2018 Upper New York Annual Conference Journal IV. Daily Proceedings
Saturday, June 2, 2018 Morning Plenary – 9:15 a.m. Bishop Webb opened the morning plenary session. Daily Wrap Krystal Cole, laity, and Ian Urriola, laity, hosted the “Daily Wrap” video, highlighting the events of the previous day. Monitoring Report Tom Blake, laity, representing Commission on the Status and Role of Women (COSROW) and Blenda Smith, laity, representing Commission on Religion and Race, provided the monitoring data from Friday’s session. CF&A Report and 2019 Budget Bishop Webb introduced the Rev. Susan Ranous, chair of the Committee on Finance & Administration, to give the Committee’s report and present the budget. Prior to presenting the 2019 budget, Rev. Ranous thanked the Conference for making it possible to pay 100% of General Church apportionments for the second year in a row. The 2019 Ministry Budget was brought forward for approval. Two clarifying questions were answered by Rev. Ranous. The Rev. Beckie Sweet, pastor at the Kenmore UMC, speaking on behalf of Kevin Nelson, laity, whose voice was weakened due to illness, asked whether money was set aside for visitors and alternate delegates to General Conference, and then moved to request a declaratory decision to create funds to aid non–delegates attending General Conference. It was ruled out of order by the bishop. Rev. Ranous, answered several clarifying questions. Gabriella Wilson, laity, prayed over the vote. The Budget was adopted. Request for Declaratory Decision Kevin Nelson, laity, Home Missioner, moved to request a declaratory decision by the Judicial Council on the decision by General Conference to require visitors to pay registration fees and acquire badges to gain entry to the plenary hall for the 2019 Special Session of General Conference to be held February 23–26, 2019 in St. Louis, Mo. It received a second. Rev. Sweet speaking to the motion, on behalf of Kevin Nelson, whose voice was weakened by illness, provided the following rationale: “The impact of such multi hundred–dollar registration fees, in combination with the mandatory payment of them in order to acquire a badge that would permit entry into the plenary hall, create a scenario where only economically affluent United Methodists would be able to observe in person and participate in the conversations that take place inside the plenary hall, while less affluent United Methodists would be restricted to staying outside the room and relegated to watching remotely via an online video feed. Such actions would create a highly consequential and morally repugnant economic barrier to the full participation of observers at General Conference.” Rev. Sweet cited paragraphs 164b regarding political responsibility and 164d regarding freedom of information. Rev. Sweet, reading on behalf of Nelson, noted that paragraph 6129 of The Book of
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