General Conference 2004
RMC Wrap-up Report
General Conference Overview
The GC2004 page on the RMCUMC.org web site has all the reports from our delegation, which have the flavor
and some detail about the events. As Janet Forbes mentions in her
report, there were over 50 people attending the Conference from
the Rocky Mountain Conference. Three of our 12 delegates and alternates
spoke to the entire conference from the main podium: Peggy Sewell
about the Episcopal Fund, Janet Forbes for Courtesies ("The
Queen of Nice"), and Dan O'Neill for Pensions. The delegation
carefully planned that all of our 8 votes were cast by the best
people for the particular questions being debated in plenary at
any given time. As a result, all of our delegates and alternates
were able to spend considerable time “on the floor” as
voting delegates.
The Western Jurisdictions participation was quite noticeable as
well. Bishops Ed Paup and Mary Ann Swenson presided and Bishop
Beverly
Shamana preached. The Organizing Committee for the General Conference
is served by Gayle Murphy-Geiss and Paul Extrum-Fernandes. Bishop
Elias Galvan of the Pacific Northwest Conference was unfortunately
a target of inhospitable speech and actions at times.
Major issues:
Health Insurance: a study will be made over the next quadrennium
for a denomination-wide system, with a report to the Conferences
in January 2007. The decision is here.
Budget:
The process was chaotic, according to delegate Dan O'Neill, but
the final budget figure of $612.5 million was ultimately approved
with
the General Council on Finance and Administration (GCFA) setting
the final amounts in each category based on GC actions. Votes by
GC become "advisory" to GCFA in this process. The figure
of $612.5M represents a 3% increase each year over the next 4 years
(basically the rate of inflation).
Clergy Pensions: The Clergy Retirement Security
Program was
adopted. UMNS
story about the pension plan.
Organization: the General Council on Ministries
will be dissolved at the end of this year and replaced with a 47-member
Connectional
Table. GCFA was not changed significantly. See UMNS
News story:
Church
Unity: A document suggesting an "amicable" separation
of the United Methodist Church was circulating on Thursday and
Friday of the second week. Though it never made it to the floor,
a special report was made by the General Commission on Christian
Unity and Interreligious Concerns and the president of the Confessing
Movement about it. In response, a resolution was proposed by
delegates from each Jurisdiction which said that UMs would stand
together
through differences. The resolution is available in framable
format here
(PDF) and
in text form here.
Bishops: A proposal
to decrease the number of bishops was referred to a new
Episcopal Study Committee.
National Plans for Ethnic Ministries: All
were approved for continuance
Homosexuality: Several changes clarify the church's position.
UMNS News Stories:
General Conference Legislative Summary
Below are the results of all the petitions which went to General
Conference from the Rocky Mountain Annual Conference session in 2003.
Results of RMC General Conference Petitions
All petitions for legislation and resolution changes are on this
page. Please note that if a committee recommended non-concurrence
and the plenary voted concurrence, the petition did
not pass (in other words, the plenary concurred with the committee's
recommendation).
Other changes (not originating with RMC)
Lists of those calendar items and legislation that was supported
by plenary action can be accessed from this
link.
Actions
searchable by Disciplinary Paragraph. by legislative committee
and by word.
Here are highlights:
Social Principles
Other Legislation
Resolutions:
Rural Life
Several resolutions dealing with Rural Life and Rural Issues were
adopted, besides those RMC proposed
Other Resolutions
Reports from RMC Delegation
Below are reports on the activities and actions of the General Conference
meeting in Pittsburgh through May 7, from the members of the Rocky
Mountain Conference delegation. Other reports are here.
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