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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 (2928 notes).

Note 2928 by SUSAN PEEK on April 27, 1996 at 01:03 Eastern (14129 characters).

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067 {2931}                                          April 26, 1996

General Conference '96

United Methodist General Conference
Looks to End of Century, Start of 21st

     DENVER (UMNS) -- Challenged at the outset by their spiritual
leaders to shun standing rigidly in tradition or running
mindlessly ahead, 998 United Methodist General Conference
delegates gathered April 16-26 here embraced new ecumenical
affirmations; adopted fresh concepts of baptism and ministry;
stepped up concern for children and minorities; and prepared for
the reality and prospect of new administrative structures.

     At the same time, the conference meeting at the edge of snow-
covered Rocky Mountains reaffirmed long standing controversial
positions on homosexuality and abortion, adopted a close to the
bone 1997-2000 budget for the 9.7-million-member denomination and
left its missions arm headquartered in New York City.

     By the time the delegates from around the globe had cleared
their desks of almost 3,000 legislative items they also had spent
unprecedented amounts of time in prayer and "discernment," and
experienced new evidence of international ties.

     First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, a life-long United
Methodist, was welcomed with warm and prolonged applause.  Bishop
Arthur Kulah, who was able to maneuver his way out of war-torn
Liberia where his life is at risk daily, arrived to an outpouring
of joyful song and emotion.

     "We have watched with alarm tensions that rise out of good
desire to protect the Church from harm," Bishop Judith Craig of
Columbus, Ohio, said in the "state of the church" Episcopal
Address delivered on behalf of the church's 130 active and retired
bishops.  "We fear the desire to protect may turn to desire to
control."

     Two days later, 15 bishops, including Bishop Craig, dropped a
bombshell on the conference by releasing a statement expressing
their personal "pain" at "proscriptions ... against gay and
lesbian persons" in official United Methodist church policy.

     "We believe it is time to break the silence and state where
we are on this issue that is hurting and silencing countless
faithful Christians," the bishops' statement asserted.  At the
same time, the 11 active and four retired bishops affirmed their
commitment to "continue our responsibility" to the church's order
and Book of Discipline.

     The statement was a major topic of conversation in hallways
and refreshment centers of the Colorado Convention Center for the
next four days.  On April 23 the Council of Bishops released a
250-word statement saying "Our life together is not based upon
uniformity of mind or conscience."

      The statement by the more than 90 bishops present in Denver,
including the 15, said the "Council understands the present
language in the Book of Discipline to be a faithful expression of
faith and discipleship and we are committed, collectively and
individually, to teach and uphold our church's doctrine and
discipline."

     The Rev. J. Philip Wogaman, pastor of Foundry United
Methodist Church in Washington, told United Methodist News Service
he believes the "prophetic" statement of the 15 "will, in the long
run, do much good."

     Jim Holsinger, Lexington, Ky., said "the careful
orchestration" of the conference by the 15 bishops "cast a gray
pall across the" conference, "which did not lift, even after its
adjournment."  

     When voting was completed, delegates had retained the
church's statement that the practice of homosexuality is
incompatible with Christian teaching.  The ban on ordination or
appointment of "self-avowed practicing homosexuals" was continued
with a sentence added defining "self avowal."

     The footnote, added during the final hours of the conference,
reads:  "Self-avowal practicing homosexual is understood to mean
that a person openly acknowledges to a bishop, district
superintendent, district committee of ordained ministry, board of
ordained ministry or clergy session that the person is a
practicing homosexual." 

     The vote to retain the "incompatible" language was 577 to 37; 
Four years ago the comparable vote was 710 to 238.

     A statement added to the homosexual statements would prohibit
clergy from officiating at same-sex marriage-like ceremonies. 

     The church's conditional pro-choice stance on abortion, in
place since 1970, was reaffirmed.  An attempt to add a "rights of
the unborn" statement was turned back 497 to 399.  Support for the
Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice will be continued.

     An initiative designed to increase and enhance the
involvement of youth and young people in the church during the
next four years was approved.  Delegates approved asking Hillary
Rodham Clinton to serve as honorary chair of a "Shared Focus on
Young People."

     In her 30-minute address to the conference, the First Lady
spoke with appreciation of her growing up in First United
Methodist Church in Park Ridge, Ill.  "I am equally grateful that
my daughter has had the same (opportunity), both at her church in
Little Rock, and now ... in Washington."  The First Family
regularly attends Foundry United Methodist Church in Washington.

     Mrs. Clinton's statements on youth and children were
interrupted several times by applause from the 998 delegates and
approximately 2,700 visitors.  

     Another emphasis on specialized ministries will include
programs designed to serve racial and ethnic minorities.  There
are approximately 425,000 ethnic minority United Methodists in the
United States.

     The conference approved support for a commission to develop a
possible plan of union for the United Methodist, African Methodist
Episcopal, African Methodist Episcopal Zion and Christian
Methodist Episcopal churches.  Any plan developed will be
considered by three of the four churches in 2000, and the fourth
in 2002.

     By a margin of 70 percent, delegates approved United
Methodism becoming the sixth denomination to adopt the covenanting
proposal of the Consultation on Church Union.  The plan is under
study in the remaining three participants in the Consultation.

     Bishop William Boyd Grove, Albany, N.Y., called the
covenanting proposal the "most significant ecumenical challenge"
to come before a United Methodist General Conference in the past
half-century.  Grove, president of the church's chief ecumenical
agency, said the covenanting plan creates a "spiritual, covenental
union," not an organizational or structural one.  Member
denominations of the covenant will recognize each other's baptism
and ordained ministry and celebrate the eucharist together.

     After 30 years discussion, a reordering of the church's
ministry was approved.  The adopted plan calls for two separate
offices of ordained ministry: deacon, one who pledges to serve God
and the church through "word and service" to the community; and
elder, who serves through "service, word, sacrament and order."

     Deacon no longer will be a first step on the way to full
ordination as an elder.  As with the present diaconal ministers,
the new deacons will not itinerate, but will be considered clergy.

     Delegates unanimously approved a new core statement of
baptism.  The statement upholds the legitimacy of infant baptism,
rejects any re-baptism, and explains the relationship between
baptism as an infant and confirmation.

     The action also creates new designations for church
membership, "baptized members" and "professing members."  Only
professing members will be counted for determining financial
apportionments and for most statistical purposes.

     Also new is an independent, churchwide Commission on United
Methodist Men.  Accountable to the General Council on Ministries,
the new commission will oversee coordination and resources for
men's ministries within the church.

     The United Methodist Men's organization currently is a unit
of the General Board of Discipleship in Nashville, Tenn.  Backers
of the move said creation of the new commission would not require
additional funding since funds currently for men's work in the
Discipleship budget will be transferred to the new agency.

     In the Laity Address to the conference, James Lane, Sherwood,
Ark., said that if the church is going to enter the 21st Century
effectively laity "must thrust open the doors of our churches ...
(and) quit sitting around in meetings talking about what we ought
to do. ... "

     Broad implications for general church structure are implicit
in the approval of a framework around which a major study will be
fashioned by a "Connectional Process Team" of 31 people.  The
result of their work is expected to be a major agenda item in
2000.
     
     Included in the process are findings of the Council of
Bishops on the global nature of the United Methodist Church.

     The Rev. Gordon C. Goodgame, Lake Junaluska, N.C., said it is
time for the denomination to plan for a "relevant transition"
toward the future "while holding fast to the core of religious
values."  The Rev. Charlie O. Dundas, Rosemount, Minn., called the
action "one small step for the United Methodist Church, putting
into place a process that will lead us into the 21st Century.

     As a prelude to action in 2000, legislation was approved here
reducing the number of lay and clergy directors of national
agencies from about 950 to 650.

     The present configuration of conference agencies has been in
place since 1972.
     
     In another action related to these national/international
agencies, the conference ended eight years of debate and study by
agreeing to leave the headquarters of the Board of Global
Ministries in New York City for at least the next four years.  The
report of a study committee proposing a relocation to Reston, Va.,
was rejected unanimously.

     After three hours of debate, a budget of almost $508.3
million to underwrite worldwide ministries of their church for the
next four years was approved.  The total reflects an increase for
1997 of 1 percent above 1996, then no increase for 1998, and a 2
percent increase for 1999 and 2000.

     International aspects of United Methodism were more visible
here than in any previous General Conference.  More of the 998 lay
and clergy delegates were from Europe, Africa and the Philippines
than ever before, and there was more participation in debate.

     For the first time in 40 years delegates were present from
Bulgaria.  Cuban Methodist Bishop Gustavo Cruz, in a press
interview, said the U.S. embargo of his country has hit hardest
the poor.

     Responding to Israeli bombs falling on a refugee camp and a
U.N. peacekeeping area in Lebanon, and a related statement by
Bishop Judith Craig, delegates agreed to send a delegation to meet
with President Clinton and Vice President Gore, as well as
diplomatic officials of the United States and Israel.

     In another action, delegates voiced concern about the
condition of brothers and sisters in Brazil as a result of
reported overt actions by the military police.

          In other conference happenings, delegates:

     * Apologized for the deaths of more than 200 Native Americans
      caused by a Methodist lay preacher more than 13 decades ago.

     * Heard that the "Shalom Zones" approved by the l992 General
      Conference as a mission effort in troubled cities are doing
      well.

     * Re-elected Carolyn Marshall, Veedersburg, Ind., secretary.

     * Approved a new voluntary pension plan that backers say will
      provide more flexibility and investment options for          
      individual participants.

     * Paused to remember the first anniversary of the Oklahoma 
      City bombing.  The convention center lobby featured a
      special display of memorial quilts for the children who
      were killed.

     * Agreed to continue a special program on substance abuse and
      related violence.

     * Remembered the 10th anniversary of the tragic Chernobyl
      nuclear power accident and its heavy death toll.

     * Adopted a new Spanish-language hymnal.

     * Said that a lay person must be vice-chair of the local
      church nominating committee.  

     An informal survey of several delegates by United Methodist
News Service found mixed reactions to the ten days in Denver.

     The Rev. Riley Case, Kokomo, Ind., said the conference "was
not particularly friendly to the causes of evangelicals, but that
is no different from previous General Conferences and reflects the
moderate to liberal make-up of the delegates. ... The public
statement by some bishops that they do not believe that which they
are called upon to teach and uphold, and the Council of Bishops'
innocuous response, is distressing.  The morale in the trenches is
not good."

     The Rev. John Ed Mathison, Montgomery, Ala., said the
sessions were marked by an "obviously orchestrated program to
promote a specific agenda." A similar thought was voiced by Jim
Holsinger of Kentucky.

     The Rev. George D. McClain, Staten Island, N.Y., said that
"for the most part reason, moderation and graciousness prevailed,
 ... but this conference was demonstrably mean-spirited toward
lesbians and gay men and their pastors.  All attempts to moderate
their exclusion from the church were rejected.  A remarkable
chance for evangelization and reconciliation was rejected."

     The Rev. J. Phillip Wogaman, Washington, voiced
"disappointment that we could not achieve a healing compromise on
the over-heated issue of homosexuality, so that debate will simply
continue."

     Shirley Parris, Brooklyn, N.Y., called  the "rich multi-
racial, multi-cultural fabric of the tapestry into which we are
woven" a "serendipitous by-product of our heritage.  I wish every
United Methodist could be exposed to the process. ... "

     The next opportunity for at least 1,000 United Methodists
from around the world will be May 2-12, 2000, in Cleveland, Ohio.
                              #  #  #

                                                    -- Robert Lear
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