Jonathan LeMaster-Smith

1. What are the pieces of legislation that are sent to annual conferences after passing General Conference, and who gets to vote on them?

Any legislation that amends the Constitution must go to the annual conferences to vote. The aggregate number of votes (that is, total of all individuals voting, not total annual conferences) are pooled and a 2/3 vote in the affirmative will formally amend the Constitution. Other than that, unless the legislation particularly requests that something go before the annual conferences (and I’m not even sure they can).

In regards to the members of annual conference who get to vote, ¶602.1.a states that clergy member in full connection receive a vote. No other clergy receive votes on amendments (presently, legislation can always change that). ¶ 602.6 – all lay members of annual conference will vote on constitutional amendments.

2. What legislative committees are handling the restrictive language around human sexuality, marriage, ordination, etc.?

Several. Great Plains Annual Conference has the full list, but the restrictive language is littered throughout the Book of Discipline, and thus, multiple areas handle this, including faith and order, ordained ministry, church and society, Higher Education/Superintendency, financial administration, and judicial concerns.

3. How can Jurisidictional, Central/Regional Conferences, Annual Conferences and (my addition) local churches respond to portions of the legislation they may disagree with?

According to the present regionalization model, the Constitution, the doctrinal standards, historical documents, Social Principles, and Ministry of All Christians cannot be adapted or changed.

However, all other parts of the Discipline will become adaptable as needed in regions. Moreover, and this is already happening, jurisdictional and annual conferences are already adapting leadership models, social and theological frameworks, and practices around many topics. The Western Jurisdiction already has queer bishops, many annual conferences are licensing, commissioning, and ordaining queer clergy, and local churches are having queer weddings.

As our polity decenters judicial practices, it us up to various checks to decide how to interpret and apply the discipline.

4. How do we explain regionalization and that it doesn’t immediately change things or force us to do anything around queer matters (or others)?

The regionalization will take some time to go into effect (even with the Regional Committee going into effect at end of business), even once we approve at annual conferences. Though some of it goes into effect at close of business on May 3rd (nothing about lgbtqia+ things).

Moreover, may annual conferences and local churches may not like all the changes, but we will have checks and balances in place. Local churches and clergy have rights that are protected, including rights around weddings (no church can be forced to have a wedding, no pastor can be forced to perform a wedding), membership (pastors determine who can join a church), and many other things.

In fact, this is actually giving all levels of the church more flexibility to contextually and practically interpret Methodism in their contexts. The only thing we cannot do is deny people access to worship, regardless of anything (other than actual threats of violence from said worshiper).

5. When does regionalization take place?

Pieces of it begin to take form immediately following General Conference, as a US regional committee will form (all USA GC Conference Delegates, plus representation from outside Central Conferences).

Assuming amendments to the constitution all pass, this committee is tasked with forming the US Regional Conference. Now, I cannot say when this committee will convene, but it seems as soon as it can be organized.

6. What was the purpose of the proposed Amendment to the legislation that came to the regionalization debate (would remove several paragraphs from the Constitution)?

I can’t speak to motive, although I have heard that this was a conservative action.

But I can say, the reality is that jurisdictions are complicated due to their racist and regionalist pasts. They are also used to protect certain folks from conservative or liberal actions across the denomination. But, we do have a Jurisdictional study committee that keeps trying to give a report, but time has not allowed.

7. WHAT IS GOING ON! (Jim Halpert gif)

The process is messy and heated. I love it. And yes, the organization and rules are often used to silence and oppress folks, but they are what we have at present.

If can’t handle impassioned speeches, ad hominem attacks, slippery slope arguments, and the appeals to heaven of people who firmly believe God is on their side (and all people assume this) just take some breaks.

Decision 1494 reminds the bishops that they should not overstep their role as episcopal officers in offering either legislative or judicial solutions related to matters of law. These decisions are reserved for The General Conference and Judicial Council, respectively.

This has not been the first decision in history to remind bishops of their role and not to overstep it. Decision 1368 reminded us that bishops cannot decide who to ordain. What we are seeing is an increased reminder of the limited power of the bishops.
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True, Bishop Carcaño’s trial upholds some authority of the bishops, it also reminds us that people are increasingly less fond of bishops and the roles they tend to hold in Annual Conferences and the church at large. Moreover, throughout the legislation presented at this General Conference and throughout the recommendations from Jurisidictional Committees on Episcopacy, there seems to be move to reduce the number of bishops and to spread them out.

Sure, we could say this is a money thing, and we just can’t afford this many bishops, but we are capitalist enough to vote with our money. If we truly wanted a bishop for each annual conference, we would move the money elsewhere. What we’re seeing is a greater move to connectional governance. Cabinets, conference agencies, and conference staff are governing and managing conferences more than the bishops.

While I cannot predict the future, I see the role of the bishop getting smaller as the area they cover increases. In fact, should The UMC survive another 50-100 years we may move from an episcopal system to a more, say, presidential or parliamentary system. The single point of authority is something we were weary of in 1784 with John Wesley attempting to maintain control in the US church. We may be weary now in a time where power and control are on our minds with disaffiliation and colonization.

I have received more questions and want to answer them here.

1) Will regionalization impact autonomous churches ability to leave denomination?
According to current legislation,(ADCA vol 3 – 1545), conferences that wish to disaffiliate will still have ¶ 572 to become a autonomous Methodist Churches, but the proposed ¶ 576 would also allow them to join with another Wesleyan Denomination (described in the petition).

2) What is the consent calendar?
The consent calendar is a means of passing large portions of non-controversial legislation in bundles. Legislative committees voting to add something to the consent calendar must have less than 10 votes against to add something to the calendar.
The item must not impact the budget or the Constitution. And then it is printed in The DCA, and will be voted on 24 hours after it has been in the hands of the delegates.

Someone wishing to remove an item from the consent calendar must have the signatures of 20 delegates and turn it in the appropriate people. Once the consent calendar for say, April 24th has been reviewed by the delegates, the next day, April 25th, they will vote to approve all items on the consent calendar at once.
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3) Anything interesting on the April 24th Consent Calendar?
The only thing I find worth noting is the petition (21103-ST-NonDis-G) to create an autonomous Methodist Church in Eurasia. Passing this allows the Central Russia Annual Conference, Eastern Russia and Central Asia Provisional Annual Conference, Northwest Russia and Belarus Provisional Annual Conference, Southern Russia Provisional Annual Conference to become their own autonomous denomination separate from The UMC.

This happens regularly, and they are allowed to do this under ¶ 572. I wish them well. This has been in the works for a while, and it makes sense based on a mix of theological and cultural realities at present.
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4) Why at General Conference (or others) do we celebrate multiple styles and expressions of praise, worship, and music, yet in our congregations we feel stuck in one mode of worship?
This is a complicated question, but my thought is that we as small communities often appreciate new things at events, but when we return home, people don’t like a lot of change, and the work to change this and do it well takes more energy than most are willing to give.

We are also often trying to replicate something that was done intentionally and beautifully for an event instead of doing the even harder and more important work of asking what worship and formation experiences do our communities actually need? .
We need ongoing conversations about the value of tradition, novelty, and incarnation. These are things that committees can’t do, and these are things you cannot change overnight.
But I encourage you, have the conversations, don’t have the expectations. Let the opportunities grow form conversations

On my Social Media Presence During the General Conference

1) I work very hard to share information and insight about this General Conference. I take my vocation as educator very seriously and want to educate as best I can. If you see places where I have missed something or could better state something, please let me know.

2) Facebook does not send me a notification of every comment on my posts due to the sheer amount comments I get. if you actually need me, tag me or send me a Direct Mesage.

3) I welcome all perspectives on my wall. I know people who are very conservative and very liberal, and all walks in between. If you engage one another, please do so with respect.

4) I will not tolerate racist, homophobic, sexist, classist, or regionalist or comments on my posts or on my wall, and you will be removed and blocked. I don’t care who you are.

5) If I am too much, please mute me for a couple weeks. I know I am a lot.

The Daily Christian Advocate is essentially the Daily Newspaper of General Conference (CLICK HERE)

It includes updates from the previous day, agenda for the current day, special announcements, and the consent calendar (a post on how that works coming soon).

I got the paid subscription with extra stuff, and will supplement as necessary.