Annual Resolutions to carry on the work of the church:

This would include Resolutions 2. CROP Walk, 3. One Great Hour of Sharing, 4. UMCOR Kits, 5. Heifer International, 8. The Palestine/Israel Conflict, 14. Bread For the World, and 23. Justice and Peace for Darfur. These are, with the exceptions of Resolution 23, ongoing programs of the church which are supported by Jubilee giving. Resolution 23 address the genocide taking place in Darfur, which has received very little news coverage. It encourages us to write letters to the president and congress asking this conflict receive more attention and help for the people of Darfur.

Resolutions for changes in the Discipline, the operation of the church:

These include Resolutions
9. Flexible Housing Policy, giving Pastors and churches more flexibility in housing,
10. 2006 Spotlight Churches, recognizing those churches that have paid 100% of their Apportionments and supported Mission Jubilee, and have supported the Conference Partner churches in Liberia and Haiti, and several other programs.
12. Apportionment Formula for Newly Merged Churches. While this was ruled Our of Order, it would calculate Apportionments based on the budget of newly formed churches rather than the total of the previous Apportionments.
16. Board of Pension and Health Benefits, revising pensions and health insurance.
19. Action for Reversing Decreases in Membership and Attendance. The UMC has experienced these decreases, and this resolution encouraged the call for ideas from all representatives at the 2008 Detroit Conference. This Resolution was also withdrawn.
21. Moving Expense Code. Increases the weight of belongings pastors can be compensated for when they move.
22. Minimum Base Compensation Schedule - recommends higher salaries for pastors.

Misguided and Questionable:

 

1. Speaking For/Against Resolutions. This would require a person speaking against a Resolution to also acknowledge a positive aspect of the legislation. Fortunately defeated.
6. Affirmation of "Start No War on Iran". Requesting the Secretary of the Detroit Annual Conference to send a copy of this resolution to the President and Vice-President, in the name of the UMC. This assumes we all agree, no matter what is required for the security of the U.S.
7. A Call to End the War In Iraq. Requests members to call for an end to the war in Iraq and create a Global Marshall Plan to assist in the reconstruction of Iraq. This is redundant, as this is what our Administration is working toward.
11. A Call for Inclusiveness to the Gideon's International. Requests 'Ordained and Licensed" clergy of the Detroit Annual Conference to inform the Gideon's that they will no longer accept "church assignments" from them until the Gideon's accept women and non-professional members. The Gideon's International describes itself as "... the oldest Christian business and professional men's association in the United States of America". It seems an organization has to be all things to all people now to survive?
13. That the 2008 Detroit Annual Conference be dedicated entirely to evangelism, church growth and new church starts, suspending all new business except that deemed necessary by the Bishop. Yes, these things are important, but they are addressed, and the business of the Conference needs to be done to support these tasks.
15. Peace With Justice Congregations. Peace with Justice is admirable, however this would overshadow everything a congregation does. Very one-sided.
17. Expression of Regret. To affirm the UMC Churches stance supporting Affirmative Action Programs. Redundant as well as supporting unequal rights (Justice?)
18. Boycott Bottled Water. A vendetta against Nestle's, not only the water bottling plant in Mecosta County but the whole company. Nothing was said about other water companies, the employment they provide, nor the fact the water ends up back in the ground. This wasted an extraordinary amount of time, and unfortunately passed by a slim margin.
20. Try or Release Guantanamo Detainees (and Close the Guantanamo Bay Facility-removed from title). Requests the Detroit Annual Conference to send letters to the President, Senate Majority Leader (they didn't get this right!), and the Speaker of the house to this effect. Again redundant. This is what the military and the administration has been doing.

Petitions to the General Conference of the UMC:

These petitions will be presented at the General Conference. This can be done whether or not the Detroit Annual Conference has approved them, however approval makes them carry more weight.

1. Stewardship - Asks the General Council to add the following to Stewardship "The mission of the military and non-military budgets of nations and other powers and principalities must make the world safer, healthier, sustainable and peaceful with justice for all. The Church must regard the nations and institutions of plane earth as accountable for immoral budgets and expenditures that fail to emphasize global security, improved health, the sustainability of the environment, disarmament, diplomacy and development aid". Whew! If only that would work.
2. A Call for Peacemaking. Very long, but in essence, calls for all divisions of the UMC to call for peacemaking activities. This would be added to The Book of Resolutions.
3. Add "Direct Hire of Clergy or Pastors outside of the Wesleyan Heritage" to the Book of Discipline. Very poorly explained.
4. Changes the UMC definition of marriage from 'a man and a women' to 'two persons'. Endorses homosexual marriages.
5. Strikes out a sentence in Paragraph 161 of the Discipline that states "The United Methodist Church does not condone the practice of homosexuality and considers this practice incompatible with Christian Teaching". Affirms that the practice of homosexuality within a lifelong covenant relationship is an expression of their created ness by God.mose Again, this sounds like condoning homosexual marriage.
6. Changes the Discipline to allow ministers to marry homosexuals at their discretion, however this shall not take place in our churches. Again, condoning homosexual marriage.
7. Encouraging the ordination of openly homosexual ministers. Assumes homosexuals are more gifted than heterosexuals, and the church needs them.
8. Removes the penalty for being a self-avowed practicing homosexual minister, or conducting ceremonies celebrating homosexual unions or performing same sex wedding ceremonies.
9. Removes the ban from the Discipline that ensures that no board, agency, committee, commission or council shall give United Methodist funds to any gay cause or group or use such funds to promote the acceptance of homosexuality.
10, Try or Release Guantanamo Detainees and Close the Guantanamo Bay Facility. The same as Resolution 20 (see above).
11. Adding to the Discipline the concern for privatization of water resources, as in bottled water sold for profit. Essentially the same as Resolution 18 (see above).
12. Adding to the Discipline that persons without regard to ... gender, gender identity marital status, sexual orientation and ability shall be admitted to attend worship services, participate in programs, receive the sacraments, upon baptism be admitted as baptized members in any local church in the connection.
13. Amends the Discipline with "No person shall be excluded from membership in the United Methodist Church for reasons related to his or her sexual orientation or gender identity"

As can be noted, there is a push by a certain faction to add homosexual marriages and clergy to the UMC. Again, in the humble opinion of your representatives, homosexuality is no more or less a sin than many others, and should not prevent a person from attending, nor even becoming a member of the church. The subject of marriages and clergy causes some concern, especially considering the problems in other churches.