On July 15, 2016, Rev. Dr. Karen P. Oliveto was elected to the episcopacy on the 17th ballot by the Western Jurisdiction<\/a> of The United Methodist Church (UMC).<\/p>\n \u201cToday we took a step closer into living into beloved community,\u201d said Oliveto.<\/p>\n Since 2008, Oliveto has served as the senior pastor of Glide Memorial UMC in San Francisco. CA. Prior to Glide, Oliveto served as the associate dean of academic affairs\/director of contextual education at the Pacific School of Religion (PSR) in Berkeley. She has held pastorates at Bethany UMC in San Francisco and Bloomville UMC in Bloomville, New York, as well as being the campus minister at the Ecumenical House Campus Ministry at San Francisco State.<\/p>\n During his Episcopal Address on Wednesday, Bishop Warner H. Brown, Jr.<\/a> of the San Francisco Episcopal Area reminded the body of the Jurisdiction\u2019s vision to \u201cbe a home for all God\u2019s people, gathered around a table of reconciliation and transformation.\u201d The jurisdiction is multicultural and inclusive, engaged in the life of its communities with confident, effective, lay and clergy leadership in diverse ministry settings forming disciples who live out the Good News of Jesus as global citizens.<\/p>\n The Western Jurisdiction has traditionally been a place of historic first elections. Delegates to the Western Jurisdictional Conference have consistently advocated for full inclusion of all in the life of the church.<\/em><\/p>\n The Jurisdiction has elected:<\/p>\n Oliveto earned a Ph.D and a M.Phil. from Drew University, a M.Div. from Pacific School of Religion (PSR), and a BA from Drew University.<\/p>\n She has served as a General Conference delegate in 2004 and 2016, and a Jurisdictional Conference delegate in 2000, 2008, and 2012. Oliveto serves on the General Council on Finance and Administration (GCFA), the Western Jurisdiction Council of Finance and Administration, the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM) as a coach for the Lead Women Pastor Project.<\/p>\n For Oliveto\u2019s full biographical sketch, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Oliveto was consecrated on Saturday, July 16, 2016 at Paradise Valley UMC in Paradise Valley, Arizona.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/p>\n The General Conference<\/a> of The United Methodist Church wll convened in Portland, Oregon on May 10-20, 2016.<\/p>\n The General Conference logo illustrates the theme of the 2016 conference, “Therefore go.”<\/p>\n The theme is based on the Great Commission set forth in Matthew 28:19-20: \u201cTherefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.\u00a0 And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.\u201d (NIV)<\/p>\n <\/p>\n General Conference<\/a> is the top policy-making body of The United Methodist Church<\/a> which The best-known aspect of General Conference is the legislation<\/a>.\u00a0 General Conference is the body that determines direction and speaks officially for our denomination.\u00a0 864 delegates elected by their annual conferences will consider 1044 petitions.\u00a0 Half the delegates are clergy and half are laity.\u00a0 Bishops lead the sessions, but have neither voice nor vote.<\/p>\n Amendments to The Book of Discipline<\/em><\/a> that guides the work of local churches, pastors, annual conferences, general agencies, and bishops, are adopted.\u00a0 Delegates also vote on resolutions that give the official positions of The United Methodist Church on social issues which are published in our Book of Resolutions<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n What will this mean to My United Methodist Church?<\/a><\/p>\n The General Conference covers a wide array of issues that affect all levels of our church.\u00a0 A small percentage of them receive a great deal of attention.\u00a0 Others will pass or fail without much fanfare, but will have lasting impacts in the life of our local churches.<\/p>\n At the 2016 General Conference, legislation will be presented and Whether widely publicized or not, General Conference legislation directs our work globally, regionally, and locally in our congregations.<\/p>\n Like to test your knowledge?\u00a0 Take the General Conference Quiz<\/a>!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n See the complete list of UMC General Conference Major Legislative Issues.<\/a><\/p>\n Read about the “Human Sexuality” issues<\/a> that will be discussed at General Conference on the UMC website.<\/p>\n From the Reconciling Ministries website<\/a>: “Many of these plans are unnecessarily complex and would fundamentally alter our unique connectional system as Wesleyan people.\u00a0 It is certain that some of the plans would face judicial challenges if adopted.\u00a0 At least one of the \u201cplans\u201d would begin a new era of denomination-wide witch hunts and may indeed anticipate schism.\u00a0 These plans are so complicated that an entirely new process for conducting business was developed for the General Conference. Reconciling Ministries Network has adopted the idea of The Simple Plan. “The ‘Simple Plan’<\/a> doesn\u2019t involve complicated new procedures, it doesn\u2019t require churches or annual conferences to engage in additional procedural steps, it doesn\u2019t require constitutional change and ratification, it doesn\u2019t sever connectional relationships, and it can be accomplished within any procedural order.”<\/p>\n “The ‘Simple Plan’<\/a> equally honors all children of God \u2013 children of all sexual orientations and gender identities.\u00a0 It removes institutional-level mandates that prohibit ministry with same-sex couples\u00a0seeking Christian marriage and allows clergy to be faithful to the gospel of Jesus Christ.\u00a0 The Simple Plan removes institutional-level mandates that prohibit equal treatment of LGBTQ persons who are called to ordained ministry and allows boards of ordained ministry to consider each candidate based on their gifts and graces. \u00a0The Simple Plan<\/a> removes the discriminatory language from the Book of Discipline<\/a><\/em>. Reconciling Ministries Network wholeheartedly endorses this plan and passionately implores the whole people of God to join together for the passage of this plan at General Conference.”<\/p>\n The Love Your Neighbor<\/a> Coalition proposes a New Vision for UMC<\/a>:<\/p>\n “WE ARE United Methodists committed to the embodiment of God’s love and justice within and through the people and mission of The United Methodist Church.\u00a0 The core of our faith is found in Jesus\u2019 response to the question \u201cTeacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?\u201d \u2013 we are to \u201clove God with all our heart, soul (being) and mind\u201d and to \u201clove neighbor as self\u201d (Matthew 22:36-40).\u00a0 Just as we are all interconnected and interdependent in the complexity of our relationships with God, humanity and all of creation, we recognize, acknowledge and celebrate the ways all of the following concerns<\/a> and hopes for our church are connected, interdependent and intersectional…”<\/p>\n <\/p>\n As a Reconciling Congregation<\/a>, we agree with the Reconciling Ministries Network that It\u2019s Time<\/em><\/a> to end the hurt that has engulfed so many of our families.\u00a0 It\u2019s Time<\/a><\/em> to welcome and celebrate everyone who comes to The UMC.<\/p>\n Below is a Facebook post shared by RMN of a thoughtful blog post on this topic from\u00a0Adam Hamilton, senior pastor of The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas, one of the largest UMCs in the United States.\u00a0 Pastor Adam writes and teaches on life\u2019s tough questions, the doubts with which we all wrestle, and the challenging issues we face today.<\/p>\n The Bible, Homosexuality, and the United Methodist Church (Part 1)<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n
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UMC 2016 General Conference<\/strong><\/em><\/h4>\n
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<\/p>\nWhat is the UMC General Conference?<\/strong><\/em><\/h4>\n
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meets once every four years and is attended by delegates from all over the world.\u00a0 The delegates at the conference set policy and direction for the church, can revise church law, as well as adopt resolutions on current moral, social, public policy and economic issues.\u00a0 The Conference also approves plans and budgets for church-wide programs.<\/p>\n![\"BookOfDiscipline-WesleyBobble\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.campbellunited.org\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/BookOfDiscipline-WesleyBobble.jpg?resize=300%2C225&ssl=1\")
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debated on: human sexuality, the budget of the general church for 2017-2020, a more global church structure, the ordination process for our pastors, formation of a hymnal revision committee, and more.<\/p>\nGeneral Conference 2016: Legislative Issues<\/strong><\/h4>\n
LGBTQ Equality and Roles within the Church<\/strong><\/em><\/h4>\n
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The global denomination will vote on whether or not\u00a0the church will continue to discriminate against lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and queer individuals.\u00a0 There are many proposals coming before the 2016 General Conference regarding the inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer (LGBTQ) persons in The United Methodist Church (The UMC).<\/p>\n
\n“At their root, all of these proposals\u2014popularly called \u201cplans\u201d\u2014are attempts to rescue the institutional church from 40+ years of discriminatory harm committed against LGBTQ United Methodists.”<\/p>\n
\nAll these plans fail to address the root problem.”<\/p>\n![\"GenConf_simpleplan\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.campbellunited.org\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/GenConf_simpleplan-1.png?resize=300%2C179&ssl=1\")
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These hold ancient law, the prophets and the Gospel message together with our contemporary Book of Discipline <\/em>and Book of Resolutions<\/em>.\u00a0 To this end, OUR MISSION is to assure The United Methodist Church is fully open to the presence, love and grace of God offered to all the world.<\/p>\n![\"LGBT](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.campbellunited.org\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/09\/LGBT-SJ-Pride-Parade-2009.jpg?resize=327%2C220&ssl=1\")
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Campbell United Methodist Church belongs to the El Camino Real District<\/a> of the California-Nevada Annual Conference<\/a> within the Western Jurisdiction<\/a> of the United Methodist Church<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/a> <\/p>\n The Western Jurisdiction<\/a>‘s vision: “A home for all God\u2019s people, gathered around a table of reconciliation and transformation: the Western Jurisdiction of The United Methodist Church is multicultural and inclusive, engaged in the life of its communities, with confident, effective lay and clergy leadership who, in diverse ministry settings, form disciples who live out the Good News of Jesus as global citizens.”<\/p>\n The Western Jurisdictional Conference ran from July 13-16, in Scottsdale, Arizona.\u00a0 Delegates traveled from the eastern edge of Colorado, the islands of Hawaii, Guam, and Saipan in the west, from Alaska in the north, and all places in between to reach this southern edge of the Western Jurisdiction in Arizona.<\/p>\n This conference celebrated the retirement of California-Nevada Conference Bishop Warner H. Brown, Jr.<\/a>, and was assigned a new leader, Bishop Minerva Carca\u00f1o,<\/a> who began her tenure September 2016. <\/p>\n_____________________________________<\/h3>\n
California-Nevada Annual Conference News<\/strong><\/em><\/h4>\n
\nThe 2019 meeting<\/a> of the California-Nevada Annual Conference will be held June 19-22 in Modesto, CA.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.campbellunited.org\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/20190619_acs_2019_With-Jesus-in-the-Boat.jpg?resize=439%2C183&ssl=1\")
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\nWhat is the UMC Western Jurisdiction?<\/strong><\/em><\/h4>\n
\nTo follow news and reflections from the California-Nevada Conference delegation, click here<\/a>.
\nTo follow Western Jurisdiction news, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\nWestern Jurisdictional 2016 Conference News
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