1. REPORT TO REFERENCE COUNCIL November 15, 2014

2. INTERPRETIVE COMMENTS

3. Definition of marriage as “one man and one woman for life” GC’s – 1986 MC’s – 1987 GC’s & MC’s - 1995

4. St. Louis – 1999 Mennonite Church Canada Mennonite Church USA Common membership guidelines

5. Constituency Leaders Council (CLC)

6.  Spanned a broad spectrum of opinion among US conferences.

7.  The common wisdom emerged that the possibility of a merger hinged on whether more “conservative” conferences would receive such a “reassurance” or not.

8.  July 2001 – adopted both the Membership Guidelines and the motion to merge in two separate votes, both by close to 90% approval.

9.  MC and GC delegate bodies used different methods to approve the 2001 merger.

10.  “6-year review of structures”

11. Today in Western District Conference

12.  The resolution from Rainbow Mennonite Church.  Disown the decision of the GC delegate body in 2001.  Would reaffirm the recent decision of the WDC Ministerial Leadership Commission.

13. What the Ministerial Leadership Commission said of their decision

14.  Almost 1700 people.  Almost 500 pages.  Data does not come from a scientifically- controlled sociological survey.  Form a general portrait of our self- understanding as a conference

15. WHO CAN DECIDE WHAT ABOUT MATTERS OF FAITH AND PRACTICE?

16. 1)Statements from or about our denomination’s Confession of Faith. 2)Statements from or about the Membership Guidelines of Mennonite Church USA. 3)Statements about polity and unity in the church. 4)Statements about views of same-sex attraction and covenant ceremonies.

17.  Worthwhile educational encounter.  Particularly help us understand each other’s ways of responding to a changing world around us.

18.  Authority.  Practice.  Church documents.  Unity and relationship.

19. About 1 in 5 responders offered comments.

20. OUR VIEWS OF AUTHORITY IN THE CHURCH…

21.  A large majority affirmed the authority of scripture over confessions of faith.

22.  About half agree that the Confession of Faith was designed as a “standard” for judging faithfulness.

23.  A large majority agree that scripture is the “authoritative voice and standard” for discerning truth from error.

24.  A third said that scripture or church statements were adequate to guide.

25.  For some, authority means a foundation on which to stand. For others, references to authority generate fears of control and the loss of individual or congregational freedom of discernment.

26. OUR VIEWS OF THE THEME OF PRACTICE…

27.  “Church discipline rightly understood and practiced,” received 2/3 support.

28.  Strong support for conferences having discretion to determine their own practice of values held in common with others.

29.  The disciplining of pastors who perform same-sex covenant ceremonies, is opposed by over half of respondents while it is supported by a strong third.

30.  Persons view performing same-sex covenant ceremonies as being the same as previous changes of attitude and practice.

31. OUR VIEWS OF OFFICIAL CHURCH DOCUMENTS…

32.  Half (50%) support the Confession of Faith statement that “God intends marriage to be a covenant between one man and one woman for life.” 40% oppose the statement.

33.  MC USA Membership Guidelines, statement 8, over half believe the guidelines still provide good resources.

34.  Almost 2/3 believes that WDC congregations should be free to determine their own belief and practice.

35.  Half affirm that we should be “subject to” official statements of the denomination.

36.  Consultation of congregations with WDC is supported by a large majority.

37.  MC USA statements should not be “binding” half said, while one-third said they should bind us in some way.

38.  Over half believe the churches’ “teachings” should only be “advisory” to congregations.

39.  Two thirds say that resolutions like the one offered by Rainbow Mennonite Church will encourage other congregations to become more “welcoming”.

40. OUR VIEWS OF UNITY AND RELATIONSHIPS…

41.  Over 80% agree that Western District Conference benefits from relationships with other conferences.

42.  Two thirds say that unity does not depend upon uniformity.

43.  A division of opinion about whether unity depends upon common adherence to statements of belief and practice.

44.  2/3 believes that WDC unity can be preserved if congregations are allowed to choose different practices on same-sex relationships.

45. DEMOGRAPHIC COMPARISONS

46.  The older you are the more likely you are to agree with both the traditional definition of marriage and with the ban on same-sex covenants.

47.  The more rural you are, the more likely you are to agree with the traditional views.

48.  Men are slightly more traditional in their views than women.

49.  All age groups under the age of 75 record more than half being critical of the ban on pastors performing same-sex covenant ceremonies.