Court docket reflects busy conference season
By Linda Bloom
July 26, 2019 | UMNS
Reaction by United Methodist regional bodies in the U.S. — as well as the Council of Bishops — to the Traditional Plan adopted by the 2019 General Conference dominates the fall agenda of the denomination’s top court.
The Judicial Council has an 18-item docket to consider when it meets Oct. 29-Nov. 1 in Evanston, Illinois. Aug. 19 is the deadline to submit briefs and make requests for oral hearings.
Two items are from the United Methodist Council of Bishops regarding questions about legislation passed at the 2019 General Conference in St. Louis.
The bishops are asking for a declaratory decision on “the constitutionality, meaning, application and effect of certain petitions adopted as the Traditional Plan,” specifically asking five questions about the effects of the plan “that need to be addressed for the benefit of The United Methodist Church.”
The bishops also requested a ruling from the Judicial Council about the effective date of a new paragraph in the Book of Discipline about the disaffiliation of local churches over issues related to human sexuality. [Continue reading at UMNews.org]