wfn.org | Complaints against Bishop Paup ruled invalid

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.UMC.ORG>]

May 7, 1998	Contact: Thomas S. McAnally*(615)742-5470*Nashville,
Tenn.    {288}

By United Methodist News Service

Complaints by two Oregon laymen against United Methodist Bishop Ed Paup
of the church's Portland Area have been ruled invalid by Bishop Melvin
G. Talbert,  immediate past president of the 10-state Western
Jurisdiction College of Bishops.

Daniel H. Richman and Eric Lundgren of the Alsea (Ore.) United Methodist
Church, in a letter dated March 4, charged Paup with failure to perform
the work of his ministry, a chargeable offense in the denomination's
Book of Discipline.  Specifically, the men objected to the fact the
bishop did not rule out of order a resolution adopted at  the 1997
Oregon Idaho Annual Conference sessions naming the regional unit of the
church a "Reconciling Conference."

"This means that we commit ourselves to welcome persons of all sexual
orientations as persons of sacred worth into the life of the United
Methodist Church," the resolution said.  "It also means that we commit
ourselves to work at building bridges of understanding and trust between
persons who have been divided on this issue."

Richman and Ludgren said Paup should have ruled the resolution out of
order since the church's Book of Discipline forbids the ordination of
homosexuals and of same-sex marriages.

According to church rules, complaints against a bishop are to be sent to
the respective jurisdictional college of bishops for further
investigation and action.  Talbert was president of the Western College
when the complaints were made.  In a letter dated March 11, Talbert said
the men could have appealed the action of the annual conference to the
Judicial Council but noted that a presiding bishop is not a voting
member.  

"Because a bishop chooses not to rule an action of the annual conference
out of order does not constitute grounds for filing a complaint,"
Talbert said.  "Only when it has been demonstrated that your bishop
willfully and intentionally acted in violation of the Book of Discipline
are there grounds for a complaint."

"I fail to see where you have grounds for filing a complaint," Talbert
continued.  "If you have other information you have not shared, it would
be helpful for me to have it. Without such additional information, I see
no basis for me to proceed with a complaint against your bishop."

The Judicial Council, the church's "Supreme Court,"  recently announced
that it will meet in special session in August to consider Disciplinary
matters related to homosexuality and same-sex unions.

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