Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
On Thursday, July 12 the Council of Bishops asked the Judicial Council to rule on the constitutionality of the three legislative plans submitted by the Commission on a Way Forward to the 2019 Special Session of General Conference. (
Read more here)
The Judicial Council has posted the
docket for their fall meeting, set for Oct. 23-26 in Zurich, Switzerland, and the request by the Council of Bishops is among the items to be considered.
Docket No. 1018-12
IN RE: Petition for Declaratory Decision from the Council of Bishops regarding the constitutionality of three sets of legislative petitions known as the One Church Plan, Connectional Conference Plan, and Traditional Plan. Read More
As part of the Judicial Council’s process,
The Book of Discipline requires that requests for a declaratory decision, including relevant documents, be posted on the Judicial Council website.
Included in the 231-page request from the bishops is the full report from the Commission on a Way Forward.
It is still anticipated that the translation of the report into the other three official languages of The United Methodist Church (French, Portuguese, and Kiswahili) will be made available
July 30 by the Commission on the General Conference.
As we study and reflect on the report, I will share more with you in the coming weeks. I also invite you to to join me to discuss the Way Forward report in your district.
August 16 - Northwest District
6:30 pm - 8 pm at St. Luke UMC, Columbus
August 20 - Northeast District
6:30 pm - 8 pm at Pittman Park UMC, Statesboro
August 27 - South Central District
6:30 pm - 8 pm at Valdosta FUMC
September 6 - Coastal District
6:30 pm - 8 pm at Hinesville FUMC
September 9 - North Central District
6 pm - 7:30 pm at Riverside UMC, Macon
September 18 - Southwest District
6:30 pm - 8 pm at Avalon UMC, Albany
Please remember to join the
worldwide prayer movement for General Conference. Let us
pray daily from 2:23 to 2:26 as we prepare for General Conference 2019.
My challenge before us remains: Stay Calm. Stay Connected. Stay the Course. Know that I am praying for each of you as together we navigate the days ahead.
Alive Together in the World,
Lawson Bryan
