ANNOTATED TABLE OF CONTENTS
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HOME
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MISSION STATEMENT
Devised a decade ago, this statement has guided our association. Opportunities to fulfill all of the goals have not yet presented themselves but we look forward to providing the help we want to offer.
LINKS
The list in the upper left hand corner links to the articles and information that can help. They will be identified below and their respective articles or data will be noted. These links will be available no matter what page you have chosen (intentionally or by accident).
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This item contains announcements of current AIA events or events to which associates may wish to go.
RESOURCES
The items noted here are links to important resources we've found to be helpful. As with the links, they are available on every page. A more detailed annotation of each item is listed near the bottom of this page.
---LINKS---
When the DS (or Bishop) Calls
This is the most important article of all we have prepared. Its intent is to prepare you to protect yourself if you get a phone call from a Cabinet member who may presume your guilt over written or unwritten allegations against you.
It is repeated in the "Practical Help" section under "Pastors" because it is so important. In that section, you will find it and three companion articles to help you prepare for any meeting you have with one or more Cabinet members about a complaint. Any suggestions to make this material more easily read and used will be most welcome. Contact Jerry Eckert at aj_eckert@hotmail.com with suggestions.
AIA Team
This opens to the "co-presidents'" names and contact information.
North Central Jurisdiction - Listed are the pastors in this
jurisdiction open to receiving calls inquiring about help they need.
Each pastor has experience in two or more aspects of AIA's efforts.
Each has all the other pastors in our association to draw upon.
Northeastern Jurisdiction - Listed are the pastors in this
jurisdiction open to receiving calls inquiring about help they need.
Each pastor has experience in two or more aspects of AIA's efforts.
Each has all the other pastors in our association to draw upon.
South Central Jurisdiction - Listed are the pastors in this
jurisdiction open to receiving calls inquiring about help they need.
Each pastor has experience in two or more aspects of AIA's efforts.
Each has all the other pastors in our association to draw upon.
Southeastern Jurisdiction - Listed are the pastors in this
jurisdiction open to receiving calls inquiring about help they need.
Each pastor has experience in two or more aspects of AIA's efforts.
Each has all the other pastors in our association to draw upon.
Western Jurisdiction - Listed are the pastors in this
jurisdiction open to receiving calls inquiring about help they need.
Each pastor has experience in two or more aspects of AIA's efforts.
Each has all the other pastors in our association to draw upon.
Who Are we
This brief history of the development of the association honors and is dedicated to the many pastors who helped their brothers and sisters in trouble for decades before us and on whose shoulders we stand.
a Bridge
Our exprience together is that we serve any pastor or lay person
whatever their theological persuasion and have found problems
with autocratic leaders comes from all over the theological spectrum.
Mediation Specialist
Wescoat Sandlin is highly trained. This is a brief description of his
background and we've provided a link to reach him.
Support our work
Information and contact on how to aid AIA financially.
Practical HELP
Pastors
'When the DS Calls' is a step by step way to handle the
situation when you receive an unexpected call from a
superintendent that could be about a complaint.
Before the DS Calls describes some signs a pastor may
see prior to a possible complaint call from the DS.
When the DS Calls provides a step by step way to handle
a possible complaint call from the DS.
After the DS Calls offers suggestions on how to follow up
if the DS may have a complaint about you.
What to Do in The Interview provides a strategy to
follow no matter what the meeting is that the pastor
is asked to attend during the DS's phone call.
DO NOT GO ALONE!
'Miranda Rights for Pastor' is something you might want to
print out and have along if you get an unexpected call or a
confrontation somewhere.
'Emotions' describes the many emotions a pastor under
complaint can feel and how to begin to get a hold on them.
'Counseling Resources' This links to a nationwide network
of 95 counseling centers under the umbrella of
The Samaritan Institute;
highly recommended by one of our associates.
'A Word About Prayer' This is a simple word for all
occasions, but even Pastors need to be reminded
on Whom to rely.
'One Pastor's Answer to What He Does' Herein a former
Pastor reflects on the tasks before us.
Advocates
'Introduction to Advocacy' describes what the advocate
does in comparison to the role of the caregiver.
'Role of an Advocate' is taken from a petition to General
Conference that defines just what an advocate does.
'Advice to Advocates' outlines in some detail what Jerry
Eckert does when he becomes involved in helping someone.
Summary of the Rules of Evidence lists some of the
main things that may and may not be used as
evidence in a civil or criminal state court.
'Restorative Justice' has a history related to alternative
handling of criminal cases. While it works well for secular
courts, it has grave flaws for use in the church.
'Just Resolution' does not connect well with "Restorative
Justice" in The Discipline, but church leaders all presume
it does. And it may not be just.
'Appeal to the Clergy Session' spell out guidelines, in detail,
how to prepare for the appeal at Annual Conference if church
leaders are especially difficult about the case.
'AC Prep Quick Sheet' touches on the steps discussed in
great detail in "Appeal to the Clergy Session."
'Closing Remarks' is a sermon by Thomas Lane Butts
encouraging those who are willing to advocate.
Help for Care Givers
'Introduction to Care-giving' describes what the care-giver
does in comparison to the role of the advocate.
'Beginning Care-giving' goes into the initial steps that must
be worked on as soon as possible.
'Building a Support Team' goes into who else may be a
part of the group surrounding the respondent and family.
'Finding an Advocate' is critical if the care-giver is first
on the scene.
'Confidentiality' becomes an issue as more people become
involved, both professional and unprofessional.
'Family Needs Check List' reminds care-givers of concerns
that need to be considered and probably addressed.
'Reality Check List' prepares the respondent for possible
disappointments to come so they are not such a surprise.
'Developing a Legal Fund' gives suggestions for raising
money to help the respondent and family.
'Professional Counseling' discusses issues related to
needed counseling and how it is paid for.
'Hiring a Lawyer' gives suggestions on how to seek out
legal help.
'Local Church Support' can be difficult to obtain and
remarkable in its help.
'Denominational Support' offers some direction on
what and how to seek that support.
'Alternate Employment' contacts and suggestions when it's
time to consider changing jobs. This article offers suggestions
and possible contacts. It is an area that needs many more
resources, so it will always be "under construction."
Cabinet
'Confidentiality & Prudence' are TWO letters
addressed to his bishop and Board of Ordained Ministry
chairperson based on actual incidents in his annual conference.
The intent is to clarify how confidentiality is to be used.
'How to Handle Complaints' is the general statement about
the role of the Cabinet in Paragraph 362.1 of the 2004
Book of Discipline.
'Care Giving by Cabinets' describes the role Cabinet
members have as pastors to both sides of a complaint.
'Suggested Supervision Practices' describes how a
superintendent relates to pastors in the district and then what
to do if there are performance issues that the superintendent
must help the pastor address. Should the pastor be unable to
grow in performance, this article then describes what to do.
It describes the superintendent's responsibilities for cases in
the administrative track (unless the General Conference
properly eliminates it and leaves the matter under
Paragraph 2702.1d).
'Handling Complaints with a Sexual Component'
describes the issues of dealing with such complaints and the
superintendent's role in following up for the judicial track.
'How Not to Handle a Complaint' describes all the major
mistakes Cabinet members make in handling complaints.
'How to Avoid Fair Process' is based upon our under-
standing that most people prefer to avoid many meetings.
This article shows just how to do that, by acknowledging
fair process rights from the very beginning.
'Planning and Implementing' is about the full number of
steps needed in planning and implementing, warning about
how short cuts usually undermine any serious planning.
Help re: Judicial Council
'Appearing before the Council' describes what actually
happens at the oral hearing before the Judicial Council and
prepare you to deal with just how little time you will have.
'An unexhaustive list of settled law...' excerpts some key
passages from many Judicial Council rulings over the years.
It is a work in progress and will be updated when possible.
'Partial Index' is a listing of categories frequently of concern
to clergy and their advocates. As they are discovered, Judicial
Council rulings' identifying numbers will be added to the
index. Also a work in progress, it will be updated whenever
possible.
'Helps for the Judicial Council' provides an overview of the
role and tasks of Judicial Council members and helps any reader
to understand what the Council does.
'On Recusing' provides a historic view of the issue
of recusal and some suggestions about it.
Help with Civil Law
'Bill of Rights' documents The first ten amendments to the
U. S. Constitution, because they are worth your attention
and will only take a minute or so to read.
‘Key Supreme Court Rulings' briefly describes four Supreme
Court cases that currently define how personnel law may not
be applied to religious institutions and which therefore leads
to the situation where "any sheet of parchment bearing an
ecclesiastical seal and purporting to be a decree of a church
court . . . can easily be converted into handmaidens of
arbitrary lawlessness." (Quote is from the dissent by then
Justice Rehnquist to "Serbian Orthodox" decision.)
'Memorandum of Opposition' documents the response of a
lawyer to church lawyers' attempts to get the judge to rule
that a case is a personnel matter and thus out of the
jurisdiction of the court under separation of church and state.
The judge ruled in favor of the pastor.
General Wisdom for Everyone
'The Trial of Jesus' tells the story of how Jewish law was
applied to the conviction and crucifixion of Jesus.
'Why Lies Are Better Than the Truth' is a satirical look at
just that subject. It is a chapter of a book, THE RAPE OF
THE APE, by Allen Sherman.
'The University of Adversity' - Lessons from
St. Paul that help us to survive adversity.
'Story Sermon' describes a situation that might have been
behind the story in John 8:1-11 about the woman taken in
adultery.
'Better than Good' is a meditation in which Dr. Thomas Lane
Butts encourages all of us in the Church to operate at a
higher level than we have in the past.
2008 General Conference
This material is intended to help delegates and
observers going to General Conference in Fort Worth,
TX, next April 23 to May 2, 2008.
Preparing for Gen. Conf.
Preparing for GC includes a tremendous amount
of reading and handling of all the special interest
groups who want a delegate's attention.
We do not have something to help delegates
with all that. The focus here is on preservation
of petitions. The three articles have been sent as one
to many new delegates since 1992.
A Funny Thing Happened ...
This recounts a first hand experience with the
Reference Committee, a key group in the
management of General Conference, but maybe
an unnecessary one.
Saving petitions ...
This article describes in detail how petitions are
handled and what to do to keep them from being
lost, strayed, or stolen.
Observations for 2008
These may be crucial to helping delegates have
some options in handling themselves
during plenary session of GC.
Petitions of Interest
None of these petitions has been authorized by
Associates in Advocacy. They are posted here because
they relate to the areas of the Book of Discipline
used in complaint procedures against pastors and
laity. All documents sent to the Petitions Secretary
are called petitions. But there are three kinds:
Petitions - Their intent is to change or added to
the Book of Discipline. Consider making contact
with the peitioners. Rationales are restricted to 50
words and the issues are usually much more complex.
Resolutions - Their intent is to speak for the United
Methodist Church and are added to or change passages
in the Book of Resolutions.
Recommendations - Their intent is to offer the
General Conference a chance to take action.
Rationales are not restricted to fifty words on them.
Levity for the Soul
Quotes and notes (and a few jokes) to cheer your way and maybe even provide a sermon illustration (or two). Remember "Don't take life too seriously; you're not getting out alive" - Red Skelton.
Table of Contents
The page you are reading ... it provides a brief description of each of the articles and other resources on the website to help find what could be most helpful.
Search Site
This feature allows for the search of all articles on the site to go to whichever article that word or phrase appears.
---RESOURCES---
Judicial Council
This link goes to the website of the United Methodist Church's Judicial Council which allows access to all of its decisions since the body was formed. The most current rulings are posted within a couple weeks after the conclusion of its most recent session.
GCF&A's Procedure Handbook
General Council on Finance and Administration has produced a manual on administrative and judicial procedures. It provides some suggestions that clarify but do not supersede the Book of Discipline. It is in print for Conference Chancellors but nearly everyone else must go on line to the GCFA website. This links provides access to it.
'Counseling Resources' This links to a nationwide network of 95 counseling centers under the umbrella of The Samaritan Institute; highly recommended by one of our associates.
B. A. C. H. Development
Physical and spiritual health issues are dealt with through this website.
They seek to provide "Resources for developing healthier clergy, clergy families, church leaders, congregations, and ministries" according to
John M. Crowe, D. Min., APC Editor.
Mediator
This link is to a website which shows how to contact a well trained expert in alternative dispute resolution and conflict resolution. He also happens to be a very good lawyer licensed to have access to many state and federal courts.
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AIA's Blog site
In the lower left hand corner is a link to a blog site used to share ideas and concerns we encounter together. This link connects with a blog site which carries the occasional "continuing education" letters sent to the bishops and articles related to current concerns and issues. There is a comment section for reactions to the content of the blogs. The opinions expressed there do not reflect a voted consensus of all those affiliated with AIA but are posted with the intent of challenging all to consider the facts and opinions expressed there.
Webservant
Found in the lower right-hand corner is this link to the person who manages the website, updating it when he is given the material, and generally trying to keep its content as accessible as possible. Suggestions are always welcome and the good ones will be accepted, if the software allows it.
Dennis Reedy serves as our webservant. Should your computer fail to complete any communication you wish to pass along, use: RabbiReedy@Yahoo.net
Assisting with the oversight and management of the website are
James Brand <jamesbrand@verizon.net> and
Patricia Walker <joy@tulsaconnect.com>.
Jim was in charge of our previous website and
Patty pastors an online church at http://www.alphachurch.com/.
5/4/08
