wfn.org | Unofficial Group Appeals Ban on Symbol Use

[owner-umethnews@ecunet.org (United Methodist News list)]

Reply-to: owner-umethnews@ecunet.org (United Methodist News list)
"UNITED METHODIST DAILY NEWS 97" by SUSAN PEEK on April 15, 1997 at 14:24
Eastern, about DAILY NEWS RELEASES FROM UNITED METHODIST NEWS SERVICE (395
notes).

Note 394 by UMNS on Oct. 17, 1997 at 15:28 Eastern (2153 characters).

CONTACT:	Ralph E. Baker						  582(10-71B){394}
		Nashville, Tenn.  (615) 742-5470			Oct. 17, 1997

Transforming Congregations to seek
ruling on cross and flame use

by United Methodist News Service

	Officials of the Transforming Congregations Program have notified the United
Methodist General Council on Finance and Administration (GCFA) that they are
seeking a ruling by the Judicial Council, the churchs supreme court, on the
use of the denominations cross and flame insigne by unofficial groups related
to the church. 
	Members of Transforming Congregations hold the position that the gender
orientation of gay men and lesbians can be transformed through the practice of
faith.
	GCFA recently notified several such groups that the churchs Book of
Discipline restricts use of the symbol to official United Methodist entities.
The Discipline assigns the responsibility to protect the use and integrity of
the trademarked symbol to the GCFA.
	"It would be helpful to all unofficial United Methodist organizations for the
Judicial Council to review the application of paragraph 807.5, regarding who
is authorized to use the United Methodist cross and flame," said Mary Logan,
GCFAs general counsel.
"It may be advantageous for GCFA to independently make an official request for
the Judicial Council to review the Disciplinary part of this matter, because
all of the unofficial groups would then have the final word from the highest
judicial body in the church," she added.
	According to GCFA, official United Methodist entities are the General
Conference, Judicial Council, local churches, districts, episcopal offices,
annual conferences, churchwide agencies and official affiliated organizations
such as foundations.
	"This issue has nothing to do with anyones views about the work of any of
these unofficial groups of loyal United Methodists," said Logan.
	In addition to the Transforming Congregations Program, the Native American
International Caucus and the Reconciling Congregations Program have said they
would appeal to the Judicial Council for a ruling on the restriction.
#  #  #

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

 To make suggestions or give your comments, send a note to 
 umns@ecunet.org or Susan_Peek@ecunet.org

 This article sent to both the umethnews list <umethnews-request@ecunet.org>
 and also to the Worldwide Faith News list wfn-news <majordomo@wfn.org>
 Look at the header files to figure out which this is.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------