News and Views

Where can I see a copy of the new policy of the Baltimore-Washington Conference’s Board of Ordained Ministry (BOOM)?

The policy is online here 

How is the Board of Ordained Ministry policy “not compliant with the 2016 Book of Discipline”?

Para. 304.3 states “The practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching. Therefore, self-avowed practicing homosexuals are not to be certified as candidates, ordained as ministers, or appointed to serve in The United Methodist Church.” 

In addition, the Judicial Council ruled in April 2017, in Decision 1344, that the Board of Ordained Ministry “is mandated to examine all applicants as to their fitness for the ordained ministry and make full inquiry as to the fitness of the candidate.” The examination “must include” issues of gender and sexuality.

The BOOM policy states that, “Knowing each of us is a child of God, made in God’s image, and a recipient of God’s grace, we do not view race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation or marital status as a barrier to ministry. We will not consider or evaluate sexual orientation or gender identity, nor see them as sufficient reasons to deny a candidate’s ability to live up to our United Methodist standards.”

At the May 30 clergy session, two of the 30 people BOOM is recommending for ordination as provisional, or full membership, are married to people of the same gender.
Who is permitted to attend this session, and who gets to vote on what? 

All clergy members of the Baltimore-Washington Conference and lay members of the Board of Ordained Ministry shall have voice in the clergy session. Clergy members include Deacons and Elders in full connection, provisional members, associate members, affiliate members, and local pastors. Others may be admitted by express action of the clergy session, but shall not have vote, nor, unless specifically granted by the clergy session, shall not have voice. (¶605.7 and 602.1, 2016 Book of Discipline)

Who in the executive session may vote to approve the candidates for ordination?

Only the ordained clergy in full connection with the Baltimore-Washington Conference and the members of the Board of Ordained Ministry may vote on matters of ordination, character and conference relations of the clergy. (Para. 605.7 and 334.1) The voting machines have been programmed so that only these people will be able to vote on these matters.

What about those clergy not in full connection?

Provisional clergy members have the right to vote on all matters except constitutional amendments, election of clergy delegates to General or Jurisdictional Conference, and matters of ordination, character, and conference relations of clergy. (¶602.1b) Associate clergy members have the right to vote on all matters except constitutional amendments, and matters of ordination, character, and conference relations of clergy. (¶602.1c) Affiliate clergy members have the right to vote on all matters except constitutional amendments, election of clergy delegates to General and Jurisdictional Conference, and matters of ordination, character, and conference relations of clergy. (¶602.1c) Full-time and part-time local pastors have the right to vote on all matters except constitutional amendments, election of delegates to General and Jurisdictional Conference, and matters of ordination, character, and conference relations of clergy. (¶602.1d) However, when local pastors are members of BOOM, they have the right to vote at the clergy session on matters of ordination, character, and conference relations of clergy. (¶602.1d)

What is a “decision,” or “ruling, of law”?

When a member of the Conference feels that an action of the conference is not in compliance with the Book of Discipline, they may request a ruling, or “decision of law” from the bishop. A bishop presiding over an annual conference shall decide all questions of law coming before the bishop in the regular business of a session, provided that such questions be presented in writing and that the decisions be recorded in the journal of the conference. Such an episcopal decision shall not be authoritative except for the pending case until it is passed upon by the Judicial Council. (¶51) Normally, the bishop shall rule before the close of the annual conference session during which the question was submitted, but in no case later than 30 days after the close of the session. (¶2609.6)

What is the time frame for responding to such a request? If a ruling was requested, when would the Judicial Council consider it? 

The Judicial Council traditionally considers decisions of law twice a year, in the Fall and Spring.

What is the Judicial Council?

The Judicial Council is comprised of nine members elected by the General Conference. Their role is to ascertain the constitutionality and legality of acts or proposed acts of the church in light of the most current Book of Discipline and previous rulings of the Judicial Council. The Judicial Council includes a balance of lay and clergy members from across the global church.

Does the new policy reflect the thinking of everyone on the 54-member Board of Ordained Ministry? 

After much deliberation, this policy was written by the Board’s Task Force on Human Sexuality and was adopted by a significant consensus. Once something is made policy, it is the board’s practice to speak with one voice about this policy. The new policy does affirm that all board members should vote their conscience following a fair examination of all candidates.

Why did the Board of Ordained Ministry choose to move forward now, instead of waiting for after the work of the Commission on the Way Forward [http://www.umc.org/who-we-are/commission-on-a-way-forward] and the call special 2019 session of General Conference, which is expected to present a denomination-wide strategy for addressing the Church’s stance on homosexuality?

The BOOM policy affirms the ongoing work of the Commission on a Way Forward. BOOM leaders say they hope this policy will help inform holy conferencing around the issues being considered at the Special Session. In an article for the UMConnection, BOOM leaders expressed the feeling that waiting did not feel like an option because, “justice delayed is justice denied.”

What “authority” does the presiding bishop have over a conference Board of Ordained Ministry?

The bishop has a collegial relationship with the Board of Ordained Ministry, and a representative of the Cabinet attends Board meetings. But the bishop’s supervisory function does not extend to BOOM. Members to the Board of Ordained Ministry are nominated by the bishop after consultation with the chairperson of the Board, the executive committee of the Board, and the Cabinet. (¶635.a)

If the clergy vote to approve all of the candidates, does the bishop have a choice in who she will ordain? Even if the clergy send the candidate forward, would ordaining someone married to a person of the same gender be a violation of the Book of Discipline?

The bishop can act according to her conscience and convictions. Bishop LaTrelle Easterling has shared that she is in deep prayer and discernment about this issue and how it will affect the Church, the conference, and all the people involved. She has also called on the people of the Baltimore-Washington Conference to also be in prayer. Such an ordination would violate the Book of Discipline.

Q: What are the frequently cited Disciplinary paragraphs and Judicial Council rulings cited during holy conferencing around this issue?

¶304.3 states “The practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching. Therefore, self-avowed practicing homosexuals are not to be certified as candidates, ordained as ministers, or appointed to serve in The United Methodist Church.”

¶33. Article II of the Constitution states, “The annual conference is the basic body in the Church and as such shall have reserved to it the right to vote on all constitutional amendments, on the election of clergy and lay delegates to the General and the jurisdictional or central conferences, on all matters relating to the character and conference relations of its clergy members, and on the ordination of clergy and such other rights as have not been delegated to the General Conference under the Constitution, with the exception that the lay members may not vote on matters of ordination, character, and conference relations of clergy except that the lay members of the conference board of ordained ministry may vote on matters of ordination, character, and conference relations of clergy, with the further exception that lay members of the district committee on ordained ministry be full participating members of the district committee on ordained ministry with vote. It shall discharge such duties and exercise such powers as the General Conference under the Constitution may determine.”

¶635 discusses the Board of Ordained Ministry and ¶635.2 outlines the Board’s duties.

Judicial Council Decision 1344 

Judicial Council Decision 1330

When considering holy conferencing, it is helpful to consider the United Methodist stance in Para. 162 that:

"The rights and privileges a society bestows upon or withholds from those who comprise it indicate the relative esteem in which that society holds particular persons and groups of persons. We affirm all persons as equally valuable in the sight of God. We therefore work toward societies in which each person’s value is recognized, maintained, and strengthened. We support the basic rights of all persons to equal access to housing, education, communication, employment, medical care, legal redress for grievances, and physical protection. We deplore acts of hate or violence against groups or persons based on race, color, national origin, ethnicity, age, gender, disability, status, economic condition, sexual orientation, gender identity, or religious affiliation. Our respect for the inherent dignity of all persons leads us to call for the recognition, protection, and implementation of the principles of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights so that communities and individuals may claim and enjoy their universal, indivisible, and inalienable rights."

Learn more about the denomination's position on homosexuality.