Judicial Council
UMC bishops request 2026 General Conference as hundreds more churches disaffiliate
By Emily McFarlan Miller — May 8, 2023
CHICAGO (RNS) — To date, at least 2,804 churches have left the United Methodist Church since 2019, according to United Methodist News Service.
UMC top court rules disaffiliating clergy don’t automatically lose credentials
By Emily McFarlan Miller — April 26, 2023
(RNS) — A Wisconsin bishop had required clergy whose churches were disaffiliating to give up their jobs or their credentials.
For United Methodists’ top court, 2024 is the new 2020
By Emily McFarlan Miller — March 15, 2023
(RNS) — Three of the most recent decisions released by the Judicial Council dealt with resolutions that annual and jurisdictional conferences have approved regarding the denomination’s stance on LGBTQ inclusion.
US annual conferences can’t just leave the United Methodist Church, rules top court
By Emily McFarlan Miller — May 11, 2022
(RNS) — The decision by the Judicial Council, the denomination’s top court, comes just over a week after the launch of the Global Methodist Church, a new denomination formed by theologically conservative Methodists.
Dissent from Traditional Plan dominates United Methodists’ top court meeting
By Emily McFarlan Miller — November 2, 2019
CHICAGO (RNS) — Many of the requests before the Judicial Council this past week had to do with actions recently passed by various regional annual conferences across the country dissenting to the Traditional Plan approved in February.
Protesting Methodist LGBTQ policy, confirmation class takes a pass
By Yonat Shimron — April 29, 2019
(RNS) — Eight teenagers who make up this year’s confirmation class stood before the congregation on Confirmation Sunday (April 28) and read a letter saying they do not want to join the church at this time.
United Methodist court upholds Traditional Plan’s ban on LGBTQ clergy, same sex marriage
By Emily McFarlan Miller — April 26, 2019
CHICAGO (RNS) — Seven of the 17 petitions that made up the Traditional Plan are unconstitutional and will not be added with the others to the United Methodist Church’s rulebook.
Why United Methodists are watching the results of a denominational court meeting
By Emily McFarlan Miller — April 23, 2019
CHICAGO (RNS) — What might United Methodists' top court decide this week about the Traditional Plan, and what would that mean for the second-largest Protestant denomination in the United States?
United Methodist court opens door to petitions for special session on sexuality
By Emily McFarlan Miller — May 25, 2018
EVANSTON, Ill. (RNS) — A decision this week by the United Methodist Church Judicial Council hints at what the denomination’s 2019 special session on sexuality will look like. And it has some worried the session could become bogged down in the same petitions and points of order it was supposed to avoid.
Consecration of gay bishop against church law, says United Methodist top court
By Emily McFarlan Miller — April 28, 2017
(RNS) But the United Methodist Church’s first openly gay bishop 'remains in good standing.'
Methodist court sidesteps changes to gay policies
By Renée K. Gadoua — October 28, 2013
(RNS) The United Methodist Church’s highest court issued three rulings this weekend that do not change church policy toward gays and lesbians but allow bishops to accept resolutions expressing dissent from church teachings.
Methodist court to consider growing opposition to gay ban
By Renée K. Gadoua — October 22, 2013
(RNS) As the United Methodist Church’s highest court gathers for its semiannual meeting in Baltimore on Wednesday, it will confront a growing movement of defiant clergy members opposed to church doctrine on gays and unwilling to back down.
United Methodist high court to consider challenges to gay teachings
By Katherine Burgess — September 24, 2013
(RNS) The Judicial Council hearings come as at least four United Methodist ministers -- including the former dean of Yale Divinity School -- are facing trial for officiating at same-sex weddings, and more than 1,500 clergy have signed a statement offering to marry gay couples.
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