• By Paul Thomas, Detroit Conference Director of Communication •The Conference Board of Church and Society has authored a letter and is encouraging all United Methodists to write to Michigan Governor Rick Snyder and other Michigan state legislators to ask them to restore the proposed cuts to funding education in the state's budget.
The letter was written as part of the board's March 26 meeting.
The Social Principles of the United Methodist Church states that as United Methodists, "we believe that every person has the right to education. We also believe that the responsibility for education of the young rests with family, faith communities, and the government." (paragraph 164.E, 2008 Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church)
Local churches and their members are encouraged to read the letter the board has already sent to Gov. Snyder and the state legislators. According to the Rev. Steven E. McCoy, pastor at Marquette: First UMC and chairperson of the conference Board of Church and Society, churches and individuals may use some or all of the letter as a basis for their own communications. Personal stories, McCoy said, are also helpful and should be included when possible.
To contact Governer Rick Snyder, please visit www.michigan.gov/snyder.
To contact your state legislator, please visit www.senate.michigan.gov and www.house.michigan.gov.
To search for your state senator, visit www.senate.michigan.gov/fysenator/fysenator.htm. To search for your state representative, visitwww.house.michigan.gov/replist.asp.
For further information on this issue, please contact McCoy at smccoy@fumcmarquette.org or 906-225-1344.
Resolution 18 Action
The board also finalized its responsibility for Resolution 18, which was referred to the board by the 2010 annual conference session. Resolution 18 concerns "Reconciling Congregations" and states:
"Be it resolved that the following action be taken by the Detroit Annual Conference with reference to churches that identify or label themselves as a Reconciling Congregation. Reconciling Congregations must remove their churches from the website of the Reconciling Ministries Network. They must not identify themselves as a Reconciling Congregation on their website. Individuals may not identify themselves as part of the Reconciling Movement. Churches that identify or label themselves as a Reconciling Congregation are in conflict with the Discipline of the United Methodist Church, Par. 306 and violate Judicial Council Decision 847, 871, 886, and 1044 (please review these decisions)."
During debate, a substitute motion was offered that stated:
"Be it resolved that the following action be taken by the Detroit Annual Conference with reference to churches that identify, label, or associate with the Reconciling , Transforming, or Confessing Movements specifically. All congregations that identify, label, or associate themselves with these groups must remove their churches from the corresponding websites."
Both the substitute motion and the original motion were referred by the conference to the Board of Church and Society for their consideration and recommendation.
After reviewing the motions and all referenced Discipline paragraphs and Judicial Council decisions, the board concluded the following:
• Paragraph 306 of the Discipline was not relevant to the subject at hand
• The Judicial Council decisions clearly state that general agencies, annual conferences, organizations and local churches may not identify with any unofficial organization, but there is no ruling for individuals.
• The Discipline does not grant the annual conference or the conference Board of Church and Society jurisdiction in the matter.
• Based on its findings, the board stated that "it is our belief that this is an administrative issue and not a program issue and should properly be handled by the Bishop as he sees appropriate."
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