Complaints against Bishop Paup ruled invalid
5/7/1998 by United Methodist News Service Complaints by two Oregon laymen against United Methodist Bishop Ed Paup of the church's Portland Area have been ruled invalid by Bishop Melvin G. Talbert, immediate past president of the 10-state Western Jurisdiction College of Bishops.
Daniel H. Richman and Eric Lundgren of the Alsea (Ore.) United Methodist Church, in a letter dated March 4, charged Paup with failure to perform the work of his ministry, a chargeable offense in the denomination's Book of Discipline. Specifically, the men objected to the fact the bishop did not rule out of order a resolution adopted at the 1997 Oregon Idaho Annual Conference sessions naming the regional unit of the church a "Reconciling Conference."
"This means that we commit ourselves to welcome persons of all sexual orientations as persons of sacred worth into the life of the United Methodist Church," the resolution said. "It also means that we commit ourselves to work at building bridges of understanding and trust between persons who have been divided on this issue."
Richman and Ludgren said Paup should have ruled the resolution out of order since the church's Book of Discipline forbids the ordination of homosexuals and of same-sex marriages.
According to church rules, complaints against a bishop are to be sent to the respective jurisdictional college of bishops for further investigation and action. Talbert was president of the Western College when the complaints were made. In a letter dated March 11, Talbert said the men could have appealed the action of the annual conference to the Judicial Council but noted that a presiding bishop is not a voting member.
"Because a bishop chooses not to rule an action of the annual conference out of order does not constitute grounds for filing a complaint," Talbert said. "Only when it has been demonstrated that your bishop willfully and intentionally acted in violation of the Book of Discipline are there grounds for a complaint."
"I fail to see where you have grounds for filing a complaint," Talbert continued. "If you have other information you have not shared, it would be helpful for me to have it. Without such additional information, I see no basis for me to proceed with a complaint against your bishop."
The Judicial Council, the church's "Supreme Court," recently announced that it will meet in special session in August to consider Disciplinary matters related to homosexuality and same-sex unions.
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