NIC VOICE News Update 11-06-2005 Reaction to Judicial Council Decisions (Update #1)

NIC VOICE News Update 11-06-2005 Reaction to Judicial Council Decisions (Update #1)

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Judicial Council Decisions – UMC Web Site:

Judicial Council Decisions (Main page)

Judicial Council Decisions: 1001-1032 (This webpage lists all of the decisions from 10/29/2004 - 10/29/2005)

Decisions of Particular Interest:

1020. Review of Bishop's Decision of Law in the California-Nevada Annual Conference Related to the Adoption by the Annual Conference of a Definition for "Status" and the Refusal to Adopt a Definition for "Practicing" with Respect to the Enforceability of ¶ 304.3 of the 2004 Discipline in the Annual Conference.

1021. Review of Bishop’s Decision of Law in the Pacific Northwest Annual Conference Related to the Adoption of a Petition Entitled “Affirming Our Unity Amongst Diversity Of Opinion.”

1027. Appeal by the Eastern Pennsylvania Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church from the Decision of the Northeast Jurisdiction Committee on Appeals in the Matter of Rev. Irene Elizabeth Stroud.

1028. Review of Bishop’s Decision of Law in the California-Nevada Annual Conference Related to the Adoption by the Annual Conference of a Resolution Concerning Reporting on Ways a Congregation had Made Plans to Welcome and Include LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual, Transgendered) Persons in Leadership Roles in the Church Specifically at Odds with ¶304.3 of the 2004 Discipline.

1030. Request from the Western Michigan Annual Conference for a Declaratory Decision on the Meaning, Application and Effect of ¶ 612.19 of the 2004 Discipline with Respect to the Addition of Domestic Partner Benefits to the Conference Health Benefits Plan.

1031. Review of Bishop’s Decision of Law in the Virginia Annual Conference Related to the Disciplinary Purview of the Conference Relations Committee of the Conference Board of Ordained Ministry and the Fair Process Rights of a Pastor.

1032. Review of Bishop's Decisions of law in the Virginia Annual Conference Related to the Authority of a Pastor under ¶¶ 214 and 225 of the 2004 Discipline to Exercise Judgment in Determining Who May Be Received into Membership in the Local Church.

Related Articles and Video Interviews Regarding Decisions 1031 & 1032 at http://www.umc.org/:

A Pastoral Letter to the People of The United Methodist Church from the Council of Bishops
Nov. 2, 2005

Church court reinstates pastor who denied membership to gay man

Pastor denies membership to homosexual, placed on leave

Video Interview with Bishop Janice Huie

· “There is Unity Among the Council”

· “God’s Grace is Open to All”

Related Articles and Commentary Regarding Decision 1031 & 1032 at Virginia Annual Conference

· Virginia Annual Conference proceedings (Word Document)

o Commentary on these proceedings posted at Wesley Blog (worth the read): More on Pastorgate, Defining Church Membership & a New Dilemma

· Bishop Kammerer and Council of Bishops Statement Related to Judicial Council Decisions

· Judicial Council Hands Down Decisions Related to Virginia Conference Actions

· For complete text on the cases, visit: http://archives.umc.org/interior_judicial.asp?mid=263&SN=1001&EN=1032&JDMOD=VWL

o Bishop Charlene Kammerer's Remarks to the Judicial Council

o The Rev. Jeff Mickle's Remarks to the Judicial Council

o The Rev. Tom Thomas' Remarks to the Judicial Council (pdf)

Related Articles and Video Interview Regarding Decision 1027 at http://www.umc.org/:

Judicial Council reverses lower court, rules against Beth Stroud

Related Articles and Commentary Regarding Decision 1027 at Eastern Pennsylvania Annual Conference

Statement from Bishop Marcus Matthews
10/31/2005

Press Articles about Judicial Council Decisions

· Bishops struggle with Judicial Council decision (United Methodist Reporter Interactive)
By Robin Russell
Managing Editor

Posted on Thursday, November 03, 2005 @ 10:49:20 AM (Archive on 11/17/2005)

· Interview: Mark Tooley—A Conservative View on the Methodist Pastor Ruling

By Paula J. Chang

Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2005 Posted: 6:25:47PM EST

"Methodist Court Ruling Fuels Revolt," The Washington Times (Nov. 4, 2005)
"Interview: Mark Tooley—A Conservative View on the Methodist Pastor Ruling," The Christian Post (Nov. 2, 2005)
"United Methodists Struggle Over Homosexuality, Pastoral Authority," The Christian Post (Nov. 1, 2005)
"Methodists Rule Against Gays," Seattle Times (Religion News Service) (Nov. 1, 2005)
"Methodist Court Defrocks Lesbian Minister, Reinstates Pastor Who Denied Gay Member," Associated Baptist Press (Nov. 1, 2005)
"United Methodists' Right Moves," Family Research Council (Nov. 1, 2005)
"Conservatives Claim Victory in Two Methodist Rulings," The Presbyterian Layman (Nov. 1, 2005)
"UMC Court Deals Multiple Blows to Homosexual Agenda in the Church," Agape Press (Nov. 1, 2005)
"Methodists Defrock Lesbian Minister," Newsday (Associated Press) (Nov. 1, 2005)
"Church Judiciary Upholds Defrocking," Philadelphia Inquirer (Nov. 1, 2005)*
"Lesbian Minister Defrocked by United Methodist Church," Washington Post (Nov. 1, 2005)*
“UMC Court Deals Multiple Blows to Homosexual Agenda in the Church,” Agape Press (Nov.1, 2005)
“Methodist Rulings Reinforce Traditional Church Policy on Homosexuality,” Christianity Today (Oct. 31, 2005)

Search for “UMC Judicial Council” produced 157 results in Google News; selected links follow:

A disclaimer to 'Open hearts, Open minds and Open doors'
Saipan Tribune, NJ - 13 hours ago
... Further, UMC congregations are urged to declare a day of mourning and repentance ... against this hurtful and non-Biblical ruling of the Judicial Council" are to ...

Methodist Bishops Say Homosexuality Does Not Bar Membership
Christian Post, CA - Nov 4, 2005
... to change his lifestyle – the UMC’s Book of Discipline considers the practice of homosexuality to be unbiblical. The Judicial Council decision, which ...

Methodists defrock lesbian minister
Washington Blade, DC - Nov 4, 2005
The Judicial Council reached its decision Saturday and released its ... The council’s 6-2 ruling ends Rev. ... The UMC is the nation’s third-largest denomination

UMC Deals Multiple Blows to Homosexual Agenda in Church
Crosswalk.com, VA - Nov 4, 2005
... rulings of law from Virginia Bishop Charlene P. Kammerer, Johnson's case came before the Judicial Council, which examines all UMC bishops' decisions of law. ...

Lesbian Methodist minister loses final appeal
Bay Area Reporter, CA - Nov 3, 2005
... Shortly thereafter, Bishop Marcus Mathews of the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of the UMC decided to appeal the decision to the Judicial Council. ...

Thomas: The church of open arms (unless you're openly gay)
commercialappeal.com (subscription), TN - Nov 2, 2005
... So ruled the UMC's highest court Monday when it reinstated a Virginia pastor, Rev. ... What if other churches followed the lead of the UMC? ...

Church divided about gay ministers
The Daily Tar Heel - Nov 2, 2005
... The church’s national-level judicial council ruled Monday that ... The council decision was based on the church ... Some UMC pastors and members might disagree with ...

LESBIAN METHODIST MINISTER DEFROCKED
Windy city Media Group, IL - Nov 2, 2005
... thereafter, Bishop Marcus Mathews of the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of the UMC decided to appeal the decision to the Judicial Council, the Methodist ...

The Case Against Stroud and Coming Out
pride source.com, MI - Nov 2, 2005
... thereafter, Bishop Marcus Mathews of the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of the UMC decided to appeal the decision to the Judicial Council, the Methodist ...

United Methodists Struggle Over Homosexuality, Pastoral Authority
Christian Post, CA - Nov 1, 2005
... “The ruling handed down by the Judicial Council today is ... At the last UMC general assembly in 2004, delegates affirmed that the denomination condemns the ...

Highest Methodist court defrocks lesbian minister
Bryan College Station Eagle, United States - Nov 1, 2005
... The UMC's nine-member Judicial Council - seven of whom heard the case Thursday in Houston - issued the ruling through its Web site. ...

Methodist Church council defrocks openly lesbian minister
Minneapolis Star Tribune (subscription), MN - Nov 1, 2005
... The UMC's nine-member Judicial Council -- seven of whom heard the case Thursday in Houston -- issued the ruling through its website. ...

Additional Links Received through Google News Alerts:

Iliff protesters rally against gay rights rulings (Rocky Mountain News)
About 100 faculty, students and staff from Iliff School of Theology held a protest vigil today outside Denver's United Methodist headquarters to decry two recent homosexual rights rulings.

Methodists react to ruling: Local churchgoers are dismayed by the ...
The Register-Guard - Eugene,Oregon,USA
... But much more unexpected, several Methodist leaders say, was the court's reinstatement ... Robert Hoshibata, bishop for the Oregon-Idaho Conference, issued his own ...

Dissent Mounting Over Anti-Gay Methodist Rulings
365Gay.com - USA
... (story). The United Methodist Church accepts gay and lesbian ministers as long as they are celibate. The Rev. Beth Stroud notified her Germantown, Pennsylvania ...

A disclaimer to 'Open hearts, Open minds and Open doors'
Saipan Tribune - West Orange,NJ,USA
... Further, UMC congregations are urged to declare a day of mourning and repentance ... against this hurtful and non-Biblical ruling of the Judicial Council" are to ...

Methodist Bishops Protest Ruling in Exclusion of a Gay Congregant
New York Times - United States
... "Gay people are angry, and they are asking, 'Are we no longer welcome in the United Methodist Church?' And that hurts to hear," said Bishop Janice Riggle Huie ...

Methodists distressed by rulings
Toledo Blade - Toledo,OH,USA
... interpretations on homosexuality were shot down at the United Methodist Church's General Conference in Pittsburgh last year. The next national assembly won't ...

Va. Methodist minister who denied gay church membership reinstated
Sovo.com - Southern,USA
... Bishop Charlene Kammerer was scheduled to be at the Council of Bishops in North Carolina and was unavailable for comment. Nobody at South Hill United Methodist ...

Blogs on Judicial Council Rulings

Rekindling Methodism “This personal opinion Web Log is dedicated to those wonderful people of the "United Methodist" Church and to helping them restore their Wesleyan heritage.”

Don't Have To Be A Prophet ..!!

Good Job, Judicial Council ..!!!

Wesley Blog “The United Methodist site your pastor warned you about”

Do We Need Official Membership?

The Left Gets Ridiculous

Keep it Pithy

After the Decisions: Some Things to Consider

The Problems With Decision 1032

Stroud Decision Reversed, Virginia Pastor Reinstated

Judicial Council Ruling in Beth Stroud Case Expected Monday

Bandits No More Contributors Richard H Steve Heyduck

Preposition Problem

Judicial Council Decisions

Untied Methodist.com Dean Snyder, Pastor, Foundry UMC

Judicial Council decisions are outrageous

Bulletin Board Discussion on Judicial Council Rulings

The United Methodist Online Community (bulletin board at official UMC web site)

Thread: Council of Bishops Letter re Kammerer and Johnson

Thread: Bishops Seek to Please Men

Thread: Stroud: The Worldly View Has Been Defeated …. For now …

Ucmpage bulletin board

Thread: Bishop orders Communion Service reading of homo letter!

Thread: Bishop's Council Rejects High Court Ruling

Thread: The Bishops' Pastoral Letter - What does it DO?

Thread: Methodist Minister Placed on Involuntary Leave

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