Tim Bruster and Tom Harkrider 2019 Delegation Report Tim Bruster and Tom Harkrider

(1 Corinthians 1:2-6 – From Bishop Lowry’s May 1st Clergy Meeting) 2019 Delegation Report “To God’s church that is in Corinth [Central Texas]: “To those who have been made holy to God in Christ Jesus, who are called to be God’s people. Together with all those who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place — He’s their Lord and ours! Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God always for you, because of God’s grace that was given to you in Christ Jesus. That is, you were made rich through him in everything: in all your communication and every kind of knowledge, in the same way that the testimony about Christ was confirmed with you.” (1 Corinthians 1:2-6 – From Bishop Lowry’s May 1st Clergy Meeting)

2019 Delegation Report GC 2019 passed portions of the “Traditional Plan” with a vote of 438 to 384 – a 53% majority vote. Of the 17 “Traditional Plan” petitions passed, 9 had already been ruled unconstitutional, including the bulk of the plan’s implementation petition, and only 1 was perfected. The “Modified Traditional Plan” was not supported by the Committee on Central Conference Matters and was voted down with the omnibus motion at the end of the session.

2019 Delegation Report GC 2019 approved a disaffiliation plan (exit plan) that provided guidelines for churches to leave the UMC with their property under certain conditions. Two petitions were approved to deal with the pension liabilities of departing churches and the accrued benefits of departing clergy.

2019 Delegation Report Timeline for Implementation in Central Conferences: In general, when legislation before a GC is approved, it goes into effect on January 1 of the following year. Central Conferences (outside the U.S.) have additional time because they are allowed to adapt and change the Book of Discipline to fit their context. These groups will not be meeting until after the 2020 General Conference.  GC 2019 passed legislation that gives them until May of 2021 to implement any of the legislation approved at this special session.

2019 Delegation Report The “Traditional Plan” – Does it just affirm what is already in The Book of Discipline?

2019 Delegation Report The “Traditional Plan” – How are things the same? Retains the “incompatibility” language in the Book of Discipline. Retains restrictions against “self-avowed practicing homosexual” clergy. Retains restrictions regarding clergy officiating or churches hosting same-sex weddings.

2019 Delegation Report The “Traditional Plan” – How are things different? Adds these words to the footnote that describes what a “self-avowed practicing homosexual” is: “or is living in a same-sex marriage, domestic partnership or civil union, or is a person who publicly states she or he is a practicing homosexual” with the additional reference to Judicial Council Decision 1341.

2019 Delegation Report The “Traditional Plan” – How are things different? Expands episcopal responsibilities by adding that Bishops are prohibited from consecrating, commissioning, or ordaining people who are self-avowed, practicing homosexuals. (NOTE: The word “practicing” was inadvertently left off of this piece of legislation, and never amended by the body. It has subsequently been added editorially to bring the paragraph into harmony with the rest of The Book of Discipline.)

2019 Delegation Report The “Traditional Plan” – How are things different? Puts Mandatory Minimum Penalties in place for clergy who have been convicted of conducting same-sex weddings or celebrations of homosexual unions: First offense – one year suspension without pay. Second offense – termination of conference membership and revocation of credentials. (Note: this is the only mandatory penalty we have in The Book of Discipline.)

2019 Delegation Report The “Traditional Plan” – How are things different? The District Committee on Ordained Ministry and Board of Ordained Ministry cannot approve/recommend for candidacy, licensing, commissioning or ordination, someone who does not meet the qualifications for ordained ministry (which include being a self-avowed practicing homosexual). The bishop shall rule unqualified candidates out of order.

2019 Delegation Report The “Traditional Plan” – How are things different? Previously, when a complaint/charge is brought to the Bishop regarding a violation, the Bishop has discretion about how to proceed. Now, the Bishop cannot dismiss the complaint, unless it has no basis in law or fact.

2019 Delegation Report The “Traditional Plan” – How are things different? One of the possible results of a complaint/charge is a Just Resolution. Now, Just Resolutions have to name all identified harms and how they will be addressed. The Just Resolution process is also changed so that the complainant has to be part of the process and has to agree with the resolution.

2019 Delegation Report The “Traditional Plan” – How are things different? One of the results of a complaint/charge is a church trial. Previously, the Church could not appeal those decisions. This legislation allows the Church to appeal to the committee on appeals or to the Judicial Council.

2019 Delegation Report Disaffiliation or “Exit Plan” If a local church wants to disaffiliate over matters of human sexuality this is the process that can be used from Feb 27, 2019– Dec 31, 2023. It requires a 2/3 majority vote of professing members present at the church conference. 

2019 Delegation Report Disaffiliation or “Exit Plan” Terms will be negotiated with conference Board of Trustees w/ advice of cabinet, and other conference officers. Standard terms will include: being able to leave with property with the exiting church paying for legal/transfer fees, any unpaid apportionments from the previous 12 months plus an additional 12 months of apportionments, its share of unfunded pension liabilities, and payment or assumption of all debts/loans/liabilities prior to departure. 

ctcumc.org/May2019_ClergyMeeting_PDF 2019 Delegation Report Disaffiliation or “Exit Plan” The annual conference has to approve such an exit by a simple majority. For more information, check out Bishop Lowry’s summary of the disaffiliation plan as part of his May 1st presentation to clergy. You can find it on the conference website: ctcumc.org/May2019_ClergyMeeting_PPT ctcumc.org/May2019_ClergyMeeting_PDF

2019 Delegation Report To read the full Judicial Council Decisions 1378 and 1379 regarding the “Traditional Plan” and the disaffiliation plan, visit www.umc.org/decisions

2019 Delegation Report WESPATH Pension Legislation Local churches changing the nature of their connection to The United Methodist Church shall pay a proportional fair share of the annual conference’s unfunded pension liability to the annual conference. This payment is designed to account for the investment, longevity and other risks that the local church is leaving with its conference.

2019 Delegation Report WESPATH Pension Legislation For clergy who leave the UMC by termination of their annual conference relationship, the vested accrued pension benefits will be converted to an account balance. The conversion will use actuarial factors corresponding to those used when determining annual conference plan sponsor contributions to the Clergy Retirement Security Program (CRSP).

2019 Delegation Report WESPATH Pension Legislation The converted pensions will be transferred to an individual account in the United Methodist Personal Investment Plan (UMPIP), a voluntary defined contribution plan maintained by Wespath. The Wespath legislation went into effect on February 27, 2019. You can find more information at www.wespath.org.

2019 Delegation Report What Comes Next? We don’t know and it is beyond the scope of my report and, of course, the work of the 2019 General Conference delegation. However, there are a few things we can expect: We can expect widespread acts of resistance throughout the connection. We can expect some congregations and clergy to depart the denomination.

2019 Delegation Report What Comes Next? We can expect that some significant conversations will take place “across the aisle,” as traditionalist, centrist, and progressive leaders meet to find a different way of relating as Methodists. We can expect many different petitions to be submitted to the 2020 General Conference from many different individuals and groups.

2019 Delegation Report What Comes Next? Possible Petitions: Affirming or strengthening the “Traditional Plan” The “One Church Plan” The “Simple Plan” The “Connectional Conferences Plan” Dissolution of the UMC and the birth of new Methodist expressions

2019 Delegation Report What Comes Next? We can expect the Holy Spirit to continue to be at work in and through the people called Methodist as we travel the path that is set before us. He are a people of Hope.

2019 Delegation Report Therefore, since we have been made righteous through his faithfulness, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We have access by faith into this grace in which we stand through him, and we boast in the hope of God’s glory.  But not only that! We even take pride in our problems, because we know that trouble produces endurance, endurance produces character, and character produces hope.  This hope doesn’t put us to shame, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (Romans 5:1-5, CEB)