Jonathan LeMaster-Smith

Below are my thoughts on speaking into the anxieties and hopes that come next. You did not choose me, but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. – John 15:16With General Conference… Continue reading

Judicial Council Decision 1499 is related to Calendar Item 296 which amends ¶409 to state “A retired bishop is a bishop of the church in every respect and continues to function as a member of the Council of Bishops at their own expense in accordance with the Constitution and other provisions of the Discipline.” (the… Continue reading

Judicial Council Decision 1498 lets us know Bishops retirement age is not attached to elder retirement age. Bishop’s mandatory retirement age (At the time of the request and decision) was 68, elder retirement age is 72. Bishop’s must follow a retirement age, if it set for them. Thus, form the decision: A bishop in a… Continue reading

With the passing of calendar item 554, Deacons in The United Methodist Church are granted sacramental authority. The phrase: “the deacon is authorized to preside at the celebration of the sacraments” is what does it. I know many deacons have longed for this day as they seek to more fully live into their vocation. It… Continue reading

With the passing of Calendar Item 535, we have completed our work on revising The Social Principles to be more reflective of our global denomination and more rooted in historical and biblical tradition. This item includes the revision of the definition of marriage and human sexuality. We now have two different definitions of marriage to… Continue reading

With the passing of Calendar Item 422, the *already expired* disaffiliation related ¶ 2553 has been removed from The Book of Discipline. And, as far as I can tell, no petitions related to alternate disaffiliation process are viable. Therefore, we no longer have a way for a local church to leave The United Methodist Church. Continue reading

With the passing of the Consent Calendar (A05), we have deleted paragraph ¶ 304.3 This includes the phrase: “Homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching” and the ban on queer folks being candidates, licensed, commissioned, or ordained in ministry. Continue reading

With the passing of Calendar Item 547 we have changed the formula and rationale for the number of bishops we elect in The United States (and elsewhere, but the US is the focus of the post). It used to be that The Jurisdictions received bishops based on numbers and land area. We determined that this… Continue reading

What is a minority report? A minority report is when a committee votes one petition and there is a large enough portion of a minority to present a substitution to this. In the first 2020 General Conference Minority Report, the financial Administration committee voted to amend a petition to increase the apportionments to annual conferences… Continue reading

With the passing of the Consent Calendar today (April 30th), several LGBTQIA+ petitions passed. Petition 20191 – Paragraph 806.9, GCFA Responsibility, strikes the language banning UMC funds from going to LGTBQ causes and replaces it with making sure that UMC fund don’t go towards causes that reject LGTBQIA+. This provision takes effect immediately upon General… Continue reading