See what goes on a Bishop’s Report Card here.

The Evaluative Tool for Bishops in the South Central Jurisdiction can be found here.

Please continue to pray for our United Methodist Church, and the delegations that will be hard at work this week on lifting up our new leaders.

Peace to all,

Katie

The whole text of the restructuring plan we are debating can be found here.

The Restructure proposal was approved by a slight margin at around Noon today, pending review from General Commission on Finance and Administration and Constitutional Review.

The two plans before us for our consideration as a body are:
1) Combined Defined Benefit/Defined Contribution: It is a reduced version of the current pension plan, but with .25% reduced benefits for the clergyperson over time (1.25% yield to 1%). This plan continues lifetime clergy benefit (maintains greater connection).
2)Defined contribution only: Would be an individual clergy account. This plan is said to mitigate long-time costs by providing more predictable costs, with distribution options. In this proposal, there is lower Conference liability, but the Clergy bears risks with no lifetime clergy benefit.

On the morning of Day 8, an editorial change to the preamble of the United Methodist Social Principles was discussed, debated and voted upon. This is the language the General Conference had before them: “We affirm our unity in Jesus Christ while acknowledging diversity in applying our faith in different cultural contexts as we live out the gospel. We stand united in declaring our faith that God’s grace is available to all — that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.” The second sentence, which was offered as an amendment, drew extensive debate. This reference was from Romans 8, which is a scripture upon which John Wesley built his whole theology around. Nearly 44 percent of the delegates voted “no” to the amendment. Almost half of us could not agree on grace — what may be the central idea of Wesleyan theology. The other 56 percent prevailed, but it is obvious we are not of one mind.

There was also a review of Bishops, considering adding additional structure to help guide and evaluate the ministry of our Bishops in the United Methodist Church. That amendment ultimately failed after lively debate.

There many other petitions from various legislative committees accepted by over 90% support from the body, including one helping with financial support for the celebration of the 100th anniversary of UM campus ministry, referring to the GBGM a petition asking for the exploration of loans and gifts to enable an extended ministry to the poor, and we created a new Burundi Annual Conference that will be part of the Africa Central Conference.

We will hear Restructuring and Divestment tomorrow.

In watching Twitter feeds, young clergy were largely supportive of the move, particularly considering the added amendments that increase protections and transparency to guard against discrimination of Cabinets and Bishops when choosing to appoint or not appoint clergy in each Annual Conference.

Here’s a more comprehensive reflection on it from a young clergywoman from the South Central Jurisdiction: http://www.kswestumc.org/blogs/detail/257

Early yesterday (Monday) morning, we began plenary for General Conference, considering the petitions that have been approved by each legislative committee. We started off with Superintendency, considering a set-aside bishop petition. It was voted down, at the disappointment of many on the Council of Bishops, who were largely supportive of this change.

We then debated a petition on tenure for bishops (DCA 2109), which needed a two-thirds vote, and received a vote of 50.5% Yes, and 49.5% no. The overwhelming support of this petition signals a shift in the understanding of Episcopacy in our Church–certainly something to expect coming back to the General Conference for consideration in four years.

Conferences and General Administration presented a joint petition to equalize the representation of US and Central Conferences on the Commission of General Conference, along with electing representatives to Judicial Council and University Senate. We were informed that a collaborative group from the General Administration committee had come to a consensus about a plan to bring to the body, and the permission to publish that plan was granted by the plenary session. We will be able to read through this plan today (Tuesday), and will most likely begin legislative work on it at earliest, Wednesday morning (it needs to be in front of the body for at least 24 hours for consideration.) At the end of the day’s plenary, we finished 14% of our legislative work. Still a long way to go.

Your Louisiana delegation had dinner at the end of the day with Bishop Hutchinson, Kay Hutchinson, and many others that are working on General Conference staff this time around. We went then to worship, where we celebrated the journey we are all on together to share goals as Annual Conferences to work for vital congregations in the next quadrennia.