The Rev. Paul Fleck co-authored a brief against Plan UMC Revised with the Judicial Council and was then kept out of the discussions at the Judicial Council's hearing on the plan on October 21, 2015. Here are some of his reflections:
The Sound of One Hand Clapping, Or, The Oral Argument That Wasn’t
To call it “oral argument” on Plan UMC Revised is a bit of a misnomer. An argument suggests that there are two sides. And there weren’t two sides to the discussion on Plan UMC Revised before the Judicial Council on Wednesday. The Bishops were, at best, neutral as to the Plan that they had referred for Constitutional review. And though Bishop Palmer said he appreciated the robust debate occasioned by referral to the Judicial Council, he certainly didn’t cede any of his oral argument time to the opponents to insure true debate took place. The folks who had drafted Plan UMC Revised, characterized as the “Respondents” were, of course, in favor of it. The Opponents, like me, were summarily shut out of the “oral argument.”
Having said that, I am heartened by the seriousness with which the Judicial Council took its responsibility. Randall Miller asked Bishop Palmer pointed questions about whether the Council of Bishops would consider opposing plans. The Rev. Kathi Austin Mahle noted in her question that just taking “oversight” out of the name of the oversight agency/committee did not make it any less a matter of conducting oversight, which is Constitutionally reserved to the episcopacy. Questions were asked as to the true motive behind merger of GCORR and GCOSROW (I certainly wish I could have responded to that answer!). And the President of the Judicial Council noted in his question that Plan UMC Revised’s litmus test of evaluating groups receiving general Church funds by their ability to encourage “vital congregations” seems to be Constitutionally vague.
If I had been allowed the opportunity to speak, I would have raised even more Constitutional questions on Plan UMC Revised. But I wasn’t allowed that opportunity. I pray that our Judicial Council will scrutinize Plan UMC Revised carefully to insure that its questionable Constitutionality is not sustained and not allow procedural manipulations blind them to the arguments against it.
Reprinted with permission from the Love Your Neighbor Coalition blog.