Iowa Annual Conference Reaction to the Traditional Plan
There has been a wide range of reactions across our denomination to the Traditional Plan which was approved by the majority of delegates to the special, called General Conference meeting in St. Louis this past February. Much of that reaction has been negative. Large numbers of moderate and progressive United Methodist lay people and clergy have expressed their concern and disapproval in many different ways.
One reaction, in many Annual Conference gatherings, has been concerted efforts by moderate and progressive delegates to nominate and elect their peers (both clergy and laity) to represent them at General and Jurisdictional conference gatherings. This happened in our Annual Conference and has happened across the United States. There will be a significantly higher number of delegates at General Conference 2020 who identify as moderate to progressive than were a part of General Conference 2019.
In addition to election efforts, many Annual Conferences have also chosen to official express disapproval of the Traditional Plan through resolutions. Delegates at our Iowa Annual Conference passed, by a vote of 595 to 280, a resolution of Disapproval of the Traditional Plan. (see the text of this resolution elsewhere in this issue of the Chimes).
What will happen to our denomination and to the Traditional Plan remains to be seen. I ask your prayers for our congregation, our Annual Conference, our Jurisdictional and General Conference gatherings and our denomination.
There has been a wide range of reactions across our denomination to the Traditional Plan which was approved by the majority of delegates to the special, called General Conference meeting in St. Louis this past February. Much of that reaction has been negative. Large numbers of moderate and progressive United Methodist lay people and clergy have expressed their concern and disapproval in many different ways.
One reaction, in many Annual Conference gatherings, has been concerted efforts by moderate and progressive delegates to nominate and elect their peers (both clergy and laity) to represent them at General and Jurisdictional conference gatherings. This happened in our Annual Conference and has happened across the United States. There will be a significantly higher number of delegates at General Conference 2020 who identify as moderate to progressive than were a part of General Conference 2019.
In addition to election efforts, many Annual Conferences have also chosen to official express disapproval of the Traditional Plan through resolutions. Delegates at our Iowa Annual Conference passed, by a vote of 595 to 280, a resolution of Disapproval of the Traditional Plan. (see the text of this resolution elsewhere in this issue of the Chimes).
What will happen to our denomination and to the Traditional Plan remains to be seen. I ask your prayers for our congregation, our Annual Conference, our Jurisdictional and General Conference gatherings and our denomination.
RESOLUTION: DISAPPROVAL OF THE TRADITIONAL PLAN (#506, Amended)
WHEREAS, “Our Theological Task” (see ¶105, p.80-91) invites and encourages us to continuously engage in faithful and serious reflection on our biblical and theological inheritance and celebrates “The wonder of God’s grace at work with us and among us,” and has led the people called United Methodists to demonstrate nuanced and robust understandings about matters as diverse as divorce and the ordination of women, and in that spirit rejecting literalism that harms or excludes LGBTQ+ persons;
WHEREAS, despite no biblical mandate to discriminate against LGBTQ+ persons, The United Methodist Church has singled out LGBTQ+ persons for punitive action, while seemingly ignoring biblical teachings on matters such as efforts to secure pensions (Matthew 6:19-20);
WHEREAS, our first General Rule (¶104, p.78) concerns “doing no harm”;
WHEREAS, United Methodists with diverse theological appreciations all earnestly vow “to resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves” (United Methodist Hymnal, p. 34);
WHEREAS, ¶613.19 prohibits annual conference funds from being used to “violate the expressed commitment of the UMC ‘not to reject or condemn lesbian and gay members and friends’”; and
WHEREAS, by adopting elements of the Traditional Plan, we have done great harm to our LGBTQ+ siblings.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, we urge the Iowa Annual Conference (IAC) to express disapproval of the Traditional Plan and apologize for the harm inflicted on LGBTQ+ persons, their families, and the body of Christ. We urge the IAC to “affirm that all persons are individuals of sacred worth, created in the image of God,” (¶161.G) and assert that no human being is incompatible with Christian teaching.
FURTHER, BE IT RESOLVED, in light of our current IAC budget crisis, the IAC should prioritize the full funding of conference missions, new ministry starts, and clergy support before funds or monies shall be expended for background investigations, complaints, just resolutions, or clergy trials pertaining to LGBTQ+ ordination and marriage.
WHEREAS, “Our Theological Task” (see ¶105, p.80-91) invites and encourages us to continuously engage in faithful and serious reflection on our biblical and theological inheritance and celebrates “The wonder of God’s grace at work with us and among us,” and has led the people called United Methodists to demonstrate nuanced and robust understandings about matters as diverse as divorce and the ordination of women, and in that spirit rejecting literalism that harms or excludes LGBTQ+ persons;
WHEREAS, despite no biblical mandate to discriminate against LGBTQ+ persons, The United Methodist Church has singled out LGBTQ+ persons for punitive action, while seemingly ignoring biblical teachings on matters such as efforts to secure pensions (Matthew 6:19-20);
WHEREAS, our first General Rule (¶104, p.78) concerns “doing no harm”;
WHEREAS, United Methodists with diverse theological appreciations all earnestly vow “to resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves” (United Methodist Hymnal, p. 34);
WHEREAS, ¶613.19 prohibits annual conference funds from being used to “violate the expressed commitment of the UMC ‘not to reject or condemn lesbian and gay members and friends’”; and
WHEREAS, by adopting elements of the Traditional Plan, we have done great harm to our LGBTQ+ siblings.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, we urge the Iowa Annual Conference (IAC) to express disapproval of the Traditional Plan and apologize for the harm inflicted on LGBTQ+ persons, their families, and the body of Christ. We urge the IAC to “affirm that all persons are individuals of sacred worth, created in the image of God,” (¶161.G) and assert that no human being is incompatible with Christian teaching.
FURTHER, BE IT RESOLVED, in light of our current IAC budget crisis, the IAC should prioritize the full funding of conference missions, new ministry starts, and clergy support before funds or monies shall be expended for background investigations, complaints, just resolutions, or clergy trials pertaining to LGBTQ+ ordination and marriage.