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When the DS (or Bishop) calls
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Previous Meetings
Minutes from previous annual meetings. -- Historical...
AIA Team
-- AIA Co-presidents: Jerry Eckert 20487 Albury Drive Port Charlotte, FL 33952 &nb...
North Central Jurisdiction
-- Earl Black 3497 Rocky Branch Road Metropolis, IL 62960 Phone: 618-524-5447 E-mail: ebblack@hcis.net John Grenfell 2966 Sylvan Drive (April 1 to January 1) Fort Gratiot, MI 48059 Home: 810 385 9837 or 1008 Kingdom Way Lot 63 (January 1 - April 1) Avon Park, FL 33825 Phone: 941-452-9028 E-mail: hockeyrev@comcast.net Jeanne Jones 43643 S. Sleepy ...
Northeastern Jurisdiction
-- James Brand 43 Court Street Canton, NY 13617 Home: 315-386-4925 E-mail: jamesbrand@verizon.net Jack Copas 250 Stiles Street Elizabeth, NJ 07208 Home: 908 352 6667 Cell: 201 294 7710 E-mail: metanoia79@hotmail.com Elizabeth F 'Betsye' Mowry Elder in NCNY 422 Main Street Oneida, NY 13421 Work: 315 363 2450 Home: 315 363 7653 Cell: 315-243-0233 ...
South Central Jurisdiction
-- Henry Radde 1153 Irwin Drive Hurst, TX 76053 Home: 817 590 0246 Cell: 817 291 8965 E-mail: hradde@tmf-fdn.org ...
Southeastern Jurisdiction
-- Danny W. Burttram 198 Vasser Smith Road Harvest, AL 35749 Cell: 256 651 6378 E-mail: dannyb@knology.net Thomas Lane Butts 311 Pineville Road Monroeville, AL 36460 Home: 251 575 3811 Fax: 251 571 4551 Church: 251 575 5748 or 251 575 2790 E-mail: tolabu2@frontiernet.net ...
Western Jurisdiction
-- Roger Barr 421 W. Kennewick Ave. Kennewick, WA 99336 Work: 509-582-2163 Home: 509-582-2433 Cell: 509-551-9865 E-mail: Revrefrog@aol.com Michael Brown 158 Saxony Court Vallejo, CA 94591 Home: 707 645 1400 E-mail: mlbrown@sonic.net Gil Vieira 1345 Wildwood Lane (PO Box 401) Colfax, CA 95713 Home: 530 346 8980 E-mail: gdvieira@gv.net ...
Previous Meetings
Minutes from previous annual meetings. -- Historical...
Who are Associates in Advocacy?
AIA - a brief history -- WHO WE ARE "In 1983, several United Methodist pastors met quite by accident at a hearing of the denomination's Judicial Council. They felt an immediate kinship because they were there seeking justice for clergy colleagues. "They began preparations for changing the complaint processes within the denomination at the next General Conference and collaborated to get several ma...
a Bridge
-- A BRIDGE Ever since our Union in 1968, our denomination has been split over many issues and each General Conference since has seen many wondering if we would come out whole at the end. We’ve limped along and held together. In the field of advocacy and care-giving, we have discovered that split is irrelevant to our work. Most of us have clear opinions on all the controver...
the AIA Team
-- CLICK on "AIA Team" in the upper left column for a breakdown by Jurisdiction. __________ AIA Co-presidents: Jerry Eckert 20487 Albury Drive P...
Mediation Specialist
-- Mediation Specialist J. Wescoat Sandlin is the most comprehensively trained specialist in a wide variety of dispute resolution skills and has been used in cases in the United Methodist Church in which he was once an Ordained Elder. His Masters Degree in Dispute Resolution is from Pepperdine University School of Law. He is listed on the websi...
Supporting Our Work
-- SUPPORTING OUR WORK Contributions for the support of the work of AIA can be sent to: Rev. Peter Milloy, Treasurer ...
Practical HELP
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HELP for Pastors
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When the DS (or Bishop) calls
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BEFORE the DS Calls
-- BEFORE THE DS CALLS Before nearly every call from a DS about a complaint, pastors can see signs of something being amiss. There are angry letters or phone calls to the SPRC. Sometimes they are actually addressed to you, though not usually. There are secret meetings around pews. There are rumors that get back to you. Or there are people that you sense are ant...
WHEN the DS Calls
-- When the DS calls The traditional role of your District Superintendent is to provide counsel and support for every pastor and congregation within his or her District. As such, occasionally a DS might give you a call for a variety of positive reasons. However, there are moments when the DS is pursuing a complaint against you. It is therefore important that you find ou...
AFTER the DS Calls
-- AFTER THE DS CALLS You may or may not know what the DS had in mind when the call was made. If the DS was clear that the matter concerns a complaint, that you will receive a copy of it and its supporting documents personally delivered or by mail, that you are to get a “person” to come with you for a meeting, that there will be a supervisory response meeting in 20 days, and d...
What to Do at The Interview
-- What to Do at The Interview Most Cabinet members want to be fair. Most don’t like having to deal with one of their own accused of something important enough to lead to removal from office. Some have sat where you are. But even they do not always follow Fair Process because few have been trained. Even good people have been given bad information about how t...
Pastors have Rights, Too
-- Miranda Rights for Clergy Sometimes you are not warned that you will be facing a complaint. It could happen if a Cabinet member drops in unexpectedly or sees you at a meeting. Make a copy of this and carry it with you whenever things are getting a little dicey at the church. If a superintendent or bishop confronts you with a complaint, you should be re...
Practical Advice on Dealing with Your Emotions
-- YOUR EMOTIONS ALL OVER THE PLACE When accused, we have all kinds of emotions. We have feelings that are scary, that are upsetting, and that cause all kind of havoc in our sense of direction. "Muddleheaded" is putting it mildly. No matter what the accusation, especially if we are not given any specifics, our own GUILTS go flying off in all directions. Most c...
Counseling Resources
-- Counseling Resources An associate who provides counseling services to several annual conferences wrote the following when we inquired about a link to counseling services around the country: "The best resource I can think of is the Samaritan Institute Network. We are part of that network, along with about 95 other centers nationwide. These are pastoral c...
A Word about Prayer
-- A Word about Prayer When we rely upon institutions, we get what institutions can do; when we rely upon organization, we get what organization can do; when we rely upon education, we get what education can do; when we rely upon eloquence, we get what eloquence can do. We do not undervalue any of these things in their proper place, but when we rely upon p...
ONE PASTOR’S ANSWER TO WHAT HE DOES
-- ONE PASTOR’S ANSWER TO WHAT HE DOES The pastor proclaims eternal truths to people who would rather hear the latest baseball score. He teaches, though he must solicit his own classes. He heals, though without pills or knife. He prays for people and hopes they pray for him. He leads worship and tries to make God real to those present. He sows God’s W...
Administrative and Judicial Procedures Handbook
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HELP for Advocates
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Introduction to Advocacy
-- Introduction to Advocacy You are entering a ministry which may well be the most important ministry of your life - - most assuredly, it is most important to those with whom you will be engaging in the “Ministry of Law.” When going to see a pastor in trouble (or other hurting person involved in the church’s “Fair Process”), you m...
Advocate's Role (from 2008 Petition)
-- The Role of an Advocate Petition to General Conference 2008 Re: Role of advocate Discipline Paragraph 362.1b The role of an advocate or counsel for a respondent/complainant shall be to help resolve allegations of misconduct or unsatisfactory performance. Ways in which this may be done include but are not limited to listening carefully, examining relevant...
Advice for Advocates
-- ADVICE FOR ADVOCATES Let me offer my routine for handling calls from pastors and others seeking help. I come back to it every now and then just to be sure I keep my routine consistent and don't miss something that might be of help to the caller. I hope it helps you. Any suggestions for improving this are most welcome. 1. LISTEN FOR THE FACTS. The caller is u...
Summary of The Rules of Evidence
-- SUMMARY OF THE RULES OF EVIDENCE FROM WISCONSIN STATE STATUTES Facts: 1) Those generally known (geographical names, definitions, etc) 2) “Those capable of accurate and ready determination by resort to sources whose accuracy cannot reasonably be questioned” (902.01) Presumption...
Restorative Justice is Not Necessarily Just Resolution
-- Restorative Justice Is not Necessarily Just Resolution For many years, the phrase “Restorative Justice” has been part of United Methodist social action lexicon. It has been repeated in the Book of Resolutions and comes up in agency reports and news releases every so often. In the Discipline, see Paragraphs (PP) 164H and 2304h. It refers to a technique often use...
Just Resolution is Not Necessarily Restorative Justice
-- Just Resolution Is not Necessarily Restorative Justice In the passages of the Discipline that relate to the processes used with personnel and complaints, the phrase “just resolution” does not specifically relate to Restorative Justice. The connection between the two is affected by who the facilitator/mediator is and on what basis s/he will operate. If the f...
Appeal to the Clergy Session
-- APPEALS TO THE CLERGY SESSION OF THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON PERSONNEL MATTERS A practical description The materials gathered for this document come from numerous experiences but do not necessarily reflect your own situation. Please &nbs...
AC Prep Quick Sheet
-- AC PREP QUICK SHEET 1. Make sure the pastor wants to challenge the Board's recommendation . 2. Be sure you have everything from the Conference and from the pastor. You want no surprises. If the grounds are chargeable offenses, be ready to ask why they're handled administratively. 3. Build support and advocacy teams. 4. Develop your strategy for the C...
Closing Remarks at the Annual Meeting, October, 2002
-- Closing Remarks at the Annual Meeting of Associates in Advocacy, Chicago , IL , October 2, 2002 by Thomas Lane Butts Explanatory Note: This speech was originally given from scant notes. At the request of the group, I have tried to reconstruct what was said into a manuscript. One of the problems in...
GCF&A Procedure Handbook
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HELP for Care Givers
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Introduction to Care Giving
-- Introduction to Care-giving You are entering a ministry which may well be the most important ministry of your life - - most assuredly, it is most important to those with whom you will be engaging in the “Ministry of Presence.” When going to see a pastor in trouble (or other hurting person involved in the church’s “Fair Process”), you will meet a g...
Beginning Care Giving
-- Beginning Care-giving A. First steps of support – provide support as early in the process as possible 1. Listen – be there with the person, let the person vent their true feelings, Offer no judgments, express faith in the truthfulness of the person. This is not a time to defend the conference, system, or ...
Building a Support Team
-- BUILDING A SUPPORT TEAM The first member of the support team is either an advocate to evaluate the situation under church law or a friend who provides care. The second person should be the other. Third , friends for the main person and for the rest of the family are invaluable. &...
Finding an Advocate
-- Finding an Advocate That you are on this website means that you have access to any of our AIA team of consultants. There is someone in your jurisdiction who could be of help. The help is most likely to be as a consultant and on-the-job trainer for someone from your own conference. The AIA team member may know someone in your conference to start...
Confidentiality
-- Confidentiality Care-givers and advocates need to be aware of the issue of confidentiality on two levels, professional and unprofessional. Professionally, all ordained clergy have similar kinds of rights under law to protect the confessional relationship they have with anyone (see Paragraph 341.5 of the 2004 Book of Discipline). As with lawyers, doctors,...
Family Needs Check List
-- Family Needs Check List No list touches on everything that might be important in a particular case. But the following are usually important: 1. Who are important to the family? – whom do they trust? Whom do they want to be informed of the accusation/case? Whom do they want to be kept up to date? 2. Ide...
Reality Check List
-- Reality Check List When the Church goes bad in its actions, it can really be terrible. The Inquisition came out of what were thought to be valid grounds. The way we can tell if we have begun to approach the kind of trauma the Church can cause is to list things its leaders and their followers (which we have sometimes been . . .) are willing to do i...
Developing a Defense Fund
-- Developing a Defense Fund Funding everything from a lawyer to therapists is a project that needs to be considered in many cases of pastors in trouble. The largest share of complaints tend not to be for situations that might end up in civil or criminal court against a pastor. Those that might go to court or that will end up in a church trial (which c...
Professional Counseling
-- Professional Counseling Seeking professional counseling is usually very helpful during a major crisis where a pastor's career may be in jeopardy. The range of emotions is so great that it usually is beyond anything the pastor and family have ever experienced. ( See Emotions .) It is imperative that the traumatized have competent and safe counseling contexts...
Hiring a Lawyer
-- Hiring a Lawyer By and large, you will have a good experience working with a lawyer. Most are honorable, effective, and “good people.” There are some who are not. Seeking out a good lawyer is not always easy. There’s always the relative who may be a lawyer or an old friend from high school or even a racque...
Local Church Support
-- Local Church Support The shock of allegations against a pastor, even unknown ones, can paralyze a congregation. Most folks will tend to want to help if they can but are not sure what can be done. There are two main ways members of the church can be of support. The first is to join in the immediate support system being developed to help the pastor...
Denominational Support
-- Denominational Support The denomination has always found ways to deal with complaints with grace and justice. For many years, pastors in trouble were moved to another congregation and that often resolved the problem. More complicated problems often meant the pastor was "traded" to another annual conference where the pastor's career might be unencumbered by ...
Seeking Alternate Employment
-- Seeking Alternate Employment Since I joined the Annual Conference to be a clergy, I have seen some changes. Most current clergy are second career. When I came in, most went from high school to college to seminary. But in one way, things are not very different. As I understand it, the average career length of a clergy is still around ten years! We had careers in ...
HELP for Cabinets
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Two Letters on Confidentiality & Prudence
-- ON CONFIDENTIALITY AND PRUDENCE A few years ago, after a retreat for Cabinet and Board of Ordained Ministry, Robert Zilhaver felt it crucial to write two letters to the bishop and Board of Ordained ministry chairperson about confidentiality. Identifying names other than Rev. Zilhaver's and a KKK officer's have been done to avoid the reader's pre...
Dealing with Complaints
-- HOW TO HANDLE COMPLAINTS FOR BISHOPS AND DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENTS INTRODUCTION The 2004 BOOK OF DISCIPLINE (BOD) makes you a District Attorney, Judge, and Sheriff over the clergy under your charge. Despite that, whatever you do with the accused (respondent) and the accuser (complainant), treat them as you would want to be treated. ...
Care Giving by Cabinets Handling Complaints
-- CARE GIVING BY CABINETS HANDLING COMPLAINTS 1. Build rapport with all pastors. DSs must get to know the pastors and churches in the district. There are times when a pastor gets in trouble and the DS has to be mature, experienced, and competent enough to be able to get a full picture of what is going on. To operate as a pastor to the pastors in that situation, the DS must a...
Suggested Supervision Policy for Cabinets
-- SUGGESTED SUPERVISION PRACTICE FOR CABINETS INTRODUCTION These suggested practices have been revised off and on since 1996. I hope reviews of these suggestions lead toward further dialogue on the proper role of the District Superintendent (DS) prior to any action taken against a pastor for performance issues. The basis for this approach is the understanding that the pr...
Handling Complaints with a Sexual Componant
-- HANDLING COMPLAINTS WITH A SEXUAL COMPONANT A brief manual for superintendents and bishops “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” - Jesus, AD 33 INTRODUCTION When the usual complaint comes to you, you look at it with several questions: 1. Who is this complainer and what relationship does s/he have with the church/pastor? ...
How to NOT Handle a Complaint
-- HOW NOT TO HANDLE A COMPLAINT Introduction: The following is a composite of many, many such events as they have happened since 1978. If you happen to recognize any particular, be assured, it was also done in most other cases! Some Cabinets have learned over the years to do things well. However, when Conference leaders mishandle a complaint, this is typically what hap...
How to AVOID Fair Process
-- HOW TO AVOID FAIR PROCESS You can’t, really. All the techniques we’ve seen used to avoid Fair Process have been clearly unfair and put the Church into a bad light. The biggest mistake is Cabinet members using the power of their office to force a “voluntary” decision from the respondent, even if they are right! See How Not to Handle a Complaint ...
Planning and Implementing - a Basic Framework
-- PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTING A Basic framework Most planning and problem-solving breaks down and never gets implemented because certain things tend to happen which interfere with success. Good people have devised excellent possibilities only to discover that they couldn't get the money, they couldn't get the authorizations they needed from the leaders, or the very people...
GCF&A Administrative and Judicial Procedures Handbook
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HELP re: Judicial Council
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Guidelines for Appearing before the Judicial Council
-- Guidelines for the Oral Hearing before the Judicial Council INTRODUCTION Appearing before the Judicial Council is a rare and challenging opportunity. The chance must be requested in advance and is allowed at the discretion of the president of the Judicial Council. A previous president allowed oral hearings on cases in which he was personally interested and not ...
Discipline References
-- INDEX \c "2" \z "1033" Index of Discipline References ¶ 101, 1936 Discipline , 4—2 ¶ 1224, 1940 Discipline , 10—1 ¶ 1228 , 10—1 , 13—2 , 239—2 ¶ 1228, 1940 Discipline ...
An UNexhaustive list of settled law from the Judicial Council
-- An UNexhaustive list of settled law from the Judicial Council applicable to personnel concerns and Fair Process These statements are mostly direct quotes from the Judicial Council Decisions (JCDs) noted. Be careful to read the whole decision before quoting any of these for two reasons. One, past errors led people to the wrong decision or...
Categories frequently of concern to clergy
-- INDEX This indexing is not exhaustive Additions requested Ambiguities: JCDs 629, 740 Appeals: JCDs 595, 826, 830, 846, 1011 Appointments: JCDs 462, 492, 702, 782, 1010 Availability of relevant records: JCDs 691, 753, 765, 974 Board of Ordained Ministry limits...
Helps for the Judicial Council
-- Helps for Judicial Council Members The Judicial Council (or Council in this article) is asked to resolve problems of a very wide variety. They are asked questions related to things going on in other parts of the world. They are asked property questions. They are asked to review conference policies and General Conference legislation. And they are asked to deal w...
On Recusing
-- On Recusing General Conference of 2008 had before it two petitions describing circumstances in which a Judicial Council member must recuse him/herself during consideration on docketed cases. Let me offer a little background on my experiences with the idea that a Council member should avoid being part of a case to show why I support some legislation to assure recusal...
INDICES of J.C. decisions
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Annual and Jurisdictional Conferences
-- Index — Annual and Jurisdictional Conferences Alabama-West Florida Annual Conference , 139—1, 309—1, 317—1, 332—1, 334—1, 386—1, 501—1, 550—1, 681—1, 757—1 , 806—1 , 806—2 , 874—1, 1026—1 Baltimore and ...
HELP with Civil Law
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The Bill of Rights
-- THE BILL OF RIGHTS Amendments 1-10 of the U.S. Constitution The Conventions of a number of the States having, at the time of adopting the Constitution, expressed a desire, in order to prevent misconstruction or abuse of its powers, that further declaratory and restrictive clauses should be added, and as extending the ground of public confidence in the Government will best insure the bene...
Key Supreme Court Rulings
-- SEVERAL KEY SUPREME COURT RULINGS Supreme Court rulings can be quite interesting reading. Each of the four chosen for our website tells detailed histories of their respective cases. You think you have complicated matters, well, some of these sound more like fiction than reality! Further, you’ll find amazing quotes by people who later became much better known t...
Memorandum of Opposition
-- PLAINTIFF'S MEMORANDUM IN OPPOSITION TO DEFENDANTS' MOTION TO DISMISS Facts of the case Several years ago, a DS received a call from a family from a church that persuaded him that the pastor was a danger to the children of the community. Based on that allegation, the DS terminated the clergyman because he was a Local Pastor. There was no hearing. There...
General Wisdom; Worth Reading
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The Trial of Jesus
-- The Trial of Jesus This manuscript, except for some editorial changes by Thomas Lane Butts, was written by William A. Herin and published in the University Law review, Vol. 7 - 1954. The Introduction The judgment of history has long since been pronounced on the events outlined in this article. You are asked, how...
Why Lies are Better than the Truth
-- WHY LIES ARE BETTER THAN THE TRUTH (A SCIENTIFIC COMPARISON TEST) From THE RAPE OF THE APE, BY Allen Sherman Chicago, Playboy Press, 1973 Pps 56-59 I. Credibility All Lies are designed to seem true. The expert liar carefully uses elements that seem probable and logical and are therefore easy...
The University of Adversity
-- The University of Adversity From a sermon preached by Dr. Thomas Lane Butts at Trinity United Methodist Church in Fort Walton Beach, FL, on September 16, 1990, and used by Rev. Spencer Turnipseed at the first meeting of our association at Scarrett-Bennett Campus in Nashville, TN, in November, 1993, four years before AIA was incorporated. Introduction and Summary During...
A Story Sermon: On Casting the First Stone
-- On Casting the First Stone Comment: Sometimes a story is the only way to get across to others what is happening and how it could be handled better. At least, I thought that when I prepared this short story. A friend was accused of something by someone who refused to bring formal charges. But the church leaders went ahead by bringing the formal charges them...
Better than Good
-- BETTER THAN GOOD A Meditation by Dr. Thomas Lane Butts of Monroeville, Alabama given to the closing session of Associates in Advocacy in Chicago, Illinois, November 15, 2006 Introduction and Summary Statement Back in the 70s there was a television program called Kung Fu. There was an episode of Kung Fu in which the young man, Kane, had a flashback to a time when he was a stude...
Problems Beyond Our Power to Fix
-- PROBLEMS BEYOND OUR POWER TO FIX A meditation given at the opening of the annual meeting of Associates in Advocacy in Chicago, Illinois on May 20, 2008, by Thomas Lane Butts Scripture Lesson: Matthew 13:24-30 Introduction and Summary Statement There are two closely related and almost universal myths which cause sensitive people co...
GCF&A Administrative and Judicial Procedures Handbook
-- GCFA has produced an Administrative and Judicial Procedures Handbook for conference Boards of Ministry, Committes on Investiagtion, etc. It contains instruction and helpful commentary to supplement (not replace) what the Book of Discipline says about administrative and judicial process matters and could be extremely helpful for you to have either as a member of a conference board, as an ...
2008 General Conference
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General Conference WEBSITE
-- General Conference, UMC - 2008 ...
Preparing for Gen. Conf.
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A Funny Thing Happened . . .
-- A Funny Thing ... "A funny thing happened" to me at the 1988 General Conference. Between 1984 and 1996, I attended General Conference as an advocate for ministers, having studied cases of pastors relieved of ministry in every way imaginable, too many of them unjustly. In light of those cases, what unfolded before me at General Conference in 1988 was very "inter...
Saving petitions . . .
-- Saving Petitions from Being Lost, Strayed, or Stolen CONTENTS I. Legislative Intent II. The Legislative Process 0.0 Parliamentary Procedure 1.0 Numbering Petitions 2.0 Assigning Petitions at General Conference 3.0 Reception of Petitions by the Legislative Committee 4.0 Pr...
Observations for 2008
-- Observations for 2008 There is still room for improvement Re: "Going on to perfection" Previously, the Plan of Organization and Rules of Order included a commitment to perfection. This time around, the concern is more to maintain unity despite our diversity. Unfortunately, this year there is no expressed concern about ...
Petitions of Interest
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Re: ¶ 1-299
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¶ 259.2g(4) - Handling disagreements
-- Petition to the 2008 General Conference Re: Handling disagreements Discipline Paragraph 259.2g)(4) Financial implications: None Petition: Amend by addition to Paragraph 259.2g) a new (4) and renumber accordingly: (3) To confer with and counsel the pastor(s) and staff on the mat...
Re: ¶ 300-369
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¶ 313.1 - Certified Candidate has right to appeal on discontinuance
-- “Certified Candidate has right to appeal on discontinuance.” Discipline 313.1 Financial Implications: None Suggested addition within ¶ 313 [1] Discontinuance and Reinstatement of Certified Candidacy 1. Discontinuance of a Certified Candidate&mdas...
¶ 320.1 - Local Pastor has right to appeal discontinuance
-- Local Pastor has right to appeal discontinuance Discipline ¶ 320 Financial Implications: None Suggested new sub-paragraphs to ¶ 320.1 Discontinuance and Reinstatement of Certified Candidacy, Exiting, Reinstatement, and Retirement of Local Pastors Who Are Not Probationary Me...
¶ 354 - Simpler Leave of Absence program
-- Petition to the 2008 General Conference Re: Simpler Leave of Absence program Discipline Paragraph 354 Financial implications: None Petition: Amend by substitution Paragraph 354, deleting all of it and replacing it with what is below: ¶ 354. Leave of Absence 1. This relationship is granted to clergy who are probationary, associate, and ...
¶ 354.1b - Involuntary Leave of Absence
-- PETITION TO THE GENERAL CONFERENCE SUGGESTED TITLE: Involuntary Leave of Absence Book of Discipline Paragraph Number: 354.1 b Financial Implications: None Amend Paragraph 354.1 b to read as follows: b) Involuntary Leave of Absence --- The district superintende...
¶ 354.1b - Removing Cabinet & BOM executive committee for appeals
-- Petition to the 2008 General Conference Re: Removing use of Cabinet and BOM executive committee for appeals Discipline Paragraph 354.1b Financial implications: None Petition: Amend by substitution in Paragraph 354.1b in the following manner: The clergyperson has the right to a hearing before the Administrative Re...
¶ 354 & 355 - Leaves of Absence
-- Suggested Title: Leaves of Absence Discipline: No. 354, 355, 357 Financial Implications: None Substitute for ¶354, ¶355 and ¶357 Rationale: This legislation is proposed as a substitute for ¶354 (Leave of Absence), ¶355 (Family Leave), and ¶357 (Transitional Leave for Deacons in Full Connection Who Are in between Ap...
¶ 359.3 - Involuntary Retirement
-- PETITION TO THE GENERAL CONFERENCE SUGGESTED TITLE: Involuntary Retirement Book of Discipline Paragraph Number: 359.3 Financial Implications: None Amend Paragraph 359.3 to read: 3. Involuntary Retirement--- By a two-thirds vote of those present and voting, the cler...
¶ 362.1 - Removing confusing terminology
-- Petition to the 2008 General Conference Re: Removing confusing terminology Discipline Paragraph 362.1 Financial implications: None Petition: Amend bysubstitution Paragraph 362.1 in the following manner: 1). In Paragraph 362.1a &nbs...
¶ 362.1a - Requiring specifications in a complaint
-- Petition to the 2008 General Conference Re: Requiring specifications in a complaint Discipline Paragraph 362.1a Financial implications: None Petition: Amend by addition to Paragraph 362.1a in the following manner: ...
¶ 362.1a - Minimizing Cabinet complaint initiation
-- Petition to the 2008 General Conference Re: Minimizing Cabinet complaint initiation Discipline Paragraph 362.1a) Financial implications: None Petition: Amend by deletion in Paragraph 362.1a) the phrase "or initiate": a) Supervision - In the course of the ordinary fulfillment of the superint...
¶ 362.1a - Requiring a direct witness as signer of a complaint
-- Petition to the 2008 General Conference Re: Requiring a direct witness as signer of a complaint Discipline Paragraph 362.1a Financial implications: None Petition: Amend...
¶ 362.1b - Role of advocate
-- Petition to the 2008 General Conference Re: Role of advocate Discipline Paragraph 362.1b Financial implications: None Petition: Amend by addition and substitution to Paragraph 362.1b) in the following manner: …A...
¶ 362.1b - Medical Review
-- PETITION TO GENERAL CONFERENCE Submitted by: Thomas H. Griffith, R. Lewis Fry, Cathleen A. Coots, Mary T. Larsen, Sunny (Sunwook) Pak, Richard V. Kendall, Steve Isenman, Kathy Cooper-Ledesma, Steve Blasingame, Jim Conn, Scott Imler, Gary Alan Dickey, Nestor Gerente, Karen Moore, Frank Wulf, Flora Obayashi-Wayman, Richard R. Bentley, Jr. Add, following ¶ 362.1(a) a new ...
¶ 362.1d(3) - Preventing misdirecting of a complaint
-- Petition to the 2008 General Conference Re: Preventing misdirecting of a complaint Discipline Paragraph 362.1d)(3) Financial implications: None Petition: Amend by addition to Paragraph 362.1d)(3) as follows: (3) refer the matter as an administrative complain...
¶ 362.1d(3) - Referral of a Complaint
-- PETITION TO THE GENERAL CONFERENCE SUGGESTED TITLE: Referral of a Complaint Book of Discipline Paragraph Number: 362.1d(3) Financial Implications: None Amend Paragraph 362.1d(3) to read as follows: (3) Refer the matter as an administrative complaint (¶362.2) ...
¶ 362.2 - Definitions of Referred Complaints
-- PETITION TO THE GENERAL CONFERENCE SUGGESTED TITLE: Definitions of Referred Complaints Book of Discipline Paragraph Number: 362.2 Financial Implications: None Amend Paragraph 362.2 to read as follows: 2. Definitions of Referred Complaints --- ...
¶ 362.3 - also ¶ 2701 - Fair Process Regarding Resolution in Trials
-- PETITION TO GENERAL CONFERENCE Submitted by: Thomas H. Griffith, R. Lewis Fry, Cathleen A. Coots; Mary T. Larsen, Emma Moore-Kochlacs, Sunny (Sunwook) Pak, Richard V. Kendall; Steve Isenman, Kathy Cooper-Ledesma, Steve Blasingame, Jim Conn, Scott Imler, Gary Alan Dickey, Nestor Gerente, Karen Moore, Frank Wulf, Flora Obayashi-Wayman, Richard R. Bentley, Jr. Delete Paragraph...
¶ 362.3 - Fair Process rights for complainants
-- Petition to the 2008 General Conference Re: Fair Process rights for complainants Discipline Paragraph 362.3 Financial implications: None Petition: Amend by addition to Paragraph 362.3 the following and renumber: ...
¶ 362.3e - Double Jeopardy for administrative handling
-- Petition to the 2008 General Conference Re: Double Jeopardy for administrative handling Discipline Paragraph 362.3 Financial implications: None Petition: Amend by addition to Paragraph 362.3 and renumbering the rest: &nbs...
¶ 362.3g - Unfair and unnecessary paragraph
-- Petition to the 2008 General Conference Re: Unfair and unnecessary paragraph Discipline Paragraph 362.3g) Financial implications: None Petition: Amend by deletion Paragraph 362.3g) which says: g) In order to preserve the integrity of the Church's administrative process and ensure full participation in it at...
¶ 362.4a - Making the list of remedial options genuinely remedial
-- Petition to the 2008 General Conference Re: Making the list of remedial options genuinely remedial instead of punitive Discipline Paragraph 362.4a) Financial implications: None Petition: A mend by deletion to Paragraph 362.4a) and renumber: &nb...
¶ 362.4c(2) - Update Discipline to Conform to Judicial Council Decisions
-- PETITION TO THE GENERAL CONFERENCE SUGGESTED TITLE: Update Discipline to Conform to Judicial Council Decisions Book of Discipline Paragraph Number: 362.4 c (2) Financial Implications: None Amend Paragraph 362.4 c (2) to read as follows: 362.4c(2) Footnote The notice to th...
¶ 362.4d - Editorial Correction
-- PETITION TO THE GENERAL CONFERENCE SUGGESTED TITLE: Editorial Correction Book of Discipline Paragraph Number: 362.4 d Financial Implications: None Delete Paragraph 362.5 and add the same wording to the end of Paragraph 362.4 d, so that Paragraph 362.4 d will read as follows: d) Recommendation to Discontinue Probationary Members...
Re: ¶ 400-435
-- ...
¶ 406 - Develop criteria for being a bishop
-- Petition to the 2008 General Conference Re: Develop criteria for being a bishop Paragraph 406 Financial implications: None Petition: Amend by addition to P 406 in the following way and change the numbering accordingly P 406. ...
¶ 413 - Holding bishops accountable
-- Petition to the 2008 General Conference Re: Holding bishops accountable Paragraph 413 Financial implications: None Petition: Amend P 413 by substitution in the following ways: 1. Delete and substitute in P 413.2 to read &quo...
¶413.2,3a, b, c, d, e & 4 - Referral of Complaint Against a Bishop
-- SUGGESTED TITLE: Complaints Against Bishops THE BOOK OF DISCIPLINE: ¶¶413.2,3.a, b, c, d, e & 4 FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: Meeting costs for a nine-member committee and fees for legal assistant to GCFA legal counsel. ACTION: AMEND ¶413.2,3.a, b, c, d, e and 4 in the following way. NOTE : This Petition is interrelated ...
¶ 416.7 - member has the right to review his/her supervisory record
-- Add to Paragraph 416.7 the following: A member of the Annual Conference has the right to review his/her supervisory record file in the office of the Bishop. A member of the Annual Conference has the right to petition the Bishop in writing to review specific items in that file which the member believes to be untrue. The Bishop shall review those cited items, and if, after investigation, believ...
¶ 416.7 - Overcoming violations of pastors' rights re: supervisory files
-- Petition to the 2008 General Conference Re: Overcoming violations of pastors' rights re: supervisory files Discipline Paragraph 416.7 Financial implications: None Petition: Amend by addition to Paragraph 416.7 in the following manner: &n...
¶ 417 - Selection of superintendents
-- Petition to the 2008 General Conference Re: Selection of superintendents Discipline Paragraph 417 Financial implications: None Petition: Amend by addition to Paragraph 417 in the following way: ¶ 417. Selection and Assignment ...
¶ 420 - Sacraments for All
-- Suggested Title: Sacraments for All Discipline P420 No Financial Implications add to P420 Spiritual and Pastoral Leadership C. The district superintendent is responsible for giving spiritual leadership to clergy and laity in the churches of the district. The district superintendent should model and encourage spiritual formation through ...
¶ 421.2 - Conducting supervision of incompetent or ineffective pastors
-- Petition to the 2008 General Conference Re: Conducting supervision of incompetent or ineffective pastors Discipline Paragraph 421.2 Financial implications: None Petition: Amend by addition to Paragraph 421.2 the following: a) Sup...
¶ 423.4 - Minimizing abuses of supervisory file use
-- Petition to the 2008 General Conference Re: Minimizing abuses of supervisory file use Discipline Paragraph 423.4 Financial implications: None Petition: Amend by addition and deletion to Paragraph 423.4 as follows: ...
¶ 424 - Easing the workload of superintendents
-- Petition to the 2008 General Conference Re: Easing the workload of superintendents Discipline Paragraph 424 Financial implications: None Petition: Amend by deletion Paragraph 424 entitled “Program” and renumber. &nb...
¶ 425 - When Supervision ends and complaint process begins
-- Petition to the 2008 General Conference Re: When Supervision ends and complaint process begins Discipline Paragraph 425 (new) Financial implications: None Petition: Amend by addition a new Paragraph 425 and renumber accordingly: P...
¶ 429.3 - Changing accountability of superintendents
-- Petition to the 2008 General Conference Re: Changing accountability of superintendents Discipline Paragraph 429.3 Financial implications: None Petition: Amend by deletion Paragraph 429.3 and ren...
Re: ¶ 500-668
-- ...
¶ 530 - Establishing a jurisdictional committee on appeals
-- Petition to the 2008 General Conference Re: Establishing a jurisdictional committee on appeals Discipline Paragraph new 530 Financial implications: None Petition: Amend by addition a new Paragraph 530 and renumber accordingly: &n...
¶ 606.9 - Overcoming violations of pastors' rights re: personnel files
-- Petition to the 2008 General Conference Re: Overcoming violations of pastors' rights re: personnel files Discipline Paragraph 606.9 Financial implications: None Petition: Amend by addition to Paragraph 606.9 the following: &nbs...
¶ 634.1a - Opening nominations for crucial personnel agencies
-- Petition to the 2008 General Conference Re: Opening nominations for crucial personnel agencies to the floor Discipline Paragraph 634.1a) Financial implications: None Petition: Amend by addition to Paragraph 634.1a in the following manner: &nbs...
¶ 636.3g - Accountability of Bishops
-- Petition to the 2008 General Conference Re: Accountability of Bishops Discipline Paragraph 636.3g) Financial implications: None Petition: Amend by addition to Paragraph 636.3 and renumber: g) To evaluate the ministry of the bishop ann...
¶ 663.1 - accountability and term limits of district committee on ministry
-- Suggested Title: Allow for accountability and limit terms of members of the district committee on ministry Add to ¶663.1 of the Discipline Financial Implications: None Petition 1: Add to ¶663.1 There shall be a district committee on ordained ministry. 1. The district committee on ordained ministry shall be amenable an...
¶ 666.5 - Accountability of District Superintendents
-- Petition to the 2008 General Conference Re: Accountability of District Superintendents Discipline Paragraph 666.5 Financial implications: None Petition: Amend by addition to Paragraph 666.5 in the following manner: The committee shall evalua...
Re: ¶ 2600-2612
-- ...
¶ 2609.6 - “Moot and Hypothetical” concerns
-- Petition to the 2008 General Conference Re: "Moot and Hypothetical" concerns Discipline Paragraph 2609.6 Financial implications: None Petition: Amend by addition to Paragraph 2609.6 6. The Judicial Council shall pass upon and affirm, modify, or reverse the decisions of law made by bishops in central, district, annual, or juris...
¶ 2610.1 - Nature of Declaratory Decisions
-- Petition to the 2008 General Conference Re: Nature of Declaratory Decisions Discipline Paragraph 2610.1 Financial implications: None Petition: Amend by addition to Paragraph ¶ 2610. Declaratory Decisions ...
Re: ¶ 2700-2719
-- ...
¶ 2701 also ¶ 362.3 - Fair Process Regarding Resolution in Trials
-- ...
¶ 2701 - Fair Process rights for complainants
-- Petition to the 2008 General Conference Re: Fair Process rights for complainants Discipline Paragraph 2701 Financial implications: None Petition: Amend by addition to Paragraph 2701 after the list of fair process and renumber accordingly: &n...
¶ 2701.4 - Protection from self-incrimination
-- Petition to the 2008 General Conference Re: Protection from self-incrimination Discipline Paragraph Financial implications: None Petition: Amend by addition to Paragraph 2701 and renumbering accordingly: &...
¶ 2701.5 - Right to face accuser
-- Petition to the 2008 General Conference Re: Right to face accuser Discipline Paragraph 2701 Financial implications: None Petition: Amend by addition to Paragraph 2701 and renumbering accordingly: 5. The respondent has the right to face the one whose complaint originally led to all hearings under fair process. ...
¶ 2701.6 - Accessibility of hearings to all parties
-- Petition to the 2008 General Conference Re: Accessibility of hearings to all parties Discipline Paragraph 2701 Financial implications: None Petition: Amend by addition to Paragraph 2701 and renumber accordingly: ...
¶ 2701.9 - Unfair and unnecessary paragraph
-- Petition to the 2008 General Conference Re: Unfair and unnecessary paragraph Discipline Paragraph 2701.9 Financial implications: None Petition: Amend by deletion Paragraph 2701.9 which says: g) In order to pres...
¶ 2703.1 - Establishing A GC Committee on Investigation
-- Establishing A General Conference Committee on Investigation THE BOOK OF DISCIPLINE: ¶2703.1 FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: Meeting costs for a nine- member committee and fees for legal assistant to GCFA legal counsel. PETITION : We petition the 2008 General Conference to AMEND The Book of Discipline 2004 by deleting ¶ 2703.1 and substituting the paragr...
¶ 2704.1.a, c, and d - Referral of Original Complaint to Counsel
-- Referral of Complaint Against a Bishop to Counsel of GCFA THE BOOK OF DISCIPLINE: ¶ 2704.1.a, c, and d FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: Legal costs for legal assistant to GCFA legal counsel and meeting costs for a nine- member General Conference Committee on Investigation ACTION: DELETE ¶2704.1.a, c, and d AND SUBSTITUTE THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPHS IN THEIR PLA...
¶ 2712.3 - Random selection of trial pool for bishops
-- Petition to the 2008 General Conference Re: Random selection of trial pool for bishops Discipline Paragraph 2712.3 Financial implications: None Petition: Amend by to Paragraph 3. The trial sha...
¶ 2713.3a - Random selection of trial court for clergy
-- Petition to the 2008 General Conference Re: Random selection of trial court for clergy Discipline Paragraph 2713.3a) Financial implications: None Petition: Amend by substitution to Paragraph 2713.3a) ...
¶ 2714.3 - Random selection of trial court for laity
-- Petition to the 2008 General Conference Re: Random selection of trial court for laity Discipline Paragraph 2714.3 Financial implications: None Petition: Amend by substitution in Paragraph 2714.3 3. The tr...
Recommendations
-- ...
Establishing Case Review Panel
-- Recommendation to the 2008 General Conference Re: Establishing Case Review Panel Financial implications: None Recommendation: 1. Be it resolved that the General Conference establish a Case Review Panel to examine any cases since 1980 where pastors felt they had been t...
Annual Conference Judiciary Resolution
-- Recommendation to the 2008 General Conference Re: Annual Conference Judiciary Resolution Financial implications: none Recommendation: Be it resolved that the General Conference establish a study commission funded...
Miscellaneous Petitions
-- PETITIONS of INTEREST these few links we've found if you find others, email us from the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry from the Board of Global Ministries from the General Board of Church and Society 11/14/2007 ...
JA Recommendations
-- ...
Previous Meetings
Minutes from previous annual meetings. -- Historical...
Levity for the Soul
-- Humor is a prelude to faith and Laughter is the beginning of prayer. - Reinhold Niebuhr * * * I want to make people laugh so they will begin to see things seriously. - William Zinser * * * Life is too important to be taken seriously - Oscar Wilde * * * Always laugh when you can; it is cheap medicine. Merriment is a philosophy not well understood. It is the sunny side of existen...
Pseudo-Spiritual One-Liners
-- Pseudo-Spiritual One-Liners Don't let your worries get the best of you; remember, Moses started out as a basket case. + + + + + Some people are kind, polite, and sweet-spirited until you try to sit in their pews. + + + + + Many folks want to serve God, but only as advisors. + + +&nbs...
Noah's Ark
-- Everything I need to know about life, I learned from Noah's Ark One: Don't miss the boat. Two: Remember that we are all in the same boat. Three: Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark. Four: Stay fit; When you're 600 years old, someone may ask you to do something really big. Five: Don '...
Biblical Humor
-- IT DOESN'T HURT TO HAVE A LITTLE BIBLICAL HUMOR ONCE IN A WHILE... Q. What kind of man was Boaz before he married Ruth? A. Ruthless. Q. What do they call pastors in Germany? A. German Shepherds. Q. Who was the greatest financier in the Bible? A. Noah He was floating his stock while everyone else was in liquidation. Q. Who was the greatest female financier in the Bible? A. P...
On Retirement
-- And They Ask Why I Like Retirement !!! Question: How many days in a week? Answer: 6 Saturdays, 1 Sunday Question: When is a retiree's bedtime? Answer: Three hours after he falls asleep on the couch. Question: How many retirees to change a light bulb? Answer: Only one, but it might take all day. Question: What's the biggest gripe of retirees?...
Light Bulbs
-- How many to change a light bulb? [a lot of significant research] Q: How many Charismatics does it take to change a light bulb? A: Only one since his/her hands are in the air anyway. -Or- A: Ten. One to change the light bulb and nine to pray against the spirit of darkness. * * * * * Q: How many Pentecostals does it take to change a l...
You Know Your Church Is a Redneck Church if ...
-- You Know Your Church Is a Redneck Church if ... ... the finance committee refuses to provide funds for the purchase of a chandelier because none of the members knows how to play one. ... when they learn that Jesus fed the 5000, the people ask whether the two fish were bass or catfish, and what bait was used to catch 'em. ... when the pastor says, "I'd li...
Nominal Saint
-- A man was being tailgated by a stressed out woman on a busy boulevard. Suddenly, the light turned yellow, just in front of him. He did the right thing, stopping at the crosswalk, even though he could have beaten the red light by accelerating through the intersection. The tailgating woman was furious and honked her horn, screaming in frustration as she missed her chance to get thr...
-- EVEN GOD ENJOYS A GOOD LAUGH... There were 3 good arguments that Jesus was Black: 1. He called everyone brother. 2. He liked Gospel. 3. He couldn't get a fair trial. But then there were 3 equally good arguments that Jesus was Jewish: 1. He went into His Father's business. 2. He lived at home until he was 33. 3. He was sure his Mother was a virgin and his Mother ...
Shameless Puns
-- * I wondered why the baseball was getting bigger. Then it hit me. * Police were called to a daycare, where a three-year-old was resisting a rest. * Did you hear about the guy whose whole left side was cut off? He is all right now. * The roundest knight at King Arthur's round table was Sir Cumference. * To write with a broken pencil is pointless. ...
Fitness Reports
-- Fitness Reports In The British Navy The Brits have much to teach us when it comes to truly deadly putdowns... The British Military writes EPRs which are officer fitness reports. » The form used for Royal Navy and Marines fitness reports is the S206. The following are actual excerpts taken from people's "206s"... » His men would fo...
Scientific Proof
-- Ben Franklin supposedly said: In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is freedom, in water there is bacteria. In a number of carefully controlled trials, scientists have demonstrated that if we drink 1 liter of water each day, at the end of the year we would have absorbed more than 1 kilo of Escherichia coli, (E. coli) - bacteria found in feces. In other words, we are consuming 1 k...
Ant with a Mission
-- Brenda was almost halfway to the top of the tremendous granite cliff. She was standing on a ledge where she was taking a breather during this, her first rock climb. As she rested there, the safety rope snapped against her eye and knocked out her contact lens. "Great", she thought. "Here I am on a rock ledge, hundreds of feet from the bottom and hundreds of feet to the top of ...
A Visit with Constantine & St. Nicholas
-- Constantine & St. Nicholas Merry Christmas! We are due another visit from St. Nicholas. A year ago, I presented the interview between the Myra church elders and young Nicholas. Soon after that, Nicholas was imprisoned. Diocletian, the Roman emperor, who had been supportive of the growth of the Christian church, let one of his four “sub-emperors” G...
-- ...
-- ANNOTATED TABLE OF CONTENTS ---HOME PAGE--- HOME When clicked, this link will always bring you back to our Home page. MISSION STATEMENT Devised a decade ago, this statement has guided our association. Opportunities to fulfill all of the goals have not yet presented themselves but we look forwa...
Search AIA Team's Site
Search within the AIA Team's Web Site. -- Enter text you are searching in AIA Team site: ...
Meeting Notices
Annual Meeting in May 2010 -- Our annual meeting will be held May 18th -19th, 2010 at the O'Hare Airport Super 8 Motel Elk Grove Village, Illinois http://w...
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