Decision Number 1222

Digest

We find partial compliance with Decision 1204, but cannot waive full adherence to mandates of the Discipline. We remand anew to the South Carolina Annual Conference to follow fully ¶ 614.3 on line item budget of commission on archives and history for benevolences and ¶ 633.3 on membership of the secretary of global ministries in the Annual Conference Board of Global Ministries and to report to us within 30 days from the last day of the 2013 Annual Session. Our continuing jurisdiction is maintained.

Statement of Facts

In Decision 1204 dated October 28, 2011, the Judicial Council remanded to the South Carolina Annual Conference the Transition Plan it adopted in June 2011, for revision, in order to comply in full with the requirements of ¶ 610 on structuring of its agencies, ¶ 614.3 on benevolences budget and Decision 1147.

The Analysis and Rationale of 1204 pointed out the deficiencies in the Plan such as
(a) omission of conference commission on archives and history mandated in ¶ 641;
(b) lack of line item for said commission in the budget for conference benevolences or "allocation and expenditures directly associated with the program mission, and benevolent causes;"
(c) misplacement of council on youth (emphasis added) ministry under Conference Discipleship Ministries and
(d) omission of mandated conference council on young-adult (emphasis added)ministry, both of which should be with the Conference Connectional Ministries (¶ 649.1 and ¶ 650);
(e) conference secretary of global ministries should be a member of the Annual Conference Board of Global Ministries (¶ 633.3). Reporting to this Council on June 20 and August 20, 2012, two Secretaries of South Carolina Conference submitted a record of the proceedings on June 11, 2012, and certified to the changes on Rule 48 concerning the Conference Connectional Ministries "to correct a deficiency," which the Director of that Ministries clarified the next day as five places of compliance.

Jurisdiction

The Judicial Council continues its jurisdiction under ¶ 2610 of the 2008 Discipline.

Analysis and Rationale

We note the following changes effected under Rule 48 of the South Carolina Annual Conference Transition Plan:
(1) adding the chairperson of archives and history to the Discipleship Ministry Team as ex-officio member, with voice and vote;
(2) moving the 2013 budget of archives and history to that of Connectional Ministries, including the
(3) Council on Youth and
(4) Council on Young Adult as members of Discipleship Ministries, and the
(5) Conference secretary of global ministries as ex-officio member of the Outreach Ministries. The Discipleship, Outreach, together with the Advocacy and Lay Leadership Ministries form part of the Conference Connectional Ministries (CCM), formerly Conference Council on Connectional Ministries.

It is also noted that the Conference Discipleship and Outreach Ministries are parts of the Conference Connectional Ministries (CCM) to which the archives and history chair and budget for 2013 were moved, and the Councils on Youth and Young Adults, as well as the Conference secretary of global ministries, were included. However, there is no mention or assurance of a line item for conference benevolences in the budget of the commission on archives and history. Nor is it clearly shown in the amended Rule 48 that the secretary of global ministries is named as member also of the Conference Board of Global Ministries, save for the bare statement of the director of CCM. Instead, the secretary of global ministries is made ex-officio member of Outreach.

Decision

We find partial compliance with Decision 1204, but cannot waive full adherence to mandates of the Discipline. We remand anew to the South Carolina Conference to follow fully ¶ 614.3 on line item budget of commission on archives and history for benevolences and ¶ 633.3 on membership of the secretary of global ministries in the Annual Conference Board of Global Ministries and to report to us within 30 days from the last day of the 2013 Annual Session. Our continuing jurisdiction is maintained.

Beth Capen was absent.

Sandra Lutz, first lay alternate, participated in this decision.