Complete 2012 Journal - 2012 NC Conference Journal

Section V: Miscellaneous Reports 287
WHEREAS, nearly every church in North America has victims, survivors, and perpetrators
of domestic violence in their membership or those attending; and
WHEREAS, domestic violence happens in all kinds of families and relationships; and
WHEREAS, the Social Principles of The United Methodist Church (paragraph 161G) state,
“We recognize that family violence and abuse in all its forms--verbal, psychological, physical
and serial—is detrimental to the covenant of the human community. We encourage the
church to provide safe environment, counsel, and support for the victim.”*
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the North Carolina Annual Conference of The
United Methodist Church recognize Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October as a
time to help congregations stand in solidarity with victims and those who minister to them; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the North Carolina Annual Conference of The United
Methodist Church encourages all congregations to have awareness raising information
concerning domestic violence available from the United Methodist Church’s Board of
Church and Society; and
BE IT ALSO RESOLVED that all congregations of the North Carolina Annual Conference
of The United Methodist Church are encouraged to lift up those victims of domestic violence
in their midst by praying for them, and by contacting local, and state representatives on
behalf of those victims to encourage passage of legislation regarding support for programs to
combat domestic violence.
* Social Principles of The United Methodist Church 2009-2012, Paragraph 161, Section II,
Item G
[Defeated] Resolution 3 “Concerning Legislative Unfairness/
Fairness at General Conference”
This resolution came from the Reverend Paul Stallsworth and concerned the procedure and
handling of specific petitions before the General Conference. Specifically, there was a concern
that procedural discretion was unfairly used to scheduled certain petitions at the end of the
Conference session anticipating that they might be dropped due to lack of time.
This resolution named this procedural practice as being unfair and unfaithful of Holy
Conferencing, in particular in its handing of Petition 20989, and asked us to direct the
Conference Secretary to write and send a letter to “the members of the 2012 General
Conference’s Committee on Calendar and Agenda and to all the members of the Council
of Bishops.” And that this “letter will include: (1) the text of this resolution, (2) a statement
about the unfairness of General Conference ignoring Petition Number 20989, and (3) a
statement that recommends that, at future General Conferences, all legislation, that is passed
by a subcommittee and/or a committee, be considered by the entire General Conference for
the sake of elementary fairness and holy conferencing.”
The Committee on Resolutions took the position that some use of discretion is inevitable
and needed to guide the work of the church from the local congregation to the General
Conference. Therefore the committee recommended that it be defeated.
After debate the body defeated the resolution.