Delegate Reports
Day 6 - Saturday, May 1
The biggest news of the day was the announcement of the Judicial Council's ruling on the request for a declarative decision. The Council was asked to rule whether the Discipline's language about homosexuality constitutes a "declaration," and if so, is that declaration sufficient to meet the standards of the chargeable offense of "practices declared by the United Methodist Church to be incompatible with Christian teaching."
The ruling was announced in plenary this morning. The Council voted 6-3 that, "Paragraph 304.3 of the 2000 Discipline is a declaration of the General Conference of The United Methodist Church that "the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching." The practice of homosexuality is a chargeable offense under ¶ 2702.1(b) of the 2000 Discipline." (For the full text and dissenting opinions, try the Good News Magazine webpage at: www.goodnewsmag.org/news/Decision984.htm)
Immediately upon the announcement of the decision, a "conservative evangelical renewal" movement leader, Maxie Dunnam, requested two more declarative rulings from the Judicial Council. He asked the Council how the ruling that they just handed down, along with ruling 868 concerning the prohibition against annual conferences intentionally disobeying church law, should be applied to the verdict in Pastor Karen Dammann's case. In effect, can they still find a way to reopen the case? Second, Dunnam asked the Council to rule regarding what a bishop must do regarding the appointment status of a pastor who has been determined to be a "self-avowed practicing homosexual." In Pastor Karen Dammann's trial, though she was found not guilty of the charge of "engaging in practices declared by the United Methodist Church to be incompatible with Christian teaching," the jury did agree with the specification that Pastor Dammann is a "self-avowed practicing homosexual." Now the Judicial Council has been asked what are a bishop's responsibilities and restrictions, considering paragraph 304.3 specifically prohibits the appointment of self-avowed practicing homosexuals. The General Conference voted by about 62% to approve this request for another ruling from the Judicial Council. The Judicial Council will receive briefs on these two new requests for ruling, and they will receive requests to present oral arguments. A ruling is expected to come perhaps on Tuesday.
While these developments feel disappointing, it is fascinating for me to wonder just how far the Judicial Council will go in defiance of church law and the constitution of our church itself, which reserves the right to evaluate the status of any clergy person's standing to the annual conference. To reopen Pastor Dammann's case, the Judicial Council would have to defy the foundational laws of our church that have been with us for over two-hundred years. The checks and balances of power are being powerfully strained, and it will be interesting to see if they're stretched to the point of breaking down entirely.
Last night I attended the Methodist Federation for Social Action Ball Award. The sanctuary of First United Methodist Church of Pittsburgh was packed to the point of standing room alone. I don't know the capacity of the sanctuary, but I'd estimate that perhaps six or seven hundred people were in attendance. Gil Caldwell, a retired United Methodist pastor, received the MFSA Ball Award this year for his lifelong work of justice and inclusiveness in the church. Gil was a founder of Black Methodists for Church Renewal. He has advocated tirelessly for racial justice within and through the work of the United Methodist Church. He has also been a powerful voice for inclusion of GLBT persons in the church. He was a founder of United Methodists of Color for a Fully Inclusive Church, and he has written extensively on the subject and testified in support of Pastor Karen Dammann at her trial. Gil's words of determined grace and unqualified assurance of God's love brought me to tears. Gil closed his remarks by quoting his mother, who he said didn't always practice what she preached, but that's the case for nearly all of us at one time or another. "Mama Irene," Gil's maternal grandmother, was fond of saying, "There is so much good in the worst of us, and so much bad in the best of us, that it doesn't behoove any of us, to talk about the rest of us."
It seems to me that more than Judicial Council rulings, more than legislative voting, General Conference is really about relationships. The state of the denomination seems evident to me as I see the way that people relate and don't relate to one another here in Pittsburgh. Often it's the little things, more than the motions and amendments on the floor of the conference that appear to me to be most significant. The most important things that I see happening are often taking place far from the convention center, not directly related to the official actions of General Conference.
It's the "conservative evangelical" Southern delegate in church and society who turns around in his seat just before each vote is taken to make eye contact with two of the African delegates, and then nod or shake his head to indicate which way he believes they should vote. Little things, small symbols of relationship seem much more significant that most of the speeches for and against spoken from the microphone.
Relating to one another across the divide of ideology seems to be happening rarely, but brief moments seem significant to me. Larry Eddings, retired pastor from the Pacific Northwest Conference and very socially conservative critic of gay pastors introduced himself to me in the gallery of the Church and Society legislative committee. We shared our appreciation for each other's presence at General Conference. Pastor Eddings is here on behalf of General Conference to offer prayer in the Conference Prayer Room. I thanked him for holding us all in prayer during these two weeks.
Significant moments for me have taken place far from the Pittsburgh Convention Center, such as sitting across the table from Ellie Charlton whose committed relationship was blessed by over a hundred pastors in Sacramento in 1999, of which 68 California-Nevada pastors were charged with violating church law. The charges were later dismissed by their Committee on Investigation. I'm moved by the opportunity to share dinner with Pastor Karen Oliveto, who performed several legally recognized marriages of same-sex couples in San Francisco earlier this year, who is now under complaint pending investigation. Breaking bread with the saints and prophets of our denomination has held much more meaning for me than the parliamentary procedures and powerpoint presentations I've seen thus far at General Conference.
Each morning, volunteers from the Reconciling Ministries Network stand at the doors of General Conference in white robes, holding bowls of water. As people enter the conference, they are invited to dip their hands in the water and "remember your baptism." This daily ritual has taken on greater and greater meaning for me. Whatever struggles or hurtful words or political manipulations happen inside the doors of General Conference, I arrive each morning reminded that my primary relationship and salvation rest in the love of God for me in Jesus Christ. The Reconciling Ministries theme for General Conference reminds us that we are "watermarked." As RMN Director Troy Plummer put it yesterday, by our baptisms we are powerfully and permanently part of the family of God. The mark of baptism cannot be taken away by anything that happens at General Conference, because it was placed upon us by the loving hand of our Creator.
Mark Williams
Pacific Northwest Conference Delegation
First Alternate Delegate
Copyright 2004 by Mark Williams. All rights reserved.
Rev. Mark Williams may be reached by e-mail at revmarkwilliams@comcast.net