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GC2004 Updates
NIC
VOICE General Conference Update # 23
New items are indicated as follows:
NEW!!!!
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IN RE: Request
for a Declaratory Decision from the General Conference Regarding the
Application of
the Discipline to Actions of an Annual Conference in a Church
Trial and the
Meaning, Application or Effect of
¶ 304.3 of the
Discipline to the Findings of the Trial Court.
DIGEST
The Judicial
Council does not have authority to review the findings of the trial
court in the Reverend Karen T. Dammann case. A bishop may not
appoint one who has been found by a trial court to be a self-avowed,
practicing homosexual.
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Commentary by Rev. James Gibson, III
It's all but over in Pittsburgh now. The "big votes" on The Issue
That Won't Go Away (homosexuality) were held yesterday, with
traditionalists coming away with a decisive majority. On paper, United
Methodism is safe for another four years. But this does not mean we have
heard the last of the revisionists. In fact, we can expect them to be
even more defiant, as their level of frustration nears the boiling
point. Their devotion to the dark cause of unrestrained sexual license
is either so sad that it's funny, or so funny that it's sad.
It is sad when one considers the amount of energy the revisionists have
thrown into their unholy crusade, only to be rebuffed time and time
again by the General Conference. Sad, also, is the amount of time the
Church has had to invest in holding off the revisionist charge. It is
time which would have been better spent sharing the transforming message
of the Gospel with these lost, hurting souls who have been led down such
a dark path.
It is funny when one considers that, on a scale of 1 to 10,
homosexuality as an issue with the potential to divide the Church ranks
about a 0.0000467, far below a more contentious issue like the color of
the sanctuary carpet. Faithful Christians can hold differing opinions on
the color of the carpet, but to attempt to apply the same principle to
an issue like homosexuality is, when considered in such a context,
nothing short of side-splittingly comical. Yet, that is precisely what
the revisionists attempted to do with some of their petitions this year.
They wanted to codify an imaginary "division" within the Church.
What the revisionists fail to understand is that there is no such
"division" with regard to the issue they hold so dear. The Church has
never been of "two minds" with regard to God's purpose in creating human
beings in his image, male and female. Homosexuality is not a divisive
issue within the Church. Rather, it is, at the present moment, the
decisive issue which separates those who truly belong to Christ and
those who, despite claiming membership in some Christian denomination,
truly belong to the world.
It's funny when you think about it. But it's sad when you realize the
consequences for those who have poured so much of themselves into
publicly demonstrating their utter depravity and their separation from
Christ.
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NEW!!!! Today's
Press Articles on GC2004 (5/6/2004 AM & 5/5/2004 - See
NIC VOICE General Conference Update # 16 &
#19 for earlier headlines)
NEW!!!! ACTIVISTS
call for gay rights at Methodist conference
Louisville Courier Journal - Louisville,KY,USA
PITTSBURGH - Even though they lost vote after vote on Tuesday at the
United Methodist Church's General Conference, gay-rights activists returned
yesterday ...
And though they
interpret it differently, conservatives agreed with liberals on that
point.
"Because we refuse to affirm the practice (of homosexuality)
doesn't mean we deny the person," said Maxie Dunnam, a Kentucky delegate
and president of Asbury Theological Seminary.
"Because we say they can't be ordained doesn't mean
we deny them full participation in the life of the church. We want them to
be full participants in the life of the church."
< http://www.courier-journal.com/localnews/2004/05/06ky/B1-meth0506-4931.html>
NEW!!!! METHODIST pastor
believes in advertising
Pittsburgh Post Gazette - Pittsburgh,PA,USA
... No matter how the General Conference votes, the doors of his
own congregation
"will be open to persons from all walks of life.". ...
<http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04127/311866.stm>
NEW!!!! METHODIST Building transfer delayed
Washington Times - Washington,DC,USA
The United Methodist General Conference yesterday stalled an
attempt by
temperance activists to transfer ownership of the Methodist Building on
Capitol Hill. ...
<http://washingtontimes.com/metro/20040505-101236-6029r.htm>
NEW!!!!
METHODISTS Divided on
Homosexuality Stand
Grand Forks Herald - Grand Forks,ND,USA
... Karen Dammann, an openly lesbian pastor in the Pacific
Northwest Conference,
was acquitted in March ... law by a jury of 13 pastors at her church trial
in Bothell ...
<http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/news/state/8600852.htm>
NEW!!!! RULINGS on Gay Clergy Divides
Methodists
San Jose Mercury News (subscription) - San Jose,CA,USA
... Karen Dammann, an openly lesbian pastor in the Pacific Northwest
Conference,
was acquitted in March ... law by a jury of 13 pastors at her church trial
in Bothell ...
< http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/world/8596558.htm>
NEW!!!! Recommend Listening: METHODIST
Church Sends Mixed Signals on Gay Clergy
NPR (audio) - USA
... been holding their breath for was the Karen Dammann decision. ... not
say what would happen if Dammann asked to ... appoints her might be put
on trial for disregarding ...
< http://npr.streamsage.com/google/programlist/feature.php?wfid=1872102>
NEW!!!! Lesbian Remains a
Methodist Cleric, for Now:
By LAURIE
GOODSTEIN
PITTSBURGH, May 4 — The United Methodist Church's supreme court ruled
Tuesday that it lacked the authority to reconsider the case of a lesbian
pastor who was permitted to remain in ministry by a local church court in
Washington State.
But the decision, by the church's Judicial Council, could prove only
a short-lived victory for the Rev. Karen T. Dammann, the gay pastor whose
trial tested a church law barring "self-avowed practicing homosexuals" from
serving as ministers.
In its decision, the Judicial Council also restated a church law that
says bishops may not appoint to the ministry anyone who has been found by a
trial court to be a self-avowed practicing homosexual. That part of the
ruling is likely to bar Ms. Dammann from the annual reappointment that
members of the Methodist clergy need to continue in ministry ...
NEW!!!! United
Methodists reaffirm line on gays - Liberal wing loses attempt to make church
more inclusive
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04126/311356.stm
Wednesday, May 05, 2004
By Ervin Dyer, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The United Methodist Church reaffirmed yesterday that homosexual
activity is "incompatible with Christian teaching" and struck down language
that would have made the church more inclusive of gays and lesbians.
By Jim Brown and Jenni Parker
May 4, 2004
PITTSBURGH, PA (AgapePress) - Controversies abound at the 2004
meeting of the United Methodist Church General Conference in Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania, ongoing through May 7. There some conservatives are expressing
disappointment over the outcome of Judicial Council elections, while
Orthodox women in the denomination are rankling over being overlooked by the
UMC's liberal Women's Division.
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-
Reconsidering Appeals
-
Broken Chalice
-
Hearing the Global Witness
-
Walking in a Heaven of Love
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General
Conference 2004 - Follow the United Methodist
Church General Conference on our web page. The General Conference is the
only body that speaks for the Church.
The Confessing Movement has staff and
volunteers in Pittsburgh working to address the crisis in the Church. We
are seeing some real victories, but there are great challenges before
General Conference ends on May 7th. Our efforts in Pittsburgh
are bringing an increase in our financial needs. We need your help.
Please send your contribution to: The Confessing Movement, 7995 East 21st
Street, Indianapolis, Indiana 46219. Thank you and God bless you.
May
2, 2004
URGENT need for Prayer!
Please focus from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon on Monday, May 3, 2004, for the
election of Judicial Council members. The Judicial Council is the Supreme Court
of the Church.
May 1, 2004
The
Judicial Council Speaks(click
here)
Judicial Council Decision No. 984(click
here)
April 30, 2004
Legislative Committee Updates(click here)
The Confessing Movement at General Conference(click here)
Thursday, April 29
Rumors of
Protest (click here)
Declaratory
Decision Requested (click here)
Wednesday, April 28
Our Differences
Matter (click here)
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NEW!!!!
Called Out Information Service sponsored by Affirmation
- includes updates on GC2004:
"Called Out"
is an information service about LGBT religious concerns sponsored by
Affirmation: United Methodists for Lesbian, Gay, and Transgendered Concerns.
Affirmation is not an official
body of the UMC. This is a public, read-only mailing list. Anyone may join,
no matter what their opinions. The sponsors of this list support full
inclusion and justice for LGBT people in society and The United Methodist
Church. Content and viewpoints of materials and links will vary with the
source.
Previous Posts:
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NEW!!!!
Reconciling Ministries Network GC2004 Articles and Reports
| Past Reports: |
|
Past Photo Pages: |
|
Tuesday, April 27 |
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Tuesday, April 27 |
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Wednesday, April 28 |
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Wednesday, April 28 |
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Thursday, April 29 |
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Thursday, April 29 |
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Friday, April 30 |
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Friday, April 30 |
| No report |
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Saturday, May 1 |
| No report |
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Sunday, May 2 |
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Monday, May 3 |
|
Monday, May 3 |
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Tuesday, May 4 |
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Tuesday, May 4 |
From the Wednesday May 5:
In reaction to the vote, the Rev. James
Preston, clergy delegate, Northern Illinois Conference, proclaimed, “The
church chose not to tell the truth.” RMN questions if the GC ever heard
the truth telling in the first place?
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Articles include:
- It's Time To Stand Up By Ken Rowe, Affirmation Co-Spokesperson
- Murder, Suicide Stories Requested
- Is It Time For A Schism? By Peggy Gaylord, Affirmation Co-Spokesperson
- T Shirts? What T Shirts?
- Love Makes A Family. It's Gone!
Past Reports:
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The Daily SQBs Of General Conference 2004 (in
downloadable .pdf format)
Articles include:
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(Note - these reports are numbered beginning with last Monday
as Day 1)
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Reporter Interactive:
Previous Reports:
Pacific Northwest Reconciling Ministries Network:
Day 2
at General Conference Winifred
Keefer
Day 3
at General Conference Winifred
Keefer
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Petitions Status and
Legislative Tracking:
GC2004 Updates by
Faithful Christian Laity:
Cathy Biehler is volunteering with Good
News and is attending the entire conference.
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How to listen/watch GC2004 session
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you continue to have difficulties accessing video/audio feeds at the UMC
site, try these alternative links:
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