wfn.org | Conferences Deal with Many Issues

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"UNITED METHODIST DAILY NEWS" by SUSAN PEEK on Aug. 11, 1991 at 13:58 Eastern,
about FULL TEXT RELEASES FROM UNITED METHODIST NEWS SERVICE (3054 notes).

Note 3053 by UMNS on July 11, 1996 at 16:37 Eastern (8926 characters).

SEARCH: annual conference, sessions, issues, actions

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York, and Washington.

CONTACT: Linda Green                           339(10-21-71){3053}
         Nashville, Tenn.                            July 11, 1996

Church burnings, social issues
on agendas of 1996 conferences

                                                                  
by Linda Green*

     NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) -- The burning of black churches and
related issues of racism did not go unnoticed by clergy and lay
members of the 68 United Methodist Annual Conferences meeting
across the United States in May and June.    
     At least 21 conferences passed resolutions or issued 
responses and many collected money to assist with rebuilding
burned black churches.
     Typical of the actions was a call by the New England
Conference to help rebuild the churches and address the evils of
racism in society. South Indiana organized a series of work teams
that will travel to burned church sites to assist with
construction.  
     The Kansas West Conference condemned using the Bible to
support racial alienation and urged churches to educate their
members about extremist and supremacist movements. 
     California-Pacific Conference condemned an initiative in
California to eliminate all existing affirmative action programs
administered by the state, saying it is a vehicle for destroying
racial harmony.  Florida Conference members encouraged United
Methodists across the state to study all immigration-related
propositions that may appear on the November ballots carefully. 
     The Rio Grande Conference condemned the beating of
undocumented workers and denial of education to children of
undocumented families. Southern New Jersey opposed anti-
immigration legislation.
     Two conferences -- North Arkansas and Wisconsin -- urged
churches and conference-affiliated offices to observe the birthday
of Martin Luther King Jr. by closing and offering prayers.
     Annual conference sessions also took stands on social issues
such as gambling and homosexuality and set budgets and programs
for the coming year. 
     In an unprecedented resolution, the California-Pacific
Conference voted to support an initiative to legitimize use of
marijuana by prescription for seriously ill patients and exempt
their caregivers from prosecution.
     At least 15 conferences voted to make children a priority,
collected offerings for children's homes, provided welfare and
poverty forums, and voted to support the Council of Bishops'
initiative on children and poverty. 
     North Carolina adopted a resolution calling for more
congressional emphasis on the environment and the welfare of
children, the poor, the old, and those least able to defend their
interests. The Pacific Northwest Conference condemned the
exploitation of child labor for production of consumer goods.
Southern New Jersey established a screening program for workers
with children, youth and vulnerable adults, and called for
background checks on clergy.
     Sixteen conferences reasserted the church's long-standing
opposition to gambling -- many reacting to state efforts to
legalize and promote games of chance. The Western New York
Conference adopted a resolution to defeat gambling in the state
and called for the conference's churches to study the issues
related to gambling, hold debates with gambling proponents and
opponents, and support legislators who oppose gambling.  
     North Georgia Conference members requested that a committee
of the churchwide General Council on Ministries study alternative
sites for the denomination's Board of Global Ministries, including
East Point, Ga., in the Greater Atlanta area.
     Following up on an action by the General Conference in Denver
April 16-26, at least 16 annual conferences considered the issue
of restructuring to allow for more flexibility in organization and
ministry.
     The Central Pennsylvania Conference adopted a modified
"ministry-oriented" structure. An adjourned session of the
Missouri East and West conferences will be held in September to
flesh out a new structure.
     At their final individual sessions, members of the Kentucky
and Louisville Conferences opted to postpone budgetary and program
decisions until August 18-21 when the new Kentucky Conference is
created.
     Also planning union, the Southern Illinois and Central
Illinois conferences spent their final sessions remembering
histories and celebrating their ministries. They deferred most of
their business until an August 17 uniting conference. The new name
of the conference has not been determined yet.
     A proposed merger of the two Kansas conferences was approved
by the East conference but defeated by the West conference. The
Northern and Southern New Jersey conferences authorized the
creation of a committee to explore possible merger.
     Action of 15 bishops during the April General Conference
criticizing the denomination's anti-gay policies drew reactions
from several annual conferences. Three conferences commended the
bishops; four passed resolutions or went on record condemning the
their action. 
     The Baltimore-Washington Conference supported the "integrity"
of their bishop speaking out against the denomination's anti-gay
stance. The South Georgia Conference called on the 15 bishops to
resign while the Little Rock Conference rejected a similar
request.
     Bishops do not vote at the General Conference.  Delegates at
the quadrennial gathering retained the church's position that
homosexuality is "incompatible with Christian teaching" and that
self-avowed practicing homosexuals are barred from ordination and
appointment.
     Wisconsin and Oregon-Idaho conferences voted to become part
of a national, unofficial "Reconciling Conference/Congregation"
program that openly invites gay men and lesbians into the life of
the church. Already members of the reconciling movement are the
California-Nevada, New York, Northern Illinois and Troy
conferences.  
     The Desert Southwest Conference defeated joining the
reconciling program by only eight votes (180 to 172).  The
California-Pacific and New England conferences established
processes for voting next year on whether to join the reconciling
movement.  
     Missouri East Conference asked that the issue of becoming a
reconciling conference be studied this year at the local and
district levels.
     North Georgia Conference urged the Georgia congressional
delegation to adopt legislation that would ban discrimination
against gays and lesbians in the work place. The Little Rock
conference urged Emory University to reconsider its policy of
offering health benefits for same-sex domestic partners. 
     The West Ohio Conference adopted "Biblical Integrity and
Christian Compassion in Ministry Among Homosexual Persons," an
affirmation of the Discipline's statements on homosexuality and
its exhortation to pastors not to allow or take part in homosexual
unions. 
      Turning to internal church issues, 13 conferences discussed,
approved, updated or expanded procedures for addressing clergy
misconduct and sexual harassment. Baltimore-Washington Conference
adopted a policy enabling churches to address incidents of sexual
misconduct among the laity. That statement mirrors the clergy
statement adopted in 1992. 
     West Michigan adopted procedures for dealing with sexual
assault on members of clergy families, and Western Pennsylvania
Conference established training to deal with domestic violence.
     Eleven conferences had United Methodists from outside the
United States bring greetings and inform the delegates about
mission, ministry and conditions in their countries.
     Unofficial figures indicate that the United Methodist Church
has lost about 50,700 members in 1995, about 16,000 less than the
loss in 1994.
     Rio Grande and Central Pennsylvania conferences elected their
first female lay leaders. In North Central New York Conference,
the first laity address was given.  The West Michigan Conference
created a position enabling the promotion of Bible-distribution
ministries.  Proceedings of the North Georgia Conference were
translated for the first time into Spanish and Korean.
     Delegates in North Georgia urged all United Methodists to
pray for a peaceful Olympics in Atlanta.
     Five conferences increased ministry with Native Americans;
nine conferences stepped up or initiated plans for Hispanic
American ministries.  At least eight conferences provided for
scholarships to Africa University.
                               # # #

     * Green is the director of the Nashville Office of United
Methodist News Service.

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