The Adequate Bureaucracy In The United Methodist Church

This week’s reading focused on the elaborate bureaucracy that is the United Methodist Church regarding its many governing bodies from conferences to committees, boards, and agencies. I found it interesting as the concerns over the democratic-like voting processes for each group was discussed. For instance, Tuell highlights the issues surrounding alternate forms for electing bishops, i.e. not using an appointment system, and how this would lead to parochialism (page 121). If each conference elected its own bishop it would also affect the pastoral appointment system and ultimately “allowing a constituency to elect and call its own ‘pastor,’ rather than having one appointed to it.” During my reflection on this topic, I feel there is a higher tendency …show more content…
For instance, the elusive General Conference, which only exists while it is in session every four years and its composition never appearing exactly the same way twice, has no disciplinary authority. I believe information such as this would come as a surprise to most lay congregation members. I myself had a negative experience with a fellow congregation member years ago as they continually pestered Bishop Sally regarding strategic planning implementation in our local church. Understanding the function of and authorities contained within the role of bishop better, I find myself considering the situation differently. Before, I thought the bishop possibly affirmed this gentleman during their many discussions, but failed to see the benefit in his ideas when conversing with the appointed pastor. Now, I understand that the bishop would not have performed any disciplinary actions of any nature regardless of their feelings on this matter for several reasons: (1) because their main task is appointment of said pastor, (2) the would be hard pressed to find a strong link between the need for strategic planning and the Book of Discipline’s guidelines in which its interpretation is another main task, (3) even if in some fashion the failure of the pastor to impose a strategic planning process was a chargeable offense, any disciplinary action would have to come from the Judiciary Council after the situation was assessed by an investigating committee. Given the American context, in which my congregation is situated, where the highest profiled role of an authoritative structure usually holds most if not all of the power, it is easy for a congregational member to believe the bishop has all, or at least a large amount of, the power in the denomination. I wonder, had this individual known about the lack of disciplinary power this role holds if he would