2018 Upper New York Annual Conference Journal IV. Daily Proceedings
The Rev. Alan Kinney, retired, asked if for next year’s report, the trustees would provide a detailed report, rather than a narrative, of money spent and money received. Rev. Barling acknowledged the request and said they would make every effort to provide that. The Rev. Devin Lyles, pastor at the Rochester: The Pillar UMC, suggested that the trustees and the Conference find other ways to fund the new faith communities rather than through the New Beginnings Fund, which is financed by the discontinuance of local churches. The Trustees Report is adopted. Election of the trustees There are three vacancies to be elected by paper ballot. Secretary Hodge called for the tellers to distribute ballots and explained that three are to be elected. The legal mandate for the election of trustees by written ballot comes from Section 325 of the Religious Corporation Law, which applies, by way of Section 320 of the RCL, to all United Methodist Churches and “affiliated organizations.” Carol Hatfield, laity, asked that the candidates be introduced. Two of the candidates, Joyce Miller and Nathan Trost, were present and introduced. Anna Buell, clergy, offered prayer before the vote was taken. The written ballots were received by the tellers to be counted. Conference Chancellor Bishop Webb introduced and thanked Conference Chancellor Scott Delconte for his work with the Conference and for his ministry. Commission on A Way Forward The Rev. Dr. Scott Johnson, who serves on the Commission on a Way Forward, explained the prayerful and intentional process. Rev. Johnson explained that the commission met nine (9) times beginning in January 2017 and concluding a week before this Conference session. Throughout the process, the Commission did a lot of listening and learning, receiving input from a variety of constituencies and the Church at large. All of this culminated in a report to the Council of Bishops, which received the report and made a subsequent recommendation to the church. Bishop Webb thanked Rev. Johnson for his work and expressed his appreciation for the way the entire 32–member Commission on a Way Forward has approached its work. He also explained that the Council of Bishops has engaged at various points with this work in deep prayer, honest conversation, and acknowledgement of deep divisions that are present within the Council and the entire Church. The bishop also read the official recommendation from the Council of Bishops: Having received and considered the extensive work of the Commission on a Way Forward, the Council of Bishops will submit a report to the Special Session of the General Conference of 2019 that includes: • •
All three plans (The Traditionalist Plan, the One Church Plan, and the Connectional Conference Plan) for a way forward considered by the Commission and the Council The Council’s recommendation of the One Church Plan
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