NIC VOICE - GC2004 Updates 52

NIC VOICE General Conference Update (#52)

If you have links to GC2004 Reports that may be of interest, please send the link to: nicvoice@nicvoice.org.

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ALL ITEMS ARE NEW or UPDATED!!!!

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The United Methodist Reporter is recognized as a source of international religion news and a national forum for United Methodist opinion about faith issues.

COMMENTARY: We are disciples, not politicians: An appeal to United Methodists

General Conference adjourned over two months ago, and-thankfully-we are still The United Methodist Church... Continued »

RECOMMENDED READING (MENTIONS BISHOP SPRAGUE): COMMENTARY: Stay unified or separate: it's up to the UMC bishops

In American society, a culture war wages between conservatives and liberals, Republicans and Democrats, religionists and secularists, traditionalists and progressives. Continued »

New Letters to the Editor, many on General Conference & Unity

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NEW! Newscope - Newsletters now on-line - GC2004 Coverage:

Volume: 32, Number: 21 Date: 5/21/2004

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Response to NIC VOICE Subscriber from Wyoming Conference regarding voting records of GC Delegates:

From Marilyn Rozelle to NIC VOICE for publication:

Letter to the Editor of THE VOICE, Wyoming Conference newspaper:

"Marilyn Rozelle, of the Forty Fort United Methodist, responded to the coverage of General Conference 2004 in last month's Voice to say, "I would like to know the voting record of each of our delegates to General Conference. These should be published on this web site so each local church has an understanding of where they stand on the important issues."

THE VOICE Response

"Marilyn,

I'm sorry, but there is no way to do what you ask. There is no record kept of how each delegate votes on any of the many ballots cast at General Conference. Although the votes are recorded electronically, and each delegation sits in assigned seats, there is no way to note which delegate or reserve delegate is in one of the assigned seats when any particular vote is cast."

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InterFaith Working Group On-Line Reporting on GC2004

This site promotes “Religious Diversity and Social Issues” and provides information on various denominations including the UMC (following)

Equal rights for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people

Reproductive freedom

Separation of church and state

United Methodist Church

At the General Conference in Pittsburgh, delegates voted both to make the church's already anti-gay policies even more so, and to add restrictions against sexual behavior between people of different genders outside of marriage. On May 6 Soulforce successfully negotiated with the Bishops to take over the convention floor for 20 minutes in protest of the anti-gay votes.

Rev. Karen Dammann, who recently legally married Meredith Savage, her partner of nine years, in Portland, OR, was acquitted by a church jury of her peers on charges of being an open lesbian. Nine of the thirteen jurors would have had to vote guilty for her to be convicted. Two of the jurors were undecided and the rest voted not guilty. Prior to the trial, thirty-three of 100 Soulforce protestors were arrested blocking the doors to the church in an effort to prevent the Bishops who were officiating at the trial from entering and to convince them not to hold the trial.

A formal complaint has been filed against Rev. Karen Oliveto, pastor of Bethany United Methodist Church in San Francisco, for officiating at the marriages of seven couples at City Hall and one couple in the church. The church web site currently includes a "Gay Wedding Photo Album."

·         UMC News service story about the vote to place further sexual restrictions on clergy.

·         Soulforce press release regarding the May 6 demonstration

·         UMC News Service coverage of the Soulforce protest (includes a video link)

·         Soulforce response to Good News

·         Soulforce

·         Bethany United Methodist Church

·         Bethany UMC Wedding Album

·         Methodist links

·         Sexual orientation and gender identity links

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NIC VOICE Reports on GC2004 are on-line with descriptions at: General Conference Reports.

Updated NIC VOICE Report Directory

The following NIC VOICE GC2004 reports link to reports, articles and commentary, including UMNS, Reporter Interactive, Good News, Confessing Movement, Institute for Religion and Democracy, Reconciling Ministries Network national and PNW, Affirmation, CorNet, SoulForce, links to various video, audio and transcripts and more:

NIC VOICE - GC2004 Updates 51 (Articles from Renew, Newscope, Interpreter On-Line, General Board of Church & Society, Commentaries by Rev. Dean Snyder and Rev. James Gibson)

NIC VOICE - GC2004 Updates 50 (UMNS on Transition Team, Reporter Interactive Letters to the Editor, Dan Tilly Commentary, Interpreter Online Articles on GC, including How GC will impact local church)

NIC VOICE - GC2004 Updates 49 (Press articles, Affirmation newsletter and Wesley Putnam and other commentary)

NIC VOICE - GC2004 Updates 48 (Christianity Today articles and Albert Mohler commentary)

NIC VOICE - GC2004 Updates 47 (press reports, radio interview with Bill Hinson and UMR commentaries)

NIC VOICE - GC2004 Updates 46 (press reports, GC2004 coverage by Good News and commentaries)

NIC VOICE - GC2004 Updates 45 (press reports, Riley Case Commentary, updates from RMN and Confessing Movement)

NIC VOICE - GC2004 Updates 44 (press reports, Maxie Dunnam & Ira Gallaway Commentaries)

NIC VOICE - GC2004 Updates 43 (press reports, commentary, including MSFA, IRD & Confessing Movement)

NIC VOICE - GC2004 Updates 42 (press reports, commentary, including UMNS and others)

NIC VOICE - GC2004 Updates 41 (press reports, commentary including Good News and reports from AC's in the Northeastern Jurisdiction)

NIC VOICE - GC2004 Updates 40 (reports on Northern Illinois Conference delegation and members at GC2004)

NIC VOICE - GC2004 Updates 39 (press reports, commentary and reports from AC's in the South Central Jurisdiction)

NIC VOICE - GC2004 Updates 38 (Today at General Conference Newsletter - May 18 and more)

NIC VOICE - GC2004 Updates 37 (press reports, summary of GC by IRD and reports from AC's in the Southeast Jurisdiction)

·         NIC VOICE - GC2004 Updates 36 (press reports, Commentary and reports from AC's in the North Central Jurisdiction)

·         NIC VOICE - GC2004 Updates 35 (press reports, Commentary and reports from AC's in the Western Jurisdiction and Illiff Seminary)

·         NIC VOICE - GC2004 Updates 34 (press reports, Commentary: HOW SHALL WE DEAL WITH UNITED METHODIST HERETICS)

·         NIC VOICE - GC2004 Updates 33 (press reports, Commentary: IN THE END WHAT DID WE ACCOMPLISH)

·         NIC VOICE - GC2004 Updates 32 (press reports, A Statement of Conscience by Bill Hinson)

·         NIC VOICE - GC2004 Updates 31 (Today at General Conference Newsletter - May 7 and more)

·         NIC VOICE - GC2004 Updates 30 (press reports, Resolution on Church Unity)

·         NIC VOICE - GC2004 Updates 29 (press reports, Statement by Dr. James V. Heidinger II, Good News)

·         NIC VOICE - GC2004 Updates 28 (Today at General Conference Newsletter - May 6 and more)

·         NIC VOICE - GC2004 Updates 27 (UMNS: Conservatives consider 'separation' of United Methodist Church)

·         NIC VOICE - GC2004 Updates 26 (press reports and reports from various advocacy groups)

·         NIC VOICE - GC2004 Updates 25 (press reports on proposed UMC split)

·         NIC VOICE - GC2004 Updates 24 (IRD Press Release: An Amicable and Just Separation)

·         NIC VOICE - GC2004 Updates 23 press reports, Commentary: FUNNY BUT SAD)

·         NIC VOICE - GC2004 Updates 22 (Today at General Conference Newsletter - May 5 and Text for Judicial Council Decision 985)

·         NIC VOICE - GC2004 Updates 21 (IRD Press Release: Renegade Bishop Participates in "Gay" Church Service)

·         NIC VOICE - GC2004 Updates 20 (press reports and reports from various advocacy groups)

·         NIC VOICE - GC2004 Updates 19 (press reports and reports from various advocacy groups, commentary, Judicial Council elections)

·         NIC VOICE - GC2004 Updates 18 (Today at General Conference Newsletter - May 4 and more)

·         NIC VOICE - GC2004 Updates 17 (UMNS Daily Wrap-Up - May 3 and more)

·         NIC VOICE - GC2004 Updates 16 (press reports and reports from various advocacy groups)

·         NIC VOICE - GC2004 Updates 15 (Reports from PNW RMN and from Delegate Mark E. Williams)

·         NIC VOICE - GC2004 Updates 14 (press reports and reports from various advocacy groups)

·         NIC VOICE - GC2004 Updates 13 (Today at General Conference Newsletter - May 3 and more)

·         NIC VOICE - GC2004 Updates 12 (press reports and reports from advocacy groups, Commentary: THE LANGUAGE OF THE SHEPHERD)

·         NIC VOICE - GC2004 Updates 11 (press reports and reports from advocacy groups, Commentary: A CERTAIN PEACE)

·         NIC VOICE - GC2004 Updates 10 (UMNS Daily Wrap-Up - May 1 and more)

·         NIC VOICE - GC2004 Updates 9 (Judicial Council Decision 984 and UMNS - GC asks court to re-examine acquittal of lesbian pastor)

·         NIC VOICE - GC2004 Updates 8 (UMNS Daily WrapUp - May 1 and more)

·         NIC VOICE - GC2004 Updates 7 (press reports and reports from various advocacy groups)

·         NIC VOICE - GC2004 Updates 6 (UMNS Daily WrapUp - April 29 and more)

·         NIC VOICE - GC2004 Updates 5 (press reports and reports from various advocacy groups)

·         NIC VOICE - GC2004 Updates 4 (UMNS Daily WrapUp - April 29 and more)

·         NIC VOICE - GC2004 Updates 3 (press reports and reports from various advocacy groups)

·         NIC VOICE - GC2004 Updates 2 (Today at General Conference Newsletter - April 27)

·         NIC VOICE - GC2004 Updates 1 (How to Watch/Listen to GC2004, Council of Bishops Pastor Letter, 04/26/2004)

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