Judicial Council Update

This note comes from Rev. John Oda, a pastor in the Cal-Nev conference and a board member of Reconcilling Ministries Network. He has been an integral part of the planning and preparations for the Reconcilling witness at this week's Judicial Council.

He writes:

"I wanted to send out a quick note about the Reconciling Witness which took place yesterday evening, in conjunction with the UMC Judicial Council meeting.

We had about 70+ people gather at Justin Herman Plaza in downtown SF where we held a moving "Remembering Your Baptism" worship service. Troy provided a powerful introduction to remembering our baptisms. We then marched 1.5 miles with candles aglow to the Hilton Hotel where the Judicial Council was meeting. It was a beautiful sight to see this long row of faithful UMC's marching as dusk fell. I led the group which is closest I'll ever come to being Moses.

After arriving to the Hilton and a brief prayer, we visited the "Reconciling Witness" meeting room; directly across the hall from the Judicial Council meeting space. The Judicial Council was just adjourning from their meeting. It was an interesting moment but as we crossed paths we welcomed them to SF. Most of the Council members acknowledged our presence. Some people had longer conversations with some of the Council members.

Karen Oliveto should be praised for her leadership in pulling the Reconciling Witness together. Keep us in your prayers as we keep a prayer vigil and hold nightly worship services at the Hilton. Keep the Judicial Council in your prayers as the deliberate on a number of important issues including: (1) Are transgendered pastors in full standing entitled to a church appointment if they want one? (2) How much should campus ministries reach out to LGBT students as LBGTs? (3) Should domestic partners of lay church employees be eligible for church health plans? (4) Can churches, as they declare that they welcome all families, include LGBT families?

Peace,

John"