Setting the Stage for General Conference 2016

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Delegates Praise, Doubt Alternative Process

UPDATED 8:30 A.M. Jan. 25, 2016 with clarifications from Judi Modlin Kenaston, chair of the Commission on the General Conference.

PORTLAND, Ore. – Organizers of the 2016 General Conference have heard the cries of many in pulpit and pew for a kinder, gentler, more globally oriented – and especially more spiritual – policy-making assembly for The United Methodist Church. They've crafted an agenda that starts each day with worship; a schedule that ends at 6:30 p.m. daily; and an alternative to parliamentary procedure that tries to avoid a "winners and losers" strategy.

The question now before the nearly 12-million-member worldwide denomination: Will nearly 900 delegates to the once-every-four-years conclave join the effort?

"In this age of social media, few will read what we write, but millions will watch what we do, said the Rev. Steven Lewis, pastor of Gresham (Ore.) United Methodist Church, who preached at the opening worship of the Pre-General Conference Briefing sponsored by United Methodist Communications Jan. 20-23 at the Portland Convention Center. His prediction was promptly posted over Twitter as participants used the suggested hashtag #UMCGC so all could follow online comments.

The eyes of the church and the world will be on Portland, Ore., May 10 through 20, as observers wait to see whether General Conference delegates can overcome the rancor and ineffectiveness that marked the 2012 session of United Methodism's global legislative assembly. While the main issue for many will be what happens with the UMC's stances on homosexual practice, the 2016 General Conference also must take up complex issues around its global nature, mission, ministry, structure and budget.

Three themes

The desire to reduce rancor, transcend cultural barriers, and elevate spiritual practices formed major themes at the Jan. 20-22 briefing at the Portland Convention Center. For example, registrants including delegates, communicators and other observers received tote bags stuffed with brochures and handouts from various agencies and special interests. Three of those resources garnered special notice: The official General Conference guide, which openly identified controversial issues; the loose-leaf briefing agenda, which included instructions for respectful discussion; and an 1849 reprint of a 1792 book by the storied American bishop, Francis Asbury, titled "The Causes, Evils & Cures of Heart & Church Divisions"

The desire for a less divided, less U.S.-centric General Conference coalesced around an alternative decision-making process developed by the Commission on the General Conference, the committee that organizes and runs the global policy-making assembly, and the Standing Rules Committee, according to commission chair Judi Modlin Kenaston. General Conference's Standing Committee on Central Conference Matters and the Connectional Table, the UMC's ministry coordinating body, also helped shape the process through their discussions on "Christian conferencing," which Mrs. Kenaston described as "he spirit that pervades all of our work - worship, fellowship, legislation, etc." (See Comments for Mrs. Kenaston's full clarification of the difference between Rule 44 and Christian conferencing).

In varied ways, all three UMC leadership groups have responded to a request from the 2012 General Conference for organizers to look at "possible ways to move the General Conference debate from issues of governance towards building consensus on ministry." Thus the alternative process is described as a way to focus on issues "through the lens of the values of centrality of mission, unity for the sake of mission, and our identity as Christians and as United Methodists."

Discernment process

The resulting alternative discernment process for legislation has become known as Rule 44, a title that designates where it would land in the official General Conference procedural rules if approved by delegates during their first business session on May 10.

Rule 44 would cluster the delegates into small groups of a maximum of 15 people, who would discuss difficult issues in a discernment-type process rather than use the parliamentary process of Robert's Rules of Order, explained Mrs. Kenaston. Rule 44 is intended for use with any legislative topic that delegates believe could benefit from the discernment process, she said, although Mrs. Kenaston acknowledge that the General Conference Commission intends to request Rule 44 process for all petitions related to LGBTQI issues.

"The parliamentary procedure of Robert's Rules of Order really isn't well known outside of Western countries," Mrs. Kenaston said when introducing the process during a practice session late on the briefing's first day. "The alternative process provides more equity in decision-making for our delegates outside the United States."

During practice, 12 to 15 people sat at round tables to discuss a sample resolution that proposed to reduce the number of General Conference delegates. The discussion was recorded, and each table made a recommendation for action on the sample resolution. Each group member signed the recommendation, and all were forwarded, along with critiques of the process itself, to the writing team for review.

According to Rev. Reist, the responses provided helpful critiques that the writing team will use to revise the process. Among participants' biggest concerns were trust issues, he said. Pointing out that the alternative process still risks "power imbalances, status imbalances" common to parliamentary procedure, Rev. Reist added: "I don't know how we move forward if we don't discipline ourselves to acknowledge these. Otherwise we set up a kind of hypocrisy."

"We need each other to do this work; none of us can do this alone," Rev. Reist said. "We must find better ways to hear and respond to God's direction for our church at this time."

Petitions secretary the Rev. Gary Graves told the gathering that he had identified 99 petitions out of 1,000-plus submissions that could be candidates for Rule 44 discussion. All 99 proposals relate to the UMC's stances regarding homosexual practice, reported Rev. Reist.

Confusion and resistance

In a personal plea, Rev. Reist encouraged delegates to read John Wesley's Sermon No, 38, "A Caution against Bigotry" as they assess the alternative process. However, responses gleaned from hallway conversations about Rule 44 indicated varying levels of confusion about how the process would work, along with strong resistance from both wings of United Methodist politics.

Representatives from LGBTQI groups have said previously that they think the discernment process sidelines discussion about human sexuality issues. Representatives from groups upholding current stances have said they view the alternative process as a way to manipulate the General Conference into dropping the UMC's condemnation of homosexual practice as "incompatible with Christian teaching." More moderate delegates said they see Rule 44 as a hopeful option for General Conference procedure and a way to stop what some perceive as delegates' bullying. However, moderates and conservatives both said they think the process must be more clearly taught and understood by delegates in order to be approved and used effectively.

More Pre-General Conference Briefing reports will be published during the week of Jan. 25.

*Editor's Note: Henceforth, United Methodist Insight will use the acronym LGBTQI to describe people who understand their gender identities as something other than heterosexual. LGBTQI serves as the current cultural abbreviation for "lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex," representing various stages along the human sexuality spectrum. "Homosexual" and "homosexuality" will be used solely when referring to same-gender affection, but the preferred terms will be "lesbian" for females and "gay" for males. UM Insight will endeavor regularly to use the sexual identity terms preferred by the people referenced.

A veteran journalist for more than four decades, United Methodist Insight Founder and Editor Cynthia B. Astle has reported on seven General Conferences.