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Proposes the second Sunday of January be designated Ministry Effectiveness Evaluation Day in local churches where a ballot of members would decide on 3 questions: 1) Does the church have a clear, meaningful, and relevant mission statement? 2) Is the church using this statement to fulfill the Great Commission? 3) For each pastor: Is your pastor (insert name) effectively communicating the mission and leading the church? Proposes advance publicity for more attendance, and absentee ballots permitted for those who can't attend that week, with results of local churches shared with the MEG, pastors, church Board, and congregation. Analysis: 2/3rds of U.S. Free Methodist churches are stagnant or declining. Wouldn't some sort of evaluation of effectiveness be a positive change?
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Proposes churches resist secular fundraising practices such as sales, merchandise parties, festivals, auctions, lotteries. Recipients of special offerings should also contribute to those. The church will not serve as a marketing agency for commercial products of its constituency.
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Proposes churches prayerfully and deliberately disciple, teach, and preach tithing as part of the transformed life Christ calls His Church to live.
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Proposes moving Discipline section 6730.C (Change of Appointment of Senior Pastor, or appointed Staff) to 6720.C (Supervision of staff by appointed Senior Pastor).
Analysis: The effect of the change is to strengthen the Senior Pastor with respect to other pastoral staff, and simplify the process of changing staff or other pastors in a church should disputes arise.
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Proposes adding a sentence to Discipline paragraph 6100 to urge churches to use the terms partner/partnership when member/membership is unhelpful. This can resolve the confusion between member of Body of Christ and member of a church. Partner is more active than being a passive member of a church.
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Proposes that the rule in the Discipline 4150.B granting the title "bishop emeritus" when bishops retire after 6 or more years of service be modified so that bishops who did not serve honorably not be given the title. Proposes the national BOA may grant this title in consultation with the conference MEG board, and may review or adjust it afterward as new information develops.
Analysis: The author must know of bishops who have not served honorably, and in their opinion should not be given this title. Opposite #505
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Proposes the BOA form a Study Commission on Leadership to review and inventory leadership health across the denomination, Proposes materials, and make suggestions to those developing leaders.
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Proposes seminary students who concurrently pastor churches under MEG supervision and/or MAC appointment be ordained upon graduation if they are CMCs.
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Proposes the Study Commission on Doctrine research the Word of Faith Movement that dominates TV since its historical and theological roots also brought Christian Science, Unity, and New Age philosophies.
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Proposes to reaffirm that all (not some) Scriptures are completely truthful, including Jonah, prophecies of Daniel, Isaiah Chap 40-66 have the same author as Chap 1-39, Visit of Magi did occur, Luke is correct about the census, John's gospel has teachings of Jesus, and that Paul wrote the Pastoral Epistles.
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