Bishops Seek Court’s Guidance on Traditional Plan

By Linda Bloom
Oct. 31, 2019 | EVANSTON, Ill. (UM News)

The Traditional Plan adopted by the General Conference 2019 needs further consideration and clarification by The United Methodist Church’s top court, the president of the Council of Bishops said in an oral hearing.

The request by the United Methodist Council of Bishops is Docket 3 on the Judicial Council’s Oct. 28-Nov. 1 agenda.

The bishops asked for a declaratory decision on “the constitutionality, meaning, application and effect of certain petitions adopted as the Traditional Plan,” specifically on five questions about the effects of the plan “that need to be addressed for the benefit of The United Methodist Church.”

During an Oct. 30 oral hearing, Bishop Kenneth H. Carter, the council’s president, explained that the motivation for the request stemmed from the bishops’ interaction “with real people” affected by the plan.

“The matters before us are neither academic nor abstract,” Carter said. “They are where we and the church live. This impacts persons who are called to ministry and persons who are served by them.”

The Council of Bishops is not attempting to nullify the results of General Conference 2019, Carter told the Judicial Council. “We are simply appealing to you to clarify how this is implemented.”

The Council of Bishops identified 21 or more potential issues within the Traditional Plan needing further examination, Carter added, but chose five particular issues “because these impact the day-to-day work of the church.”

The Rev. Thomas Lambrecht, vice president of the traditionalist advocacy group Good News and one of the authors of the Traditional Plan, expressed dismay that the plan was still under review. Read more>