Fall 2022 Docket

Filing Deadlines

  • Deadlines for Submission of Briefs for item 1022-26, added on January 15, 2023:
    • Thursday, Feb. 16, 2023: Deadline for electronic filing of Briefs. Must be transmitted by 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time USA [UTC: 02 Feb. 2023, 06:59].
    • Thursday, Feb. 26, 2023: Deadline for electronic filing of Reply Briefs. Must be transmitted by 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time USA [UTC: 12 Feb. 2023, 06:59].
  • Deadlines for Submission of Briefs for item 1022-25, added on January 3, 2023:
    • Tuesday, Feb. 1, 2023: Deadline for electronic filing of Briefs. Must betransmitted by 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time USA [UTC: 02 Feb. 2023, 06:59].
    • Thursday, Feb. 11, 2023: Deadline for electronic filing of Reply Briefs. Must be transmitted by 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time USA [UTC: 12 Feb. 2023, 06:59].
  • Download revised Brief Submission Form for full instructions and hard copy mailing address.
  • Digital files for electronic filing should be transmitted to the Rev. Dr. Kabamba Kiboko, Judicial Council Secretary, at secretary@umcjudicialcouncil.org.
  • Thirteen [13] hard copies of the electronic filing should be shipped to:
    Rev. Dr. Kabamba Kiboko, Judicial Council Secretary
    c/o L. Smith, 1215 Shady Lane, Durham, NC 27712
  • Correspondence for the Judicial Council should be directed to the Secretary: 
    Rev. Dr. Kabamba Kiboko, Judicial Council Secretary, at secretary@umcjudicialcouncil.org.

Docket 1022-01

In Re: Request for a Declaratory Decision from the Western Pennsylvania Annual Conference Concerning the Meaning, Application, and Effect of ¶¶16.3, 33, 502.3, and 511.5 as They Relate to the Clergy and Lay Delegates to the Postponed General Conference to be held in 2024.
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Docket 1022-02

In Re: Request for a Declaratory Decision from the Kenya-Ethiopia Annual Conference on Questions Related to Whether the General Conference Next Convened will be the “Postponed General Conference” or simply the “2024 General Conference”and the implications and effect of ¶ 502.3 Regarding the Clergy and Laity that are Duly Elected Delegates to the 2020 General Conference whose opportunity to serve has been postponed from 2020 to 2022 and then to 2024 and whether those Delegates May Finally Serve or Whether Annual Conferences will be Required to Hold New Elections for General Conference Delegates Pursuant to ¶ 502.3.
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Docket 1022-03

In Re: Request for a Declaratory Decision from the Alaska Conference on the “meaning, application, and effect of ¶¶14, 34, 502, and 511.5 as they relate to issues and circumstances exacerbated by the multiple postponements of General Conference 2020.
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Docket 1022-04

In Re: Review of a Bishop’s Ruling on Questions of Law in the Greater New Jersey Annual Conference Concerning the Designation and Use of Funds from the Sale of Closed Churches and other Church Properties as well as Measures to Ensure Compliance with Restrictions in Trusts, Reversions, Bequests, and the like.
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Docket 1022-05

In Re: Review of a Bishop’s Ruling on Questions of Law in the Greater New Jersey Annual Conference as to Whether the Annual Conference was in Full Compliance with Tax Regulations Concerning the Sale of Parsonages.
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Docket 1022-06

In Re: Review of a Bishop’s Ruling on a Question of Law in the South Georgia Annual Conference Regarding the Legality and the Scope of Authority of an Annual Conference to Schedule a Special Session of Annual Conference Predicated Upon Various Conditions Precedent.
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Docket 1022-07

In Re: Review of a Bishop’s Report of a Ruling in the Northern Illinois Annual Conference Concerning a Question That Was Asked From the Floor but was Never Submitted in Writing.
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Docket 1022-08

In Re: Request for Declaratory Decisions from the Burundi Annual Conference as follows:

  1. Does Judicial Council Decision 1446, which stipulates January 1, 2023, as the retirement date for “bishops whose sixty-eighth birthday has been reached on or before July I, 2020,” apply to the central conferences?
  2. Under ¶ 408.1b and Judicial Council Decision 1446, given that General Conference did not meet in 2020 and has been postponed until 2024, must a bishop who reached the sixty-eighth birthday on or before the date upon which the central conference would have been held in 2020-21 be retired before 2024?
  3. Must the central conference colleges of bishops schedule a central conference meeting in 2022 in order to replace those bishops retiring under this provision?
  4. Pursuant to question 3 above, should Central Conference 2024 be postponed again, must Burundi be given the go ahead to become an Episcopal Area and elected a Bishop as was passed at General Conference 2016 under the five new Bishop for Africa question?

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Docket 1022-09

In Re: Request for Declaratory Decisions from the Virginia Annual Conference as follows:

  1. On the Meaning, Effect and Application of Par. 362.1(e) and Par. 2701.5 and Par. 2704.2 and Par. 2706.5, in determining if, and under what circumstances, the supervisory process can be extended beyond the 90-day limit of Par. 362.1(e), as well as what role a bishop has in facilitating a timely resolution of a complaint, as well as what role a bishop has in bringing about a just resolution after the matter has been referred to the counsel for the church as a judicial complaint, and whether the complainant and respondent and counsel for the church may reach a just resolution without the bishop’s involvement.
  2. On the Meaning, Effect, and Application of Par. 362.1, in determining the permissibility of a bishop, having received a signed written complaint, to solicit a second complaint on the same matter from a different complainant, as well as whether the complaint may be continued even after the original complainant withdraws that complaint.
  3. On the Meaning, Effect and Application of Par, 362.1, in determining the proper course for remediation when the process outlined in the Book of Discipline is not followed, and whether the annual conference may have some way to intervene along the lines of Judicial Council Memorandum 1189, which states in part, “In instances where appropriate process was not observed, the annual conference should consider taking appropriate steps to resolve any deviation from disciplinary process.”

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Docket 1022-10

In Re: Review of a Bishop’s Ruling on a Question of Law in the Mississippi Annual Conference Regarding the Legality of a Resolution Concerning Homosexuality.
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Docket 1022-11

In Re: Review of a Bishop’s Ruling on Questions of Law in the Indiana Annual Conference Regarding the Legality of the Resolution A Commitment To Grace In The Indiana Conference.
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Docket 1022-12

In Re: Review of a Bishop’s Ruling of Law on Questions Raised During a Special Session of the North Central Jurisdictional Conference Concerning the Legality of the Resolution, Covenant to Build BeLoved Community.
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Docket 1022-13

In Re: Report of a Bishop’s Ruling, Made During the Regular Session of the Western Pennsylvania Annual Conference, Finding that a Proposed Petition Concerning Disaffiliation was in Violation of the Discipline.
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Docket 1022-14

In Re: Review of a Bishop’s Ruling on Questions of Law in the Eastern Pennsylvania Annual Conference Concerning the Legal and Proper Disposition of Designated or Restricted Trusts, Gifts and Bequests Held by Local United Methodist Churches Seeking to Disaffiliate From the Denomination.
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Docket 1022-15

In Re: Review of a Bishop’s Ruling on Questions of Law in the Greater New Jersey Annual Conference Concerning Disaffiliation and the Legality of the Resolution A Call To Discernment and Renewal.
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Docket 1022-16

In Re: Review of a Bishop’s Ruling on Questions of Law in the Greater New Jersey Annual Conference Concerning the Legality of Actions Taken by Various Annual Conference Entities, the Inability to Amend Proposed Actions Contained in Reports to the Annual Conference, the Legality of Certain Procedures Related to Disaffiliation, and the Effect of the Resolution A Call To Discernment and Renewal in regard to those matters raised therein.
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Docket 1022-17

In Re: Review of a Bishop’s Ruling on Questions of Law in the Texas Annual Conference Related to the Legality and Authority of the General Conference to Provide a Specific Window of Opportunity for Qualifying Local Churches to Disaffiliate.
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Docket 1022-18

In Re: Review of a Bishop’s Ruling on Questions of Law in the Alabama-West Florida Annual Conference Regarding Whether the Action of the Annual Conference in Approving the Disaffiliation, of Each of the Five Local Churches Placed Before Them, and Approving and Adopting the Disaffiliation Agreements Associated with and Presented to Effectuate Those Disaffiliations, Negates, Ignores and Violates Various Provisions of the Discipline.
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Docket 1022-19

In Re: Review of a Bishop’s Ruling on a Question of Law in the West Ohio Annual Conference Regarding Whether Certain Sections of its Legislation Related to Disaffiliation, Violate Portions of the Book of Discipline including ¶ 2548.2 and ¶ 2553?
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Docket 1022-20

In Re: Review of a Bishop’s Ruling on a Question of Law in the West Ohio Annual Conference Concerning the Role and Authority of the Conference Board of Trustees in Relation to the Role and Authority of the Annual Conference Particularly Given Provisions such as those in ¶ 2512 versus the Disaffiliation Provision contained in ¶ 2553.
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Docket 1022-21

In Re: Review of a Bishop’s Ruling on a Question of Law in the Susquehanna Annual Conference Concerning the Role and Authority of the Conference Board of Trustees in Relation to the Role and Authority of the Annual Conference Particularly Given Provisions such as those in ¶ 2512 versus the Disaffiliation Provision contained in ¶ 2553.
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Docket 1022-22

In Re: Review of a Bishop’s Ruling on Questions of Law in the Wisconsin Annual Conference Concerning Seven Aspects of the Conference’s Implementation of ¶ 2553 [Local Church Disaffiliation].
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Docket 1022-23

In Re: Review of a Bishop’s Report of Questions Submitted During the Indiana Annual Conference Concerning Unadopted Legislation that was Ruled Out of Order and in Violation of the Discipline.
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Docket 1022-24

In Re: Request for a Declaratory Decision, and Other Relief, Submitted by a Clergy Member of the North Katanga Annual Conference
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Added 1-03-2023

Docket 1022-25

In Re: Request for a Declaratory Decision on Paragraph 413.3d from the Council of Bishops
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Added 1-15-2023

Docket 1022-26

In Re: Petition for Clarification of Judicial Council Decision 1451 from the Council of Bishops
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