By Jack Jackson, Special Contributor… After years of debate over progressive views of lesbian and gay ordination and marriage, the United Methodist Church reaffirmed its traditional stance at the 2012 General Conference in Tampa, Fla. Due to the UMC’s growth in Africa and Asia and decline in Europe and North America, many progressives fear the denomination will retain current prohibitions around LGBT inclusion for years to come. Advocates of inclusion are, therefore, left with four choices of how to proceed: covenanting to partner with the majority (whether or not it [...]
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Commentary: It’s time to re-think life tenure for U.S. bishops
By Joseph Stains, Special Contributor… One of the less-noted dialogues of General Conference 2012 that comes home for further review is the American way of electing bishops, untested, for lifelong tenure through retirement. While we have clung to this hierarchical model from our Anglo-Catholic forbears, worldwide United Methodism is bringing us fresh vision of shared servant ministry that compels us to rethink what we expect of fellow elders who assume the title of bishop. Term episcopacy, the electing of bishops for defined periods of eight years or less at a [...]
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