A retired bishop joining the Global Methodist Church shall become a senior elder and may bear the title of bishop emeritus. The purpose of this review is to ensure that the church, its properties, and its personnel are properly protected against risks. The Transitional Leadership Council will establish compensation amounts, adjusted for regional differences in the cost of living, the average salary of pastors in the episcopal area, and the currency exchange rate. We receive the Sacraments by faith in Christ, with repentance and thanksgiving. The layperson is accountable to the presiding elder (district superintendent) or another ordained minister appointed to oversee the charge, who will make provision for sacramental ministry. Encourage and affirm the call of God in the lives of clergy who are grounded in the authoritative witness of the Scriptures, set apart by the church, and recognized to possess the necessary gifts and graces for ministry in alignment and accountability with our settled doctrines and discipline. 4. Adopt or revise a statement of Our Social Witness, provided that such adoption or revision shall require a three-quarters vote of the convening General Conference. Clergy are one of the vital resources the Global Methodist Church has to make disciples of Jesus Christ and spread scriptural holiness across the land. Comparing The United Methodist Church We will bear with him for a season. 1. Every particular church may ordain, change, or abolish rites and ceremonies, so that all things may be done to edification. INSTITUTING AND DEFENDING CIVIL ACTION, 910. The chairperson of the Finance Committee shall be a member of the church council. 4. The committee shall make a full and complete report to the annual charge conference. An evaluation of all church properties, including the chancel areas, to ensure accessibility to persons with disabilities, and when applicable, a plan and timeline for resolving barriers to accessibility ( 346.5e). Our bishops must not lean on the trappings of ecclesial office but lead us from an authentic, humble, and evangelistic love for God and neighbor. Establish minimum standards for parsonages and other ministry housing, if desired ( 343.4e, 345.8m). 8. Local congregations are urged to ensure regular opportunities for the congregation to commune. When the use to be made of any such donation, bequest, or devise is not otherwise designated, the same shall be used as directed by the corporation. Article XV Of Speaking in the Congregation in Such a Tongue as the People Understand. 6. 7. For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate; He suffered death and was buried. At the same time the appellant shall furnish to the officer receiving such notice (JPP 14.2) and to the counsel for the opposing party a written statement of the grounds of the appeal. Accept the authority of Scripture; be competent in the disciplines of Scripture, theology, church history and polity; possess the skills essential for the practice of ministry, and lead in making disciples of Jesus Christ. The committee shall recommend to the church council proper depositories for the churchs funds. 10. We are saddened by all expressions of sexual behavior, including pornography, polygamy, and promiscuity, that do not recognize the sacred worth of each individual or that seek to exploit, abuse, objectify, or degrade others, or that represent less than Gods intentional design for His children. The church council shall have authority to provide such pension benefits through a denominational pension program. A new local church may be planted by any lay person or clergyperson of the Global Methodist Church with the consent of the bishop or presiding elder (district superintendent). Each month the local church shall remit one-twelfth of the annual sum of general church connectional funding and annual conference connectional funding to the Transitional Leadership Council or its designee. The applicant must also: (1) Submit to a background and credit check, and psychological examination, (2) Interview with a presiding elder (district superintendent), (3) pass denominational exams on doctrine, history, polity, and Bible for their level of ordination, and (4) Interview with the annual conference board of ministry or equivalent. As a part of the accountability process, the bishop and cabinet, in consultation with the presiding officer of the hearing, trial, or appellate body hearing the pending matter, shall provide resources for healing if there has been significant disruption to the congregation, the annual conference, or the context of ministry by the matter. Clergy on involuntary leave shall not participate in the commissions, committees, or boards of the district or annual conference. a) The Nominations and Leadership Development Committee shall serve throughout the year to guide the church council on matters regarding the leadership (other than employed staff) of the congregation, so as to focus on mission and ministry as the context for service; guide the development and training of spiritual leaders; recruit, nurture, and support spiritual leaders; and assist the church council in assessing changing leadership needs. The lay leader is urged to become a certified lay minister. Where necessary due to local conditions that prevent the physical assembling of delegates, the bishop may, with a two-thirds vote of the cabinet, authorize the conducting of the conference via electronic or other digital means. Processing of an administrative complaint shall be governed by the JPP 2 and 3, and shall include an administrative supervisory response, which shall be followed, if warranted, by an investigative response, an administrative review, and an appeal. Members of the churchs governing board or council shall be persons of genuine Christian character who love the church, are morally disciplined, are committed to the mandate of inclusiveness in the life of the church, are loyal to the ethical standards of the Global Methodist Church and are competent to administer its affairs. Alternates. 5. If a member of the committee cannot serve for any reason, the bishop shall appoint an interim member to serve the remainder of the unused term. We believe that life is a holy gift of God whose beginnings and endings are set by God, and that it is the particular duty of believers to protect those who may be powerless to protect themselves, including the unborn, those with disabilities or serious illness, and the aged (Genesis 2:7, Leviticus 19:32, Jeremiah 1:5, Luke 1:41-44). 8. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. stream 14. Two Sacraments are ordained by Christ our Lord, namely Baptism and the Lords Supper. The Wilderness State 41. The two Sacraments ordained by Christ are Holy Baptism and Holy Communion (also called the Lords Supper or the Eucharist). The additional nine sermons supplement the original forty-four, providing additional teaching on matters of practical divinity and other topics. If a current or former associate member or a licensed local pastor in The United Methodist Church meets the educational requirements to be ordained as an elder and has served in The United Methodist Church for at least two years, the two-year period of minimum service as a deacon in 410.1.a shall not be applicable and the person shall immediately be ordained as a deacon and then as an elder at the same annual conference session following approval by its clergy session. The term of office of the members of the Connectional Council on Appeals and of the alternates shall expire upon the adjournment of the General Conference at which their successors are elected. If the charge conference votes to remove a person or persons from office, the vacancy(ies) shall be filled in the manner prescribed for elections. Following the example of early Methodists, we believe God has raised us up in order to spread scriptural holiness across the land, embodying that grand depositum of the faith that John Wesley believed had been entrusted to the people called Methodists, the continued striving for entire sanctification in our lives. 1. 1. If a member of the committee cannot serve for any reason, the Leadership Committee, in consultation with the cabinet, shall appoint an interim member to serve the remainder of the unused term. An appointment is finalized only when the bishop has fixed the appointment. Involuntary Leave Process. 10. The Son, who is the Word of the Father, the very and eternal God, of one substance with the Father, took mans nature in the womb of the blessed Virgin; so that two whole and perfect natures, that is to say, the Godhead and Manhood, were joined together in one person, never to be divided; whereof is one Christ, very God and very Man, who truly suffered, was crucified, dead, and buried, to reconcile us to His Father, and to be a sacrifice, not only for original guilt, but also for actual sins of men. 4. Right to Notice. Such a society is no other than a company of men having the form and seeking the power of godliness, united in order to pray together, to receive the word of exhortation, and to watch over one another in love, that they may help each other to work out their salvation.. The pastor of the sending church shall then be notified to remove the member from the roll. Establish the qualifications, duties, and responsibilities of church membership, which shall be open to all who believe, irrespective of race, color, ethnic or tribal identity, gender, or disability. Upon their election to the office, elders may serve as a bishop of the church to defend the faith and to provide oversight and discipline to the churches and clergy that compose the annual conference. Each local church, annual conference, regional conference, or connectional commission shall designate in its corporate records how its property shall be disposed of in the event of the entitys dissolution. Nondiscrimination. Children of believing parents through Baptism become the special responsibility of the Church. Transfer, upon the request of the receiving bishop, clergy member(s) of one annual conference to another, provided said member(s) agrees to said transfer; and to send immediately to the secretaries of both conferences involved, to the conference Boards of Ministry, and to Transitional Leadership Council or its designee, written notices of the transfer of members. Faithful discipleship includes the obligation to participate in the corporate life of the congregation with fellow members of the body of Christ. Sacraments ordained of Christ are not only badges or tokens of Christian mens profession, but rather they are certain signs of grace, and Gods good will toward us, by which he doth work invisibly in us, and doth not only quicken, but also strengthen and confirm, our faith in him. stream Sanctification is that renewal of our fallen nature by the Holy Ghost, received through faith in Jesus Christ, whose blood of atonement cleanseth all from sin; whereby we are not only delivered from the guilt of sin, but are washed from its pollution, saved from its power, and enabled, through grace, to love God with all our hearts and to walk in His holy commandments blameless. It shall administer the funds received according to instructions from the church council. Baptism is not only a sign of profession and mark of difference whereby Christians are distinguished from others that are not baptized; but it is also a sign of regeneration or the new birth. Deacons Educational Requirements. The Finance Committee shall compile annually a complete budget for the local church and submit it to the church council for review and adoption. 2. (g) What is your understanding of the nature and authority of Scripture? 8. The bishop shall be present at each meeting of the committee, except where he or she voluntarily excuses himself orherself. Only one person from an immediate family residing in the same household shall serve on the committee. 10. Other Trans-Methodist bodies. The charge conference shall receive reports annually on all local church organized mission teams and shall forward the combined report through the regular annual local church statistical report. 0:37. s. Hire necessary staff to accomplish the work of the general church, including the work of any interim commissions or other transitional general church entities. In addition to taking the vows of baptism ( 316) those wishing to become professing members of the Global Methodist Church shall be asked the following questions before being received into the church: Do you believe in God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit? In the trial of a bishop, the chair of the Transitional Leadership Council shall proceed to convene the court under the provisions of the JPP 9 and 11. We believe we are never accounted righteous before God through our works or merit, but that penitent sinners are justified or accounted righteous before God only by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. The pastor is responsible for ensuring that members are cared for by implementing a discipleship process focused on helping members to go on to perfection by loving God with all of their heart, mind, soul, and strength, and by loving their neighbor as themselves. If the respondent is a bishop, the supervisory process shall be administered by the chair of the Transitional Leadership Council or their designee ( 811.1). I will. 21 0 obj o. This access shall be available until the publication of the new edition of theBook of Doctrines and Discipline. 1. The terms trustee(s) and Board of Trustees used in thisTransitional Book of Doctrines and Disciplinemay be construed to be synonymous with director(s) and Board of Directors applied to corporations. The Director shall be ultimately accountable to the Transitional Leadership Council and shall work in close collaboration with the ecclesiastical endorsing board on all matters relevant to the effective discharge of responsibilities. (l) Have you studied our form of church discipline and polity and will you support and maintain it? ii) Permission and Release of any required psychological tests, a criminal background and credit check, reports of sexual misconduct or child abuse. 1. << /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 606 >> WHAT ARE THE CORE BELIEFS OF THE GMC? - People The appellate body shall in no case hear witnesses, but shall receive and/or hear argument of the counsel for the Church and respondent. 5. During the period for which the leave is granted, the bishop shall be released from all episcopal responsibilities, and another bishop chosen by the Transitional Leadership Council shall preside in the episcopal area. We further denounce discrimination or persecution which may target any because of their gender, economic status, ethnic or tribal identity, age, or political views (Isaiah 1:17, Matthew 5:44, Romans 8:35). c.Parsonage. 3. United Methodist churches and individuals considering joining the proposed Global Methodist Church would do well to read its rule book carefully before deciding, 15. By this new birth the believer becomes reconciled to God and is enabled to serve him with the will and the affections. The Global Methodist Church is committed to open and fair processes in its commissions and institutions, including in the hiring, retention, compensation, promotion, and retirement of staff. stream In the case of a multi-point charge, the Board of Directors (or equivalent body) of the individual church conveying property must seek the approval of the individual charge conference. It shall be the secretarys duty to see that an exact statement of the question submitted and the ruling of the chair thereon shall be entered on the journal and minutes of the conference. All members of the church are called into a loving accountability with one another. %PDF-1.3 Prior to the convening General Conference, such plans of union may be approved by the Transitional Leadership Conference or may be recommended for approval to the convening General Conference. The letters (Gibbs sent three, on Aug. 8, 10 and 16) begin with a fundamental set of underlying premises that are wholly in error, specifically, that: (a) a local church has some inchoate, absolute right to leave The United Methodist Church and (b) Paragraph 2548.2 of the Discipline is a disaffiliation pathway for local churches. In that spirit, this Transitional Book of Doctrines and Discipline ofthe Global Methodist Church is intended to serve as a resource for all who wish to join in a methodical, practical, and warm- hearted pursuit of loving God and serving others as Jesus disciples in the world. The annual conference board of ministry or equivalent will interview the candidate for readiness for ordination as a deacon. Receiving funds on deposit, investing said funds, and loaning funds for construction and renovation of local churches; and. 5. Members shall serve six years and may not succeed themselves. The annual conference should establish a funding percentage for its local churches to support the work of the conference, including providing for the costs of the bishop ( 611.2, 505). Disaffiliating churches, which requires 2/3s of the church congregation to vote to leave, would lose the United Methodist banner and join the Global Methodist Church. The function of the local church, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, is to help people to accept and confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and to live their daily lives in light of their relationship with God. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the case of allegations of sexual or child abuse or crime involving allegations of sexual or child abuse, there shall be no statute of limitation. For those who have been part of The United Methodist Church, the applicant would deliver their certificate of conference membership, if one was issued to them, along with a written letter withdrawing from membership in their annual conference to the conference secretary under 360.1 of the UMCs Book of Discipline. 2. Meetings. (7) Will you keep the General Rules of our Church? (i) What gifts and graces do you bring to the work of ministry? Unity among the spiritual heirs of John Wesley is a profound hope and desire of the Global Methodist Church, rooted in our heritage as a connectionalmovement, linking congregations and conferences in cooperative ministry and mutual encouragement. A Comparison of the United Methodist Church and the Global Christ did truly rise again from the dead, and took again his body, with all things appertaining to the perfection of mans nature, wherewith he ascended into heaven, and there sitteth until he return to judge all men at the last day. 2. [7A\SwBOK/X/_Q>QG[ `Aaac#*Z;8cq>[&IIMST`kh&45YYF9=X_,,S-,Y)YXmk]c}jc-v};]N"&1=xtv(}'{'IY) -rqr.d._xpUZMvm=+KG^WWbj>:>>>v}/avO8 6. Heaviness through Manifold Temptations 42. COMPOSITION OF THE COMMITTEE ON INVESTIGATION, 811. In keeping with the historic practice of the Christian church, Elders are ordained to oversee the Sacramental life of the church and thus have full authority to preside at celebrations of Holy Baptism and Holy Communion. In areas where there is not yet a provisional annual conference or provisional district(s), the bishop assigned to that area will collaborate with the TCAT leader in the work of pastoral appointments, following the guidelines of 509-513. Five members shall constitute a quorum. Adopt a constitution for the Global Methodist Church. endobj Iowa City, In Christ - Iowa City. Along with the Transitional Leadership Council, coordinate the ministries of the general church to fulfill the mandates of the. Costs for episcopal travel outside the episcopal area on behalf of the general church, (e.g., Council of Bishops meetings) shall be paid out of general church funds, not conference partnership funds. Election carries with it the right to vote and participate in the business of an annual conference. Any such special session may be convened as a church conference. The Global Methodist Church welcomes covenant relationships with other Christian denominations or association of churches which do not involve organic union with the Global Methodist Church. The Finance and Administration Committee shall be responsible to develop, maintain, and administer a comprehensive and coordinated plan of fiscal and administrative policies, budgets, procedures, pension plans, benefits plans, and management services for the annual conference. BASIC QUALIFICATIONS OF THE ORDAINED, 407. a. We recognize that God made all creation and saw that it was good. 1. In each case an action shall remain effective unless and until rescinded prior to the completion of the transfer by a majority vote of those present and voting. Review and evaluate the missional effectiveness of the transitional general commissions of the church, making recommendations to the Council. Such appointments are a separate category from appointments to ministries outside the local church. 1 0 obj subjects or in which they reside, and to use all laudable means to encourage and enjoin obedience to the powers that be. Bishops transferring to the Global Methodist Church shall be available for interim assignment during the period prior to the convening conference to an existing or newly formed episcopal area by the Transitional Leadership Council. 2. The fair process for administrative hearings shall be followed in any involuntary leave procedure ( 814). The amount of income received from any income-producing property and a detailed list of expenditures in connection therewith; v. The amount received during the year for building, rebuilding, remodeling, and improving real estate, and an itemized statement of expenditures; vi. Their doctrinal summations, the Augsburg Confession, the Schleitheim Confession, the Anglican Articles of Religion, and the Heidelberg Catechism, bore witness to this faith. The Connectional Council on Appeals shall have jurisdiction to hear and determine all appeals from a regional appeals committee on a judicial matter (JPP 14.1 and 15.5). Annual conferences shall be formed for the purpose of connecting clergy and laity for shared ministry and accountability across a geographical region. We respect the right of workers to engage in collective bargaining to protect their welfare. Additionally, local congregations covenant to provide connectional funding as set forth in 349. The applicant shall consent to a background check. Slaveholding: buying or selling slaves. The committee shall meet only with the knowledge of the pastor. 10. Plans which do not require alterations to the Transitional Book of Doctrines and Discipline of the Global Methodist Church shall be ratified by a simple majority vote of the Transitional Leadership Council prior to the convening General Conference and become immediately effective. A member is bound in sacred covenant to shoulder the burdens, share the risks, and celebrate the joys of fellow members. Upon the recommendation by two-thirds secret ballot of the Pastor-Parish Relations Committee or equivalent, the charge conference shall by simple majority vote whether to approve and certify them for candidacy. Article VIII Reconciliation Through Christ. While the Global Methodist Church will launch on May 1, 2022, there is no deadline for local churches and pastors to join. The board shall include elders, deacons, and laity. (Those who were not ordained deacon prior to ordination as elder will be granted deacons orders upon beginning their service in the Global Methodist Church. The membership shall include but not be limited to the chairs of the committees responsible for pastor-parish relations, the finances of the church, the management of the churchs properties and assets, the lay leader, the lay member(s) of the annual conference, and all appointed clergy. 1. If it neither reverses in whole or in part the judgment of the trial court, nor remands the case for a new trial, nor modifies the penalty, that judgment shall stand, subject to possible appeal to the Connectional Council on Appeals. Following ordination, deacons must fulfill the additional educational requirements established for deacons in 407.3b within seven (7) years. But then, if he repent not, he hath no more place among us. Under the discipline of the Holy Spirit, the church exists for the maintenance of worship, the edification of believers, and the redemption of the world. The United Methodist Church, the third-largest Christian sect in the United States, took another step toward schism over their longstanding debate on LGBT issues when theological conservatives recently unveiled their plan for a new denomination. Holy Baptism may be performed by sprinkling, pouring, or immersion. Local church usage( 346.5a) Subject to the direction of the charge conference, the Board of Directors (or its equivalent) shall have the supervision, oversight, and care of all real property owned by the local church and of all property and equipment acquired directly by the local church or by any society, board, class, commission, or similar organization connected to it, provided that the Board of Directors shall not permit the property to be used in a manner which is inconsistent with theTransitional Book of Doctrines and Disciplineor violate the rights of any local church organization granted elsewhere in theseDoctrines and Discipline. a. c. Where necessary as a result of the incorporation of a local church, the corporation directors, in addition to electing officers as provided above, shall ratify and confirm by appropriate action and, if required by law, elect as officers of the corporation the treasurer(s) elected by the charge conference in accordance with the provisions of the Doctrines and Discipline. Within the Global Methodist Church, there are two types of ordered ministry: located ministry and the ministry of oversight (or apostolic ministry). As the people of God, we must either win the world to Christ, or abandon it to those forces that oppose Him. In all cases where an appeal is made and admitted by the appellate committee, after the charges, findings, and evidence have been read and the arguments concluded, the parties shall withdraw, and the appellate committee shall consider and decide the case. AUDITS AND BONDING OF CHURCH OFFICERS, 913. We do not accept abortion as a means of birth control or gender selection, and we call upon all Christians as disciples of the Lord of Life to prayerfully consider how we can support those women facing unintended pregnancies without adequate care, counsel, or resources (Exodus 22:23-23, Psalm 139:13-16, James 1:27). Family and private prayer. The Board of Ministry shall be responsible for overseeing the recruiting and credentialing of clergy for the furtherance of the mission of the Global Methodist Church. The congregation is then asked to affirm their commitment to support the baptismal candidate in the faith. 3 0 obj 1. This undeserved gift works to liberate humanity from both the guilt and power of sin, and live as children of God, freed for joyful obedience. A cooperative parish is a designated geographical area containing two or more local churches that have agreed to work together under unified parish leadership. Have a personal faith in Jesus Christ and be committed to Christ as Savior and Lord. We strongly encourage lay leaders and pastors to read and share that information with others. The Transitional Leadership Council shall elect members for each commission by majority vote, based on the expertise and gifts they bring to the tasks of a commission. THE STANDARD SERMONS OF JOHN WESLEY Intended to provide patterns of preaching and teaching for the people called Methodists, John Wesley published several editions of his sermons, beginning in 1746, to set down what he found as the way to heaven, with a view to distinguish this way of God from all those which are the inventions of men. The compilation of forty-four of those sermons were intended to provide a model deed for what was preached from a Methodist pulpit in the ongoing life of the church. r. Form such interim commissions and other general church entities as it judges necessary to begin implementing the polity and mission of the Global Methodist Church. These constitutive standards embody the faith once for all entrusted to the saints (Jude 3) and serve as a bulwark against false teaching, providing the framework for the praise of God in our teaching (orthodoxy), the development of our collective theology, and the launching point for our living and service (orthopraxis). Fiscal malfeasance or gross financial mismanagement; c. Racial, gender, or sexual discrimination or harassment; d. Promoting or engaging in doctrines or practices, or conducting ceremonies or services, that are not in accord with those established by the Global Methodist Church; e. Disobedience to the order and discipline of the Global Methodist Church; f. Relationships and/or behavior that undermines the ministry of another pastor; g. Engaging in sexual activities outside the bonds of a loving and monogamous marriage between one man and one woman, including but not limited to sexual abuse or misconduct, the use or possession of pornography, or infidelity.