December 22, 2022 | by Conference Committee on Episcopacy
Editor's note: The text below is available is Spanish, Tongan and Korean.
In an effort to address ongoing misunderstanding and confusion related to the process involving Bishop Minerva Carcaño, our California-Nevada Conference Committee on Episcopacy offers the following summary, in the hope that it will be helpful to the laity and clergy of the Annual Conference.
- Bishop Carcaño was placed on suspension by the Western Jurisdiction College of Bishops and WJ Committee on Episcopacy on March 8, 2022 (2016 BOD 413.3a).
- This initial suspension had a 60-day maximum time limit.
- A Supervisory Response Team was formed at the Jurisdictional level to review the complaints and to begin to work with all parties involved in the hope that a just resolution between them could be reached. A just resolution had not been reached by the time the Supervisory Response Team concluded its work at the end of the 60 day period.
- The complaints were forwarded to the Counsel for the Church. The Counsel for the Church is an ordained clergyperson who represents the interests of the Church in the judicial process. The Counsel for the Church then forwarded the complaints for consideration to the Jurisdictional Committee on Investigation.
- The Jurisdictional Committee on Investigation then recommended to the Jurisdictional Committee on Episcopacy that a second suspension be issued pending the conclusion of the trial process. After deliberation, the Jurisdictional Committee on Episcopacy, implemented the second suspension as recommended (2016 BOD 2704.1c).
- An appeal to the Judicial Council in May halted the process for several months. In late October, the Judicial Council ruled that it did not currently have jurisdiction over the complaints and the process was allowed to resume.
- Bishop Carcaño attended and observed the Western Jurisdictional Conference with the knowledge of the WJ College of Bishops and WJ Committee on Episcopacy.
- On November 5, 2022 the Western Jurisdictional Conference approved episcopal assignments for all active jurisdictional bishops for the period January 1, 2023 – August 31, 2024. Bishop Carcaño was reassigned to the California-Nevada Conference per that action and remains under suspension.
- Suspension in The United Methodist Church is neither punitive nor a judgment of guilt. It is implemented to protect persons, and/or the Church from harm.
- During both suspension periods, Bishop Carcaño has continued to receive all salary, housing, and benefits.
- Suspension requires the individual to refrain from exercising the responsibilities and authority of their position. In this instance that relates to connectional leadership within the larger church and residential leadership within the annual conference. An individual under suspension should not address work related issues, attend meetings, or be in contact with persons affiliated with the organization at any level.
- To reach a just resolution between all parties remains the overriding ideal of the complaint and judicial process at all points in the process.
The California-Nevada Conference on Episcopacy role is to support the bishop of the area in the oversight of the spiritual and temporal affairs of the Church, with special reference to the area where the bishop has presidential responsibility; to interpret to the people of the area and to conference agencies the nature and function of the episcopal office.
