Friday, June 28

The day began with a continuation of Thursday's discussion of Property. The proposal on the floor would give local churches the right to full ownership of their property, and, in effect (if not in intent) make it much easier for disgruntled congregations to walk away from the denomination with their property. At least that's the fear stated by persons opposed to the proposal. The proposal lost.

Doctrinal Statements

Then they moved on to some proposals from Michindoh Conference. The most controversial one involved adding a statement on Salvation to the Official Doctrinal Positions. There were serious objections to adding new material which expanded on what is already contained in the Confession of Faith--and even sentiments toward eliminating the whole section on Official Doctrinal Positions, which was created in 1981 and thus far only has one statement: on Depravity.

Some of the Central Conference delegates.

Tom Brodbeck (Central) proposed a resolution to substitute for the statement on Salvation. It addresses the various issues behind the whole issue, and would not involve placing something in the Discipline. The delegates overwhelmingly voted in favor of that resolution.

Women's Ministry

A Women's Ministry Leadership Team was approved. It will be a team in addition to, and alongside, the other leadership teams already approved--Healthy Church, Global Ministries, Education, and Administration. The Executive Leadership Team will appoint the members of the team, and also determine funding issues. The chairman of the Women's Ministry Leadership Team will be an advisory member of the ELT. Other details about the various aspects of Women's Ministries, purposes, etc., are spelled out in Report 49.

Later, during the Finance Committee report, $5000 was allocated for Women's Ministries.

Finance Committee

Marda Hoffman presented the Finance Committee report. The budget was adopted.

Lunch

Bishop Seilhamer led the delegates through reports 86 to 90, and it went pretty fast--about a half hour, and they were done. It included the proposals from the Task Force on Membership (report 87), new chapters dealing with church conflict and discipline (report 87), conference boundaries for the US (report 88), some miscellaneous proposals (report 89), and two editorial proposals (report 91).

Joint Ministry Agreements

Brian Magnus presented a request from the Canadian conference that the United States National Conference participate in a joint ministry agreement for missions. The joint organization would include ten US members and two Canadians. It was approved.

They also voted to continue the joint ministry agreement by which Canada sends assessments to the US. That gives Canada a member of the US Executive Leadership Team.

Other Stuff

They passed a recommendation to encourage incorporating ethnic church plants into annual conferences. For instance, a new Hispanic church in central Ohio would become part of Central Conference, rather than remain as part of Latin American Ministries.

Around 2:30 in the afternoon, the US National Conference adjourned, for good. No more reconvening this week. Then Bishop Seilhamer called the General Conference back into session.

General Conference

The international Constitution calls for one person to be named as "convener" of the international executive committee. Paul Hirschy was named to that role.

Bishop Seilhamer turned the chair over to Kyle McQuillen to walk the conference through an examination of the various national conference constitutions.

Two persons were asked to examine the governing documents of another national conference, and to report concerning any problems they saw. Each country's governing documents were given a thumbs up by the examining team.

As each team reported, the General Conference delegates voted on whether or not to accept that country's documents, and by extension, their membership in the international United Brethren church. The delegates from each national conference were forbidden to vote on their own country's documents. That included the United States--the vast majority of the delegates, but subject to the approval of the rest of the world.

• John Schubert (USA) reported for the team looking at Canada's documents.
• Steve Gilbertson and Luke Fetters saw no problems with the Hong Kong documents.
• Denis Casco and Juan Pavon reported favorably on the governing documents for Honduras. Dave Burkett addressed Jamaica's documents.
• Gary Brooks and Francisco Raudales reported on the Nicaraguan documents.
• Carlson Becker said his team saw nothing major in the Sierra Leone's constitution.
• Brian Magnus and Lloyd Spencer reported on the US Constitution.

A few other things were cared for. Then Bishop Seilhamer (below) gave some closing comments, nothing that this would be remembered as a historic General Conference, one which foreverchanged the complexion of the denomination.

And then they were done. General Conference adjourned around 3:15.

Upon adjourning, Kyle McQuillen asked all of the international delegates to meet on one side of the room. There, he introduced them to Gary Dilley, who would be working closely with them during the next four years.

After that, Paul Hirschy met with the heads of each of the other national conferences to discuss when they would meet at an executive committee.

Before long, everyone had cleared out of the meeting hall. A busy, and historic, week of General Conference had ended.