Buyer Beware: The GMC Book of Doctrines and Disciplines, Pt. 2: Power

 The GMC's, Book of Doctrines and Disciplines (BDD) is the best source we have for what the new denomination will really practice. In Part 1 of this series, I noted five things that I appreciated about the book. Now we start to dig in a little deeper.

One of the refrains that I hear on the traditionalist side of our current divide is that we have power problems. Centrists are actually "institutionalists" and part of that means keeping power structures the way that they are. We need a decentralized system for the 21st century.

I think it's a fair criticism, and one that the UMC will need to address in significant ways in the future. I'm not sure the GMC really addresses this, though. You will see this in future posts about bishops and money. In this post, I want to address some issues of power unrelated to these topics. In this and all future posts, paragraph numbers will refer to the October revision of the Book of Doctrines and Disciplines, which you can find at the link above.

 

Power

1. The Transitional Leadership Council (TLC): Before we get to specific paragraphs, I want to address an overriding, repeated concern. To be fair, starting a new denomination is a big idea requiring a herculean effort from a few people and lots of other effort from lots of other people. I don't know how I would do it. I do know that as you read throughout the BDD the Transitional Leadership Council shows up all over the place. This group of 18 mostly U.S. clergy (it can expand later) has almost unilateral authority to change anything that they want to change between now and the first General Conference (or equivalent) of the GMC. Even after the organizing conference this group will retain a great deal of power (more on this later). The BDD is effectively their document and if you choose to join the GMC prior to their organizing conference you are joining on their terms. Again, I don't know if there is a different way to do this. The series is titled "Buyer Beware," not "Don't Buy It." Just go in with your eyes wide open.

2. Removal of Membership: Traditionalists have been very clear that we need to take our beliefs seriously. Paragraph 322 lives that out in an extreme way. After charging each congregation to "establish and communicate clear expectations of their members," 322.3 says, "Negligent members may be placed on an inactive roll by a two-thirds vote of the church council." After two years on the inactive roll, during which the person can hold no office and have no vote, they can be removed entirely from membership. There is also a process for removing a member due to a chargeable offense. That process, like the UMC, includes a hearing and a right to appeal. This is not that. As best as I can tell, the decision of a local church regarding someone's membership is final. A local church can choose to simply kick a member out.

3. Hierarchical Clergy: We have issues with this in the UMC, too. Officially there is no hierarchy, at least not between elders and deacons (one could argue either way on local pastors). Unofficially, elders and deacons are often treated differently. In paragraph 403, the GMC returns to a two-stage ordination (pre-1996 in the UMC). This means a person is first ordained deacon. Some will choose to stay as permanent deacons. Others will choose to move on to ordination as an elder. There is no distinction between a permanent deacon with decades of experience and what in UMC terminology would be a provisional elder with one year of experience.

4.  Power over Education: This is probably the strangest piece you'll see in this whole series. Paragraph 407.b details the educational requirements for deacons after ordination. Since ordination happens sooner, it's reasonable that some additional course work would be required. But you don't get free reign to choose your work. After listing the kinds of courses that are acceptable (all of which are very reasonable), we learn "[The courses the deacon chooses] will be determined in consultation with the presiding elder (district superintendent) in consideration of the deacon's ministry setting." A deacon, either permanent or still in process, does not have the freedom to choose their courses.

5. Denominational Merger: I've already shared that I understand starting a new denomination requires some unusual powers. This one seems extreme. In paragraph 522.2, the TLC appoints a special commission of nine people for the purpose of recommending if other denominations should be able to join/merge with the GMC. 522.2b then gives sole authority to the TLC to determine "a plan of union to be effective immediately or to recommend such a plan of union to be approved at the convening General Conference." It does stipulate that the merging denomination must agree with the doctrinal and moral principles of the GMC. With that exception, this paragraph gives the TLC authority to approve any merger with any terms at any time before the convening conference takes place.

6. Diminishing Laity: The UMC has numerous requirements for proportional representation. Honestly, I think we probably have more than we need. The GMC has fewer. Some will like that and some won't. One board in particular caught my eye. Currently, laity must represent between 20% and 33% of the membership of the Board of Ordained Ministry. The BDD eliminates the minimum threshold. Members are nominated by the bishop. A bishop could choose to nominate as few as zero laity to serve on the board. Individual bishops actually have significantly more practical power in the GMC than in the UMC. We'll get to all of that in the next post in this series. I put this one here to focus on the diminishment of the power of laity. 

7. Transition over Time: Part seven of the BDD is about the connectional structure, beginning with the TLC. Again, this small group has unfettered power until the first convening conference. For all practical purposes, this is their document and they can change the rules whenever they want to. Paragraph 703 says they are, "empowered to make all necessary decisions related to the forming and initial operating of the Global Methodist Church until the effective date of legislation adopted by the convening General Conference. 703.2.o gives the TLC the power to decide when that convening conference will take place. Please hear me: I don't know if there is a different way of doing this. Somebody has to do the work. It seems important that this is acknowledged. Having said that, their power will continue indefinitely even after the convening conference. Paragraph 702 implies that their work will be transitioned over time to new connectional structures. 

8. Bureaucracy Is Coming: Probably not massive bureaucracy. That would be inconsistent with the stated goals of the leadership and there won't be enough funds (at least at first) to maintain it. But remember that an organization only grows over time, just like our current BOD has grown. Paragraph 705 gives a pretty lean transitional structure that, presumably, will continue intact after the convening conference. The last subpoint is the key one. "Transitional commissions may also be formed in other areas not named above..." There is no inherent limit to the size the organization can reach. 

I think half of these eight concerns could be easily remedied and maybe even will be by the end of the convening conference. For example, the inability of a member to appeal their membership being revoked could simply be an oversight (or I may have just missed something). The other half are, I think, just the way it is for now. The next post, on bishops and appointments, is different. I'm pretty confident that everything you will read there is exactly as intended. And it's not all as originally advertised.