops report is the creation of a task force suggested to be called a Connectional Transition Team, appropriately composed and duly authorized to do the work described generally in the second suggestion of the report. The work of this task force will be reported to the General Conference in the year 2000 for consideration and action. Hopefully, we shall enter the next millennium renewed, inspired, strengthened, and prepared to face its challenges.
The Council of Bishops has worked closely with the General Council on Ministries in doing its work and developing its report. Now it finds its work and report absorbed into the Connectional Issues Study as now reported to you by the Legislative Committee on General and Judicial Administration. Our suggestions have been incorporated in this legislative committee report. This is as we had hoped it would be. We desired from the beginning to present to the General Conference one coherent vision for a future global church. So far, it seems that we are not so far off from succeeding. But, of course, it is for General Conference to say the final word on this matter. We trust that you too have seen the vision and will follow after it and will draw our United Methodist Church map to cover the whole wide world. Thank you. (applause)
BISHOP MORGAN: Thank you so very much for the presentation. This is something I think the chair has to call. Before we move into the legislative process which is going to take some period of time when the committee moves, I do not believe there is enough time between now and time for lunch break to do this. I've talked to the chairs, and what we will do, we will pick back up on this item. We've got several matters we got to deal with before that. But we will deal with the legislative committee now that you've made the presentation, so you'll have the continuity of doing that. I want to recognize the courtesies chairperson to introduce at this time the central conference delegates. Bill.
This is always a very important moment in the General Conference.
WILLIAM B. COOK JR. (Oregon-Idaho): Thank you Bishop Morgan. We have a tradition at conference of recognizing those people who come from the central conferences. At this point, I would like to have them stand up--the bishops, the delegates, and the visitors of the central conferences, so they can be acknowledged by this our 1996 General Conference. Would all the people from the central conferences please stand? [applause] Thank you, Bishop.
BISHOP MORGAN: Thank you so very much. I recognize Arturo Fernandez from the Oregon-Idaho for a matter of personal privilege. Microphone 7, please.
ARTURO M. FERNANDEZ (Oregon-Idaho): Bishop, a Bishop Adriel de Souza Maia from Brazil would like to have the personal privilege to address the General Conference and he is seated at the back.
BISHOP MORGAN: Without objection, will you allow Bishop Adriel to come and to speak to us for a few minutes? All right. I do not hear and objection. Please come.
BISHOP ADRIEL: [Translated from the Portugese] Presiding Bishop of the church, of the bishops of the Methodist Church in Brazil, and the fraternal delegate to this General Conference of The United Methodist Church. Dear Presiding Bishop, dear brothers and sisters, we, the bishops and delegates from the Methodist Church in Brazil with the support of the Council of Latin American and Caribbean Bishops in CIEMAL, have come before you to share what has just occurred this last Thursday, April 18th in Eldorado dos Carajas, State of Para, Brazil, when about 200 military policemen opened fire on families of the landless movement, about 1,200 persons--men, women, children-- were demanding a meeting with representatives of the government office of land reform. This incident resulted in 21 men killed, 35 wounded, and 100 have disappeared, among them, women and children. In light of this terrible episode, we ask you now for the prayers of this General Conference and ask for your support for the motion presented by delegate Arturo Fernandez. Thank you, very much.
BISHOP MORGAN: All right. Yes, right here, microphone 7. Arturo.
FERNANDEZ: Bishop Morgan, delegates of the General Conference, I move the General Conference in response to this appeal by the bishops and delegates of the Methodist Church of Brazil and the Council of Evangelical Churches of Latin America and the Caribbean take the following action: One, send a letter to President Fernando Henrique, the minister of justice, Nelson Jobim, and to the president of the National Congress Jose Sarney requesting (a) government verification of the facts and the timely prosecution of those responsible for the massacre, (b), prohibition of the use of arms and all forms of violence by the government against the landless people of Brazil, (c), a celebration of the process of land reform in Brazil.
Two, a copy of this letter be sent to President Clinton, Secretary of State Christopher, the United States ambassador to Brazil, and to the Brazilian ambassador to the United States.
Three, request the General Board of Church and Society to organize a delegation to convey this action of the General Conference to the assistant Secretary of State for Latin American Affairs in the state department and to the Brazilian ambassador to the United States.
Four, request delegates and local congregations to communicate their concerns to Brazilian and United States authorities. If there is a second, I would like to add a brief word.
BISHOP MORGAN: It is supported.
FERNANDEZ: Bishop Adriel has already shared with us the tragic massacre of last week, committed in a remote area of Brazil. We are all well aware of the widespread poverty and human suffering endured by the millions of people in Latin America and the Caribbean. To their daily misery is added this kind of armed violence of which we hear little in the American media. Let us hear the cries of those who continue to mourn the loss of their loved ones, violently sacrificed to satisfy insatiable appetites of the wealthy and powerful. I move acceptance of this motion.
BISHOP MORGAN: It's a privileged motion. Does anyone wish to speak to this? Do you wish to...are you ready to vote on it? All right, I don't see a card. All right, if you would support the resolution from Arturo Fernandez, regarding the situation in Brazil, vote when the light appears. [848 approved]
You have supported the motion: 848, yes; 58, no. [applause] Thank you, Bishop Adriel, and thank you brother Fernandez. I recognize Walter Ellisor at microphone four for a privileged matter.
J. WALTER ELLISOR (Alabama-West Florida): I have another sad report to make. Mr. Robert Powell, lay delegate of the Alabama-West Florida Conference, returned home to discover that his grandson, 20 years old, Wes Powell, had been killed in an automobile accident. I would like to request for brother Robert Powell, who is also national president of the United Methodist Men of our great church, that we send an expression of our sympathy undergirded with our love and prayers to Robert in this difficult time.
BISHOP MORGAN: Thank you. Without objection, will you do this? I see the heads nodding. It will be done. Thank you. Thank you very much. Turn to Mel Talbert, who is going--Bishop Talbert, who has a matter about the nominations. You need to pay close attention. I will, too.
BISHOP MELVIN TALBERT: Thank you, Bishop. Melvin Talbert, Secretary of the Council of Bishops. If you will turn in your DCA, the blue book, to page 86. We placed before you a list of nominees the other day for the University Senate. When we presented these nominees to you, the Council of Bishops, through its nominating committee, faithfully did its work. And when it came to the positions where it says "six holding other positions relative to academic or financial affairs," and you'll find that on page 86, and you'll find six positions. We interpreted that very liberally, but when these names appeared, some delegates communicated with us and challenged our interpretation of that section. They communicated to us very strongly that they thought by placing persons with CEO leadership capacity and seminaries into that position, from their perspective, called into conflict the spirit of this particular section.
The nominating committee met, and we talked about this; and without contesting that request, we are prepared to withdraw three names and to place in nomination, three other names. In light of this conversation and challenge, we are withdrawing the names of Donald Messer, John White, and Lovett Weems. And we're placing in their places three names that have already been nominated: Dr. Frederick Blumer, Baldwin College; Dr. Willa Bing Harris, University of Alabama; and Dr. Justo L. Gonzalez. With that before us, Mr. President, we thought it would be in the spirit of fairness if someone would, from the floor, could move that the three names we are removing: that's Messer, White, and Weems, would be nominated in the first category, six chief executive officers. We already have the bios. And that would then increase your competition in that area, but it would simply not bounce them from the list altogether. With that in mind, I present these nominations.
BISHOP MORGAN: Yes. Microphone 2.
MICHAEL J. COYNER (North Indiana): I move that the names of Messer, White, and Weems be moved to the category of CEO.
BISHOP MORGAN: All right, that's the nomination. All right. Now, it's properly nominated. We do not need to take action. Those biographies will be in the DCA tomorrow. All right, if you will approve. Is there--yes? We will vote on it. Microphone 2.
NANCY CARRUTH (Louisiana): Just a question, Bishop Morgan. Which category does Maxie Dunnam, who was nominated from the floor, fall under? CEO or other?
BISHOP TALBERT: We did not deal with that. That was a nomination from the floor.
BISHOP MORGAN: What we are dealing with now are the nominations of the bishops. They erred. The floor nominations are in order. Nancy, is that OK? You understand what I am saying? What he is talking about are the three that the Nominating Committee from the Council of Bishops made that were in error. And now nominations have been made to put them in a general category. Dr. Dunnam will be in another category. Yes? In the back. Microphone 10. Or 7.
JOHN HORTON (South Georgia): I would speak against the motion to add these three persons to the list under CEOs, because it would have the affect of giving the Council of Bishops nine nominations in that category when they are entitled only to six.
BISHOP MORGAN: Well, this nomination comes from the floor, so it would be your nomination. So it is before you. Point of order. State your point of order at microphone one. We are not voting on these persons, we are voting on putting these persons in the nomination pool.
PORTER J. WOMELDORFF (Central Illinois): My point of order is very similar to the point just raised. I believe the motion that was just made is improper, for the reason that it moved the nominees to the other category. I think the only appropriate motion would be that these three names be considered nominated from the floor.
BISHOP MORGAN: That is the spirit of the motion as I understood it to be, and he is nodding his head. So it is in order. Yes, microphone 8. We need to move toward a vote here.
WILLIAM QUICK (Detroit): Bishop, a point of inquiry. We were set, in the agenda, to vote tomorrow on the University Senate and Judicial Council. It takes 48 hours by our rule. Do we need to suspend the rule in order that we can have that vote tomorrow? We would have to suspend the rules in order to do that, but I'm asking?
BISHOP TALBERT: If the secretary can speak to that, I think you're right.
BISHOP MORGAN: And Roger Ireson, I understand, wants to speak on microphone 15. The point that I understand Dr. Quick's talking about is the fact that you're up to vote tomorrow, and if it's in the DCA tomorrow, you won't have the time to get the bio. Is that it?
QUICK: That is correct.
BISHOP MORGAN: Roger Ireson, can you help us?
ROGER IRESON: Bishop, just a point of clarification. There's been a lot of confusion in the categories. The first set of categories are CEOs of United Methodist institutions, chief executive officers of United Methodist institutions. The second category would be all others related to educational institutions. Therefore, a person could be a chief executive officer of a state institution or another seminary that was not United Methodist, and be included on that list in the second category.
BISHOP MORGAN: All right. I think Dr. Quick's point of order is well taken. We'll either have to delay the vote a day or suspend the rules. Do you have a motion?
QUICK: Bishop, I think there is a motion on the floor. I would like to make a motion when you dispose of this nomination.
BISHOP MORGAN: All right. I'll return to you. Yes. We're on the motion to add these persons to the nomination pool.
JUNE McCULLOUGH (Southern New Jersey): Bishop, I'm in the Discipline on page 570 in the paragraph "referred to," and it seems to me that the Discipline is clear that those nominations could only have been made the other day when these persons were first submitted. It says "at the same daily session at which the above nominations are announced, additional nominations may be made from the floor, but at no other time." I don't know whether we can suspend the Discipline to receive these nominations.
BISHOP MORGAN: I think the point is well taken. I think we're trying to get out of a dilemma. These people were nominated the other day and we're just moving their category to another category. Yes. Right here, microphone 7, can you help us?
SARAH S. MILLER (Wyoming): Yes. The Judicial Council nominees need to be in for 48 hours, I don't see that same language for the University Senate, so I think, in terms of the time, I think we're OK.
BISHOP MORGAN: All right. Thank you. Listen, are you ready to vote on this matter? You can declare yourself by the way you vote. If you would support the recommendation to add these three to the general pool, vote when the light appears. [Results: yes, 677; no, 229] We're moving toward...yes, here in the middle...toward adjournment for lunch. You know we've shortened your lunch hour. And I have identified this person right here in the middle to go to microphone 8 and I will go to you next, Ann. If you'll move to microphone 8. I'll turn to the secretary for announcements in a moment.
LUCILLE V. VANZANT (Oklahoma): Bishop, in light of our tornadoes in my state of Oklahoma, as well in the state of the First Lady, I wonder if the conference can pause just a min-ute, either this morning or this afternoon, to offer up a prayer for those victims who have been caught by this disaster.
BISHOP MORGAN: And Kentucky. I'm going to call, in a moment, on Bishop Onema to come and close a prayer, and if Bishop Onema could include that. I turn to microphone 8 now. Thank you Lucille, we will certainly do that.
ANN SAUNKEAH (Oklahoma Indian Missionary): I'm acting on behalf of Rev. Alvin Deer who is ill and at the emergency room at this time. I am addressing Consent Calendar Item 250, the Sand Creek apology, found on page 154 of the blue DCA. The full text can be found in the white DCA on page 1373.
The 1996 General Conference of The United Methodist Church, the elected representatives of the tribal government of the Cheyenne and Arapahoe tribes of Oklahoma wish to make known to this assembly, our heartfelt gratitude to the Rev. Alvin Deer for his presentation of the three resolutions on your agenda that relate to our tribes. The Rev. Deer is knowledgeable of the circumstances that pertain to the subject matter of these resolutions.
Each of us has reviewed the information and intent of the resolutions, and we individually, as tribal members, and collectively as the governing body of the tribe, support and endorse this effort. We wish to thank you for this time and consideration. The gesture encompasses the historic past as well as the future of our tribes.
Although the Sand Creek Massacre occurred over 130 years ago, the horrors and the terror of that tragic day are never completely out of our hearts and minds. Fort Reno is also a part of our history, but it also offers opportunities to the future. With these comments, we await the recommendations of the esteemed assembly. Charles Surveyor, Archie Hoffman, Lightfoot Hawkins, Robert Tabor, and James Pedro. Also with us at this time is Patrick Spotted Wolf, Arapahoe tribal chief, and Lawrence Heart, Cheyenne tribal chief. Thank you.
BISHOP MORGAN: Thank you Ann. We are moving toward time for the lunch break, and I need to turn, as the Order of the Day, unless you are going to extend the time. Is there any wish to do that? I do not hear that. I am going to turn to the secretary now. And if Bishop Fama Onema will move here to dismiss us for the announcements.
CAROLYN MARSHALL: There are several for our attention at this particular time. In light of the action which we have just taken, as far as the nominees for the University Senate, the bios for all of those, not required by the Discipline, but provided as a result of the action which was taken at the 1992 General Conference, will be published in the ®MDUL¯DCA tomorrow.
Also, to bring to our attention once more, that of the bios which have been published for the Judicial Council, that for Terrell Sessums, the last name of Sessums has been misspelled, and should be "Sessums." Please make note of that.
BISHOP MORGAN: Thank you, Carolyn. Now. Yes.
MARSHALL: Earlier this morning there was a reference made to the number of names, signatures, which were required to remove some action from the Consent Calendar. Please note that that remains at five names. The action that was taken yesterday noted that 10 names or 10 votes was simply on votes, number of votes as far as placement on the Consent Calendar, not for those for removal.
The note that the local church legislative committee will meet in room 207 at 1:30 this afternoon for a brief meeting. And also that the Church and Society Legislative Committee will meet this evening upon adjournment from the plenary. The choir, which we heard this morning, the Indonesian choir of the Methodist Church of Indonesia, will be giving a concert at 1:15 this afternoon, 1:15 in the area downstairs just near the ballrooms.
And a final one, those of you here who are involved in the ecumenical luncheon, just upon adjournment now, please make note of the change in location. The ecumenical luncheon will be held in room A210, A210 for the ecumenical luncheon. Thank you, Bishop.
BISHOP MORGAN: Yes. And we will reassemble at 2:00, not 2:30, 2:00 today. Bishop Onema, if you will dismiss us with prayer.
BISHOP ONEMA: [prayer in French]
BISHOP MORGAN: Adjourned.
General Conference Webmaster: Susan Brumbaugh
PETS Creator: John Brawn
Floor Proceedings, April 23
1996 United Methodist General Conference