welcome

Associates in Advocacy

ADVOCATES ALERT:

Advocates should be aware of the following ruling issued by the Judicial Council of The United Methodist Church in its Memorandum No. 1408:
"Members of the Cabinet, Board of Ordained Ministry, Conference Relations Committee, and Administrative Review Committee shall not vote in the clergy session on recommendations for involuntary leave of absence (¶ 354), involuntary retirement (¶ 357.3), administrative location (¶ 359), and discontinuance from provisional membership (¶ 327.6) if they were involved in any prior discussions, communications, proceedings, and/or decisions concerning such administrative matters."

OUR MISSION:

to help the Church fulfill its own intentions to be just.

Specifically, AIA will do the following:

provide assistance and information to help those who are advocates, caregivers, and otherwise request aid;
encourage and provide legislative and judicial assistance to those seeking to change or clarify church law;
provide information to seekers, to church officers, to lawyers, and to anyone else wanting to know church law;
provide training for anyone facing or being part of any hearing body;
and provide and conduct other religious and educational activities related to personnel advocacy.

As advocates, we will seek reconciliation and restoration where possible and justice always.

For Immediate Release: Associates in Advocacy meeting Orlando, Florida May 2-4, 2023

Associates in Advocacy calls upon The Western Jurisdiction College and Council of Bishops to fulfill its disciplinary mandate to ensure that fair process is preserved as part of our life together. This week at our meeting in Orlando, we marked that it has been over one year since the Western Jurisdiction Episcopacy Committee has placed Bishop Minerva Carcaño of the San Francisco Episcopal Area on suspension. The Western Jurisdiction College of Bishops and Council of Bishops is mandated to fulfill their presidential duties to ensure fair process in all involuntary administrative and judicial proceedings through the monitoring of the performance of officials, boards, and committees charged with implementing such procedures. (¶415.3)

At a minimum, the Western Jurisdiction College of Bishops and the Council of Bishops should:

Ensure that the Western Jurisdiction establishes its Administrative Review Committee (ARC) in accordance with ¶539 (JCD 1450).
Ensure that the evidence given to the Committee on Investigation met the disciplinary standards of ¶362.1(d), namely, that the suspension was necessary to protect the well-being of the person making the complaint, the annual conference, or the Bishop’s context of ministry.
Ensure that the suspension by the Western Jurisdiction Episcopacy Committee is properly reviewed by the Administrative Review Committee as required by ¶539 and ¶2704.1(c).
End the suspension until her suspension is properly reviewed by the Administrative Review Committee and her fair process rights are secured.

Associates in Advocacy urges all persons responsible for handling of the administrative, judicial, and pastoral processes to promptly seek a just resolution, which is the primary purpose of any complaint process (¶362).

Associates in Advocacy has its roots in the civil rights era when clergy were often accused of violations of church law in order to stop their civil rights work. Today the organization consists of clergy and laity working in a variety of areas assisting those caught in unfamiliar disciplinary processes. We believe that fair process is a critical element of our life together. Our mission is to help the Church fulfill its own intentions to be just.

Associates in Advocacy

William P. Boyd, Presiding Officer

Peter F Milloy, Secretary

AIA Officers & Board Members

Officers for 2023 are:
Chairperson: The Rev. Dr. Robert Nelson, pastor member of The Indiana Annual Conference
Vice chairperson: The Rev. Dr. William Boyd, pastor member of The Central Texas Conference
Secretary/Treasurer: The Rev. Peter Milloy, member of The Minnesota Annual Conference

Current Board Members:

Class of 2023: Rob Nelson, Bob Zilhaver
Class of 2024: Bill Boyd

Class of 2025: Peter Milloy, Scott Campbell

Alternates: Scott Shaffer, Carol Buckley

Board members emeriti are Leigh Roberts, and Jerry Eckert.

Associates in Advocacy Meeting
Monday, November 18, 2024

Four Points by Sheraton
10249 West Irving Park Road,
Schiller Park, Illinois 60176
(Shuttle service from O'Hare is available.)

There is no registration process and no fee for attending the meeting. All are welcome. Participants arrange and pay for their own accommodations, meals, and travel expenses. Most participants will book a room at Four Points. We will probably have lunch and supper together at some nearby establishment--perhaps one that is in the Four Points. The meeting room at the hotel is ours for all of Monday. We tentatively plan to gather there around 9:30 a.m. At that time we'll lay out a definite agenda, but it will probably include:

Reports & observations from those who attended General Conference
Book of Discipline changes; implications for the work of advocates
Cases currently in progress or recently concluded
Election of board members
Decisions about website