GC 2019 Judicial Council
Members of the Judicial Council participate in the Feb. 23 morning of prayer at the 2019 Special Session of the United Methodist General Conference in St. Louis. (File photo by Kathleen Barry, UMNS.)
Two advocacy groups have backed a delegates’ petition asking the United Methodist Judicial Council to reconsider its ruling on the constitutionality of the Traditional Plan.
Uniting Methodists and Mainstream UMC, both backers of the One Church Plan recommended by the Council of Bishops’ Commission on a Way Forward, issued separate press releases this week announcing their support for the petition.
The petition originates with General Conference delegates Tom Berlin (Virginia), Jay Brim (Rio Txas), Evelynn Caterson (Greater New Jersey), Lonnie Chafin (Northern Illinois), Ginger Gaines-Cirelli (Baltimore-Washington), Adam Hamilton (Great Plains), Mark Holland (Great Plains), Phil Moots (West Ohio), Dave Nuckols (Minnesota), Donna Pritchard (Oregon-Idaho), and Cynthia Weems (Florida), who filed the reconsideration request according to Rule IX of the Judicial Council’s Rules of Practice and Procedure. The delegates contend that the Judicial Council’s rulings made in Decision No. 1378.1 are “demonstrably erroneous.”
In a footnote, the petition cites Revs. Berlin and Pritchard and Mr. Nuckols as members of the Commission on A Way Forward. Rev. Holland is executive director of Mainstream UMC and other petition sponsors have been involved with one or both of the supporting groups.
Read the Mainstream UMC press release.
Read the Uniting Methodists statement.
Media Mentions as of June 19, 2019
Methodists' stance on homosexuality divides the church – Jamestown Sun
Pride 2019: Interfaith panel grapples with intersection of LGBT identity and religion – Mission Local
Cynthia B. Astle serves as Editor of United Methodist Insight, which she founded in 2011.