May 24, 2023
Dear Council of Bishops,
May the peace of the Risen Christ be with you and your ministry always! On April 28th, 2023, MARCHA (Methodists Associated Representing the Cause of Hispanic/Latinx Americans), requested the Council of Bishops to take over the entire complaint process against Bishop Minerva Carcaño according to paragraph 413 of the Book of Discipline; after Judicial Council ruling in Decision 1484 to ensure a fair, equitable and transparent process for all parties involved.
However, the Council of Bishops has remained silent and has not acted on this matter. Why is the Council of Bishops ignoring the case? (Matthew 27:24)
The Western Jurisdiction College of Bishops and Committee on Episcopacy imposed an unprecedented, questionable, and prolonged suspension on Bishop Minerva Carcaño, undermining her effective prophetic ministry nationally, and preventing her from fulfilling her episcopal responsibilities while the complaint process unfolds. The suspension and the length of the process has created distrust in the complaint process system of our Church, an increase of misinformation regarding the case, and a hostile environment among us.
The suspension of Bishop Carcaño has also caused chaos and more division in our already broken denomination and created tension between laity and clergy, not only at the California-Nevada Annual Conference, but across the Western Jurisdiction and the global Church. In addition to this, MARCHA and other racial ethnic advocacy ministries, as well as the work of GCORR (General Commission on Religion and Race) and GCSRW (General Commission on the Status and Role of Women), has been challenged by leaders of the Western Jurisdiction, at this critical time that our church struggles to stay united and dismantle racism.
On May 4th, 2023, the Western Jurisdiction announced that the case against Bishop Minerva Carcaño is going to a church trial.
THEREFORE, to guarantee a fair, equitable, and transparent church trial for all parties and to avoid any resemblance of a conflict of interest, MARCHA respectfully requests that:
• The Council of Bishops take over the church trial process against Bishop Minerva Carcaño;
• The church trial for Bishop Carcaño be open to the public and be held in any of the following jurisdictions: North Central, North Eastern, South Central, or South Eastern;
• The General Commission on Religion and Race (GCORR) and the General Commission on the Role and Status of Women (GCRSW) monitor the church trial process;
• And that our Church continues to be engaged in a time of prayer for all parties involved.
Peace with Justice,
Rev. Lyssette Perez
President of MARCHA