U.S. Rejects Traditional Plan
A map from Mainstream UMC shows that some 76 percent of U.S. annual conferences passed legislation rejecting the Traditional Plan adopted by the 2019 General Conference. (Map Courtesy of Mainstream UMC).
Mainstream UMC co-founders, Rev. Dr. Nanette Roberts and Rev. Dr. Mark Holland, were able to bring our appeal for a moratorium on trials directly to our Bishops from the central conferences (those outside the US) on Friday, Nov. 1. Fifteen of the Central Conference Bishops from Africa, Europe, and the Philippines gathered just ahead of the full Council of Bishops (COB) meeting that began Nov. 3 in Lake Junaluska, N. C.
Our meeting with the Bishops lasted more than an hour and, in addition to the moratorium on trials, we shared a wide range of issues that are important to centrists and progressives in the U. S. church. We expressed our deep desire to remain in mission together with our brothers and sisters in Christ around the globe. We expressed our joy in the reciprocal, life-giving relationships that every US annual conference share with our central conferences. We also listened carefully as the Bishops shared their joys and concerns about relations with the U. S. church—and they have both!
Central to the conversation was the backlash in the United States against the Traditional Plan and the harm the vote in St. Louis has caused. We expressed the frustration and anger of many in the United States who feel like the vast majority of U. S. delegates (along with Western Europe) followed the leadership of our Council of Bishops, while the vast majority of delegates from the Central Conferences ignored the Bishops and instead followed the divisive leadership of the Wesleyan Covenant Association (WCA) to adopt the Traditional Plan. We showed how centrists and progressives voted out WCA delegates in May and June at our annual conferences and that the WCA only represents less than 25% of the U. S. church in both numbers and resources. We also demonstrated that the WCA churches are actively withholding global apportionments from them while giving lip-service to their support, lip-service that we believe would continue if the central conferences were to join the WCA in a new denomination under the Indianapolis Plan.
The point of great agreement came as both the Central Conference Bishops and Mainstream UMC expressed our mutual desire to seek a regional governance plan that allows for more legislative autonomy for all and keeps the global church intact. All in the room expressed our desire not to dissolve the United Methodist Church. Mainstream UMC is delighted to report that the Central Conference Bishops have endorsed the Connectional Table Plan that begins the process of defining the United States as a regional conference. Mainstream UMC will continue to work with global coalitions to bring this concept to fruition at General Conference 2020. We believe regional governance is the best hope for the global UMC.
In other big news, Bishop Kenneth Carter, president of the United Methodist Council of Bishops (COB), has called for a moratorium on all trials related to LGBTQ persons until the General Conference in May 2020. Bishop Carter made his suggestion, along with other ideas, in an interview with the United Methodist News Service this past week. His statement came just ahead of the full Council of Bishops meeting. This is the is the last meeting of the COB before the Traditional Plan takes effect Jan. 1, 2020.
It is not too late to join Bishop Carter in calling for a moratorium on trials! Already, more than 5,800 people have signed Mainstream UMC's letter. We will also forward the complete list to each of the Bishops. We expect to forward the letter to the Council of Bishops on Nov. 4.
Together we can stop the harm the judicial process inflicts on our LGBTQ clergy and allies and find an amicable path forward for the church.
Here are more resources for local churches: https://mainstreamumc.com/resources/for-the-local-church/
Read more about the U. S. elections of delegates: https://mainstreamumc.com/blog/76-of-us-annual-conferences-reject-traditional-plan/
Read more about the WCA withholding global apportionments: https://mainstreamumc.com/blog/wca-conferences-withhold-global-apportionments/
Read about the Connectional Table Plan: http://www.umc.org/who-we-are/connectional-table-approves-legislation-creating-new-u.s.-structure
Read the article about Bishop Carter calling for a moratorium on trials: https://www.umnews.org/en/news/bishop-suggests-hold-on-trials-trust-clause
If any of the web links do not work, please copy and paste them directly into your browser. Thank you.
This post is excerpted with permission from Mainstream UMC's blog.