news article
Recommendation results from AC2018
June 1, 2018 / By Shannon Hodson
Voting on the Upper New York Conference recommendations began in the morning plenary on June 1 and extended through the afternoon plenary at the 2018 UNY Annual Conference session held at Onondaga Community College’s SRC Arena in Syracuse.
The results are as follows:
Recommendation from the Accessibility Committee – Disability Awareness Weekend, supported
This recommendation is for the Upper New York Conference to establish February 1-7, or another weekend chosen by the local church, to be designated as Disability Awareness Weekend and that a special offering may be received in local churches for promotion of awareness issues as well as ministries that provide opportunities for fuller inclusion of people with disabilities.
UNY2018.SHRec.1 – Recommendation from the Social Holiness Team-Welcoming a Stranger, supported
This recommendation invites Upper New York members to write letters to Congressional representatives urging them to support legislation that upholds civil and human rights for all migrants to United States; welcome immigrants and refugees in congregations; denounce xenophobic, racist, and violent reactions against migrants to the United States; and to consider becoming Sanctuary Churches.
UNY2018.SHRec.2 – Recommendation from the Task Force on Peace with Justice in Palestine/Israel – Advocating for the Rights of Children Living Under Israeli Occupation, supported
This recommendation advises the that the Upper New York Conference calls on the United States Senate, the House of Representatives, the President, the Vice President, and the Secretary of State to join with 196 other nations in ratifying the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child to bring stronger international pressure to bear on Israel to comply with the Convention’s provisions, particularly those governing the treatment of children held in detention.
It also advises the UNY Conference to call on the government of the United States to adhere to its own established law – in this case, the U.S. Assistance Act – by withholding military assistance from the State of Israel that would support financing Israel’s military detention, interrogation, abuse, and ill-treatment of Palestinian children; and that the members of this 2018 Annual Conference session take action by: 1) Relaying these two calls to their congregations; 2) Writing their members of Congress, as well as the President, Vice President, and Secretary of State, urging them to respond to our calls; and 3) Encouraging and facilitating their congregations to do the same.
UNY2018.SHRec.3 – Recommendation from the Social Holiness Committee – Fossil Fuels, supported
This recommendation advises the Upper New York Conference to support the New York State Council of Churches’ push for the NYS Divest program in support of divestment legislation before the NYS Legislature, which calls for divesting from fossil fuels in the NYS pension funds.
This recommendation also advises the UNY Conference to divest in fossil fuel in favor of renewable energy and encourages individuals and churches to prayerfully consider fossil fuel divestment of their funds.
UNY2018.SHRec.4 – Recommendation from the Task Force for Immigration – Radical Hospitality, supported with combined amendments
This recommendation advises that to better practice the art of “radical hospitality” and to better practice what the scripture of the Old and New Testaments call us to and the lifestyle and teachings of Jesus Christ call us to; that when our districts and/or our Conference is hiring people who will be the first point of contact a priority shall be that these people shall be a minimum of bilingual or more. So that the Upper New York Conference of The United Methodist Church may be even more faithful to God’s call to make disciples of all persons of all origins and all ethnicities.
This recommendation was supported with combined amendments to change the language of “that when our Districts and/or our Conference is hiring people who will be the first point of contact, a priority shall be that these people shall be a minimum of bilingual or more.” To “that when our Districts and/or our Conference is hiring people who will be the first point of contact a priority shall be that these people shall be a minimum of bilingual or more, whenever possible and/or the District and Conference keep a database of multilingual people, who they are and the languages they speak as a resource.
UNY2018.SHRec.5 – Recommendation from the Social Holiness Team – Specify Peace and Justice Coordinator, supported
This recommendation advises the Upper New York Conference Rules Committee to include Peace with Justice Coordinator to the list of equalizing lay members based on position of leadership (Policies and Resolutions, Appendix II, V, C of 2017 UNY Conference Journal). This change would take effect beginning with the next Annual Conference session and remain in any future iteration of our rules to show our commitment to justice issues.
UNY2018.SHRec.6 – Recommendation from the Social Holiness Team – Safe and Free from Firearms, not supported
This recommendation advises the UNY Conference, all districts, congregations, and programs to affirm that no firearms will be allowed within the sanctuaries, the buildings, or any of the programs, or any of the lands owned by local churches or the Conference facilities, programs, or land. Law enforcement officers and others required by law to carry firearms at all times are exempted from this provision.
This recommendation also advises that all churches and Conference sites shall post clear and visible signage that firearms are strictly forbidden on any of our properties or programs.