wfn.org | United Methodist Daily News note 541

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"UNITED METHODIST DAILY NEWS 97" by SUSAN PEEK on April 15, 1997 at 14:24
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notes).

Note 541 by UMNS on Jan. 12, 1998 at 16:57 Eastern (3335 characters).

TITLE:	United Methodist Judicial Council to Decide
CONTACT:  Joretta Purdue  	14(10-71B)541
		Washington, D.C.  (202) 546-8722  	Jan. 12, 1998

Judicial Council to decide in April
if annual conference restructure conforms

	by United Methodist News Service

	The constitutionality of one conference's structure will be before the spring
meeting of the United Methodist Judicial Council -- the church's equivalent of
a supreme court -- when it meets April 22-25 in Seattle to consider a docket
of 14 items.
	Kansas West Annual (regional) Conference is seeking a declaratory decision on
a new plan for structure approved at the May 1997 annual conference with the
intention of submitting it to the council before implementation in summer
1998.
	The Norway Annual Conference, a part of the Northern Europe Central
Conference, has asked the council to determine if an annual conference may
meet every other year rather than annually.
	Alaska Missionary Conference has requested a decision on qualifications for
lay members of annual conference.
	The General Council on Finance and Administration (GCFA) is querying the
council to define the meaning of the Disciplinary phrase "any official United
Methodist agency" in the context of who may use the official United Methodist
insignia. GCFA is charged with enforcing the Disciplinary rules in regard to
the use of this copyrighted symbol.
	Also asking for a declaratory decision, the North Carolina Annual Conference
needs a ruling on past service liability for pastor's pensions and
apportionments.
	The council will review a revision of the sexual ethics policy of the
California Pacific Annual Conference made following a previous decision by the
council.
	An individual in the New England Conference has appealed a decision under the
trial and appeal procedures of the church.
	Seven items -- one half of the docket -- deal with decisions of law made by
seven bishops on a variety of topics.
	Bishop C. Joseph Sprague's ruling on the legality of the Interim Plan of
Mission and Ministry adopted by the Northern Illinois Annual Conference in
special session Nov. 15, 1997, will be reviewed.
	Also to be considered is the decision by Bishop Kenneth L. Carder in the
Memphis Annual Conference regarding the legality of that conference's practice
of imposing a cap on the percent of change in apportionments to the local
church that may result in less than 100 percent of the conference budget being
apportioned to the churches of the conference.
	The other items for review are:
	* Bishop Joel Martinez's ruling in the Nebraska Annual Conference related to
discontinuance of a probationary member;
	* Bishop S. Clifton Ives's ruling in the West Virginia Annual Conference on a
resolution on partial-birth abortion;
	* Bishop Marion Edwards's decision in the North Carolina Annual Conference on
the authority of the conference to require a master of divinity degree for
conference membership in full connection and elder's orders; 
	* Bishop Hae Jong Kim's ruling in the North Central New York Annual
Conference related to withdrawal of a clergy member under complaint; and
	* Bishop Joe A. Wilson's ruling in the Central Texas Annual Conference
relating to fair process in the surrender of clergy credentials.
	The latter two items were deferred from the council's October 1997 meeting.
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