New Judicial Council decision answers membership question

CLEVELAND (UMNS) – The United Methodist Judicial Council has ruled that the term "professing member" is not unconstitutional and may be used in petitions that are sent from a legislative committee to a business session of the General Conference.

This decision, given May 5, was a response to a request by the conference’s Committee on Correlation and Revision. It followed the council’s May 3 decision regarding language previously declared unconstitutional.

In its latest decision, the church’s supreme court said: "If petitions using the phrase ‘professing member’ can be amended to include a clear definition of the phrase which does not refer to paragraphs or petitions already declared unconstitutional or out of order, such petitions would be constitutional and in order for consideration by the General Conference."

The decision was sought by the Committee on Correlation and Revision after the council’s earlier ruling noted that paragraphs previously declared unconstitutional were "out of order and not to be considered by the 2000 General Conference."

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-- Joretta Purdue