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TechnoratiThis copy subject to final editing and correction.
(page 2)
This copy subject to final editing and correction.
As stated in Decision 886, the Discipline is “the law of the Church which regulates every phase of the life and work of the Church.” Paragraph 304.3 is unambiguous in its assertion that “the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching.”
Though the statement, “the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching,” is preceded by the word “since,” the inclusion of the word “since” as a conjunction introducing the phrase does not diminish the import of the statement which follows the conjunction. Quite the contrary, its usage connotes an emphatic declaration. Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (Micra, Inc., 1996, 1998) defines “since” as meaning “seeing that, because, considering
— formerly followed by that.”
A “declaration” is defined as “the act of publicly announcing; explicit asserting;…
proclamation…” Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (Micra, Inc., 1996, 1998). In every sense of the word “declaration,” the statement contained in 304.3 that the “practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching” is a public announcement, an explicit assertion and a proclamation. Paragraph 304.3 has been a declaration of The United Methodist Church, without modification, since it was originally added to the Discipline by the 1984 General Conference as 402.2 of the 1984 Discipline. See Decision 544.
Only the General Conference has the authority to speak for The United Methodist Church. Paragraph 509 of the Discipline states, “[n]o person, no paper, no organization, has the authority to speak officially for The United Methodist Church, this right having been reserved exclusively to the General Conference under the Constitution.”
In Decision 980, the Judicial Council stated that the The United Methodist Church, in the
Discipline, has declared the practice of homosexuality to be incompatible with Christian teaching.
We reaffirm our previous decision in this regard and hold that the statement in 304.3 that “the
practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching” is a declaration by The United
Methodist Church.
Paragraph 2702.1 of the 2000 Discipline provides:
A bishop, clergy member of an annual conference ( 365), local pastor, clergy on honorable or administrative location, or diaconal minister may choose a trial when charged (subject to the statute of limitations in 2702.4) with one or more of the following offenses:
…(b) practices declared by The United Methodist Church to be incompatible with Christian teachings…
The language contained in 2702.1(b) was first enacted by the 1980 General Conference, four years before the language contained in 304.3 was adopted. As noted above, the only entity which can make a declaration on behalf of The United Methodist Church is the General Conference. Continue »
