Friends,
We are back from Baltimore where the Northeast Jurisdictional Committee on Appeals heard Beth's appeal. You may have already heard the result through the media...
At 10:30am on Friday, April 29, the Northeast Jurisdictional Committee on Appeals announced that it had set aside the decision and penalty from Beth's December 2, 2004 trial due to concerns about due process. The vote of the Committee on Appeals was 8-1 for the reversal, with one dissenting opinion.
The content of the decision focuses on procedural questions relating to the specific charge leveled against Beth. The decision is a lengthy document containing a detailed analysis of specific points of church law raised in the appeal. A PDF of that full decision is on-line at: www.umc.org
We are grateful for the efforts and decision of the Committee on Appeals. We prayerfully await further steps in the process. The Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church has the option to appeal this decision to the Judicial Council, which is the top judicial body of the United Methodist Church. We are currently waiting for word from Bishop Marcus Matthews regarding his decision in that regard.
Meanwhile, Beth has voluntarily decided not to exercise the right of her ordination until the entire appeals process is completed. This means that despite the decision of the Committee on Appeals, she will not be presiding over baptism or communion until the process is over. She also will not wear the vestments (robe and stole) of an ordained person until the appeals process is over.
While we are relieved at the current verdict from the Committee on Appeals, we also continue to pray for the United Methodist Church. We would especially ask you to hold our Bishop, Marcus Matthews, in your prayers during this time, along with church counsel, Rev. Tom Hall and Robert Shoemaker.
We also want to express our thanks to the hundreds and perhaps thousands of people who have been praying with us around the country through prayer vigils, services, and potlucks in the last few days. It is a blessing to be able to be connected in this way.
Gratefully,
Chris Paige and Beth Stroud |
