{"id":12589,"date":"2016-05-11T19:46:39","date_gmt":"2016-05-12T02:46:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/?p=12589"},"modified":"2016-05-11T19:46:39","modified_gmt":"2016-05-12T02:46:39","slug":"may-11-wrap-up-episcopal-address-more-rule-44-debate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/may-11-wrap-up-episcopal-address-more-rule-44-debate\/","title":{"rendered":"May 11 wrap-up: Episcopal address, more Rule 44 debate"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Joey Butler<\/strong>
\nMay 11, 2016 | PORTLAND, Ore. (UMNS)<\/h4>\n

A day after the celebratory tone of opening worship came a reminder that General Conference is one big, long meeting. As delegates got down to business, debate over one of the Rules of Order will stretch into a third day while the episcopal address urged United Methodists to \u201ctrust God and go.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the episcopal address on May 11, Bishop Gregory V. Palmer laid out a path<\/a> for the 2016 United Methodist General Conference: humility, humility, humility.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone here is a child of God. Any behavior to the contrary of that truth undermines the Gospel and is a choice to live beneath our privilege,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Palmer, bishop of the West Ohio Area, said his speech was an opportunity to set the tone for the gathering.<\/p>\n

Many issues before the denomination\u2019s top legislative assembly will require delegates to vote on difficult subjects such as human sexuality, divestment, and the denomination\u2019s budget.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur capacity to turn on each other is destroying the soul of this church and underserving the mission,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Palmer said too many United Methodists are fearful about the survival of the church as an institution.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur theme and our mission statement are a rallying cry to get out, act together and get focused on what God is focused on \u2014 which is nothing less than new creation for people, nations, cultures and the earth,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Rule 44 deferred again<\/strong><\/h4>\n

While Palmer alluded to the difficult issues General Conference must vote on, the way delegates will vote has proven the most difficult subject so far.<\/p>\n

For a second time, a vote on the much-debated Rule 44 \u2014 a proposed Group Discernment Process<\/strong><\/a>\u2014 has been deferred a day.<\/p>\n

The delay this time<\/a> is to allow the lawmaking assembly\u2019s Rules Committee to make recommendations regarding multiple amendments that came from the floor.<\/p>\n

The Rules Committee was set to meet the evening of May 11 and bring its recommendations back to the delegates as part of its report May 12.<\/p>\n

If delegates adopt Rule 44, they will still need to take a second vote on whether they want to use it for any legislation in 2016 or wait to use it at a future General Conference.<\/p>\n

Late May 10, delegates adopted the other 43 rules recommended by the commission that plans The United Methodist Church\u2019s legislative gathering. The vote was 518 to 258.<\/p>\n

Licensed local pastors in the background<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Licensed local pastors don\u2019t get to serve as delegates to General Conference<\/a>, so when they sit in the plenary hall, they\u2019re way back.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe bleachers,\u201d clarified the Rev. Mike Mahaffey, past president of the National Fellowship of Associate Members and Local Pastors.<\/a><\/p>\n

But he and the Rev. Tom Herring, legislative chair of that group, will mainly work the committee rooms, monitoring all legislation that could have bearing on local pastors.<\/p>\n

Mahaffey and Herring are monitoring about two dozen petitions.<\/p>\n

Only one is what they consider hostile. It would let local pastors continue to serve on boards of ordained ministry and district committees on ordained ministry, but would remove their right to vote.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe definitely don\u2019t want any privileges removed,\u201d Herring said.<\/p>\n

Will GC2016 embrace Christian conferencing?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

General Conference delegates spent two hours on May 11 on Christian conferencing, the practice of engaging in respectful and honest conversations. Leaders expressed hope that the session will set the tone as legislative committees begin meeting.<\/p>\n

The 864 delegates met with their respective committees to share details about themselves, their ministry settings and their own ideas about living out the mission of The United Methodist Church. In groups of 12 sitting around round tables, the discussions among some of the groups evolved into relaxed, respectful conversations over the two-hour period.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis process we\u2019re doing here shows there is hope that we can do things in a different way,\u201d said Andreas Elfving, a delegate from Finland-Sweden. \u201cPerhaps we can focus less on demonstration and find things we have in common.\u201d<\/p>\n

Delegates of color<\/strong><\/h4>\n

About 200 delegates of color and friends gathered<\/a> for a pre-General Conference orientation sponsored by the United Methodist Commission on Religion and Race in the Portland Convention Center May 10.<\/p>\n

Participants received the United Methodist Commission on Religion and Race\u2019s \u201cHow to Be an Interculturally Competent Delegate at the 2016 General Conference\u201d booklet, designed to help delegates build relationships across the diversity of peoples and cultures represented at General Conference.<\/p>\n

AIDS Vigil<\/strong><\/h4>\n

In a response of love and prayer, the 35 million people who have died of AIDS were remembered in a vigil May<\/a> 11 outside the Oregon Convention Center as the 2016 General Conference is meeting to decide church law for the next four years.<\/p>\n

The United Methodist Global AIDS Fund vigil was sponsored by the United Methodist Global AIDS Fund Committee. Since the 2004 United Methodist General Conference approved the Global Aids Fund<\/a>, the fund has raised over $3.5 million, benefiting 284 projects in 44 countries.<\/p>\n

Butler is a multimedia editor\/producer for United Methodist Communications. Contact him at<\/em>newsdesk@umcom.org<\/a> or 615-742-5470.<\/em><\/p>\n

Photo Credit
\n<\/strong>Photo by Paul Jeffrey, UMNS<\/em>
\nMembers of Signatur, a choir from Norway, sing during morning worship on May 11 at the 2016 United Methodist General Conference in Portland, Ore.<\/em>
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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