April 28, 2017
Court rules on episcopal election
Today the Judicial Council of The United Methodist Church released decisions from their recent meeting. Of great interest is the request for a decision from the South Central Jurisdiction on the election of Bishop Karen Oliveto by the Western Jurisdiction. In the decision, the council finds Oliveto’s election to be illegal, but also states that she remains a bishop of the church and is entitled to due process rights. Below you can find information about that decision and others.
Bishop Elaine Stanovsky, acting as spokesperson for the Western Jurisdiction and its College of Bishops has also released a preliminary statement. The College will consider the ruling in detail and continue to evaluate and seek justice. They are meeting together in Dallas, Texas, in advance of a meeting of the Council of Bishops, the gathering of all bishops of the church.
These, and a report about other decisions of the church’s highest court, are below.
"The Judicial Council ruled today on challenges to the election of an out gay bishop in The United Methodist Church. The ruling is long and complicated, reinforcing the reality that the church is not of one mind about inclusion of LGBTQI people and sexual practices outside heterosexual marriage. We thank the Judicial Council for allowing the Commission on A Way Forward to do its work. We have said from the beginning that we trust the commission to find new ways for United Methodists of varying perspective to live and serve God together.
Karen Oliveto, is still a bishop of The United Methodist Church, assigned to the Mountain Sky Area, with all the rights, privileges, responsibilities and protections that every clergy person enjoys. The decision refuted the claim that bishops have the right and responsibility to declare a candidate for election as a bishop ineligible without due process.
On the other hand, the Judicial Council expanded the definition of “self-avowed practicing homosexual,” making it clear that the church is still not open to full LGBTQI inclusion.
While the Judicial Council ordered a review of Bishop Oliveto’s qualifications for ministry, the Western Jurisdiction is already in the process of responding to complaints that were filed after her election. This process will continue according to the provisions of our Book of Discipline.
We will have more to say about this ruling as the Western Jurisdiction College of Bishops gathers this week during the Council of Bishops meeting. We will be in prayer, conversation, and consultation with leaders of the Western Jurisdiction and the Council of Bishops.
Consecration of gay bishop against church law
Bishop Karen Oliveto confers with her
wife during the Judicial Council Hearing
(UMNS, Mike Dubose photo).
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NEWARK, N.J. (UMNS) The consecration of a gay bishop violates church law, the top court of The United Methodist Church has ruled.
However, the bishop “remains in good standing,” the Judicial Council said in Decision 1341, until an administrative or judicial process is completed.
“Under the long-standing principle of legality, no individual member or entity may violate, ignore or negate church law,” said the decision, made public April 28. “It is not lawful for the college of bishops of any jurisdictional or central conference to consecrate a self-avowed practicing homosexual bishop.”
Officials in the U.S. Western Jurisdiction consecrated the Rev. Karen Oliveto as a bishop on July 16, 2016. Based in the Denver area, she is the episcopal leader of the Mountain Sky Area, which encompasses Colorado, Montana, Utah, Wyoming and one church in Idaho. Read the rest of this United Methodist News Service story.
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Review all clergy qualifications, court says
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NEWARK, N.J. (UMNS) United Methodist boards of ordained ministry must look at all qualifications to determine whether a ministerial candidate is a fitting applicant — including adherence to the church’s position on homosexuality.
That is the ruling of the Judicial Council, the denomination’s top court, in petitions related to the New York and Northern Illinois conferences, where those boards had publicly declared they would not consider issues of sexuality when evaluating a candidate.
In total, the nine-member Judicial Council deliberated on seven docket items during its April 25-28 spring session, including a petition challenging last year’s election of a lesbian bishop, Bishop Karen Oliveto, that drew attention from church members worldwide. About 200 people attended an April 25 oral hearing on the matter. Read the rest of this United Methodist News Service story
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