{"id":179,"date":"2012-04-19T08:00:39","date_gmt":"2012-04-19T15:00:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/gc2012\/?p=179"},"modified":"2012-04-19T11:40:28","modified_gmt":"2012-04-19T18:40:28","slug":"bishops-urged-to-bring-peace-to-gc2012","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/bishops-urged-to-bring-peace-to-gc2012\/","title":{"rendered":"Bishops urged to bring peace to GC2012"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bishop Larry M. Goodpaster. A UMNS file photo by Ronny Perry.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

A UMNS Report\u00a0By Heather Hahn*<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

View in Photo Gallery<\/a><\/div>\n

TAMPA, Fla. (UMNS) \u2014 United Methodist bishops on April 18 heard a challenge to embody the peace of Christ to the 2012 General Conference, to an anxious denomination and to the greater world.<\/p>\n

Charlotte (N.C.) Area Bishop Larry M. Goodpaster delivered that call during his final address to the Council of Bishops as that body\u2019s president.<\/p>\n

\u201cCan we bishops find a way to incarnate Christ\u2019s love?\u201d he preached. \u201cCan we find a way to lead and model and extend the peace of Christ to the delegates, to Tampa, to our world?\u201d<\/p>\n

Goodpaster\u2019s\u00a0sermon<\/a>, during opening worship at the council\u2019s spring meeting, came just days before nearly 1,000 United Methodist delegates will convene in Tampa for\u00a0the denomination\u2019s top legislative assembly<\/a>. Goodpaster called the April 24-May 4 gathering \u201cour quadrennial test of stamina and endurance known as General Conference.\u201d<\/p>\n

Decisions to affect every level<\/strong><\/p>\n

The assembly will grapple with petitions that could affect just about every level of The United Methodist Church. These include proposals endorsed by the Council of Bishops to\u00a0restructure general agencies<\/a>, to\u00a0fold the denomination\u2019s ecumenical agency into the Council of Bishops<\/a>, and to\u00a0establish a full-time council president without the usual responsibilities of overseeing a geographic area<\/a>.<\/p>\n

General Conference also will take up a proposal to\u00a0eliminate job guarantees for ordained elders<\/a>\u00a0and once again\u00a0debate the denomination\u2019s position on homosexuality<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will be making decisions of historic importance about structure and governance and decline and change and positions and principles and mission,\u201d Goodpaster said. \u201cLittle wonder there is so much anxiety!\u201d<\/p>\n

Bishops do not get a vote at General Conference, and they cannot address the assembly on legislative matters without special permission. Goodpaster acknowledged the bishops\u2019 common lament that they often have nothing to do at General Conference \u201cbut sit around like wilting potted plants.\u201d<\/p>\n

How to bring peace<\/h3>\n

However, he suggested ways they could bring peace even amid contentious discussions about the future of the church.<\/p>\n

He urged the bishops:<\/p>\n