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Wednesday, March 6, 2019
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Aces fall to
Pride in third
round - IB
2019 Medical
Directory
inside today’s
edition
UMC delegates discuss LGBTQIA issues
Visit Edenton to discuss
General Conference
BY MILES LAYTON
Staff Writer
EDENTON — United
Methodists voted to con
tinue to ban same-sex mar
riage and the ordination of
gay clergy.
Last week, delegates to
the denomination’s special
session of the General Con
ference voted to adopt what
is known as the Traditional
Plan, which upholds the
language of the Book of Dis
cipline, banning same-sex
marriages and the ordina
tion of openly gay clergy.
The church defines marriage
as between one woman and
one man. The vote was 449
to 374.
At Edenton United Meth
odist Church, more than 200
people from across north-
eastern North Carolina
gathered Sunday to learn
more about what happened
at the global United Meth
odist Church that met in St.
Louis, Missouri.
The Traditional Plan
keeps the current language
around sexuality by increas
ing accountability and en
forcing penalties for viola
tions of the denomination’s
policy book, The Book of
Discipline, related to mar
riage and ordination of LG
BTQIA persons. LGBTQIA
stands for lesbian, gay, bi
sexual, transgender, queer
or questioning, intersex,
and asexual or allied.
As amended, the Tra
ditional Plan affirms the
church’s current bans on
ordaining LGBTQIA clergy
and officiating at or host
ing same-sex marriage. It
also boosts penalties and
accountability for transgres
sions of those bans.
The United Methodist
Church has not banned LG
BTQIA people. The Book
of Discipline reads, “The
United Methodist Church
acknowledges that all per
sons are of sacred worth. All
persons without regard to
race, color, national origin,
status, or economic condi
tion, shall be eligible to at
tend its worship services,
participate in its programs,
receive the sacraments,
upon baptism be admitted
as baptized members, and
upon taking vows declaring
the Christian faith, become
professing members in any
local church in the connec
tion.”
Much like the U.S. Su
preme Court, any piece of
legislation that the Judicial
Council declares unconsti
tutional will not be included
in The Book of Discipline.
The Judicial Council will
meet April 23-24.
The legislation is not the
official church law until Jan.
1, 2020, for churches in the
United States. The legisla
tion takes effect in churches
outside the U.S. after the
2020 General Conference.
Bishops will hold meetings
with clergy and laity in then-
annual conferences on how
details will be handled in
each area.
A disaffiliation plan,
sometimes called the “gra
cious exit,” also was passed
and is subject to review by
the Judicial Council. This
provides guidelines for
congregations who wish to
See UMC, 3A
Lent &
Spring
Revival
By Jonathan Tobias'
Today, you might see a
friend or a neighbor walk
ing around with an odd
smudge on their forehead.
If you look closely, the
smudge is
drawn in
the shape
of a Cross.
And then
it will oc
cur to you
that today
is Ash
Wednes- • TOBIAS
day.
The person bearing that
sign of an ashen Cross
had gone to church ear
lier. There, they had prob
ably listened to a reading
of Psalm 51. At the end
of the service, they went
forward, and the priest
or minister marked their
forehead with ash. Tradi
tionally, the ashes were
produced by burning
some palms from last
year’s Palm Sunday.
In the old days, the
priest used to say “Me
mento, homo, quia pulvis
es, et in pulverem rever-
teris” (that is, “Remem
ber, man, that thou art
dust, and to dust thou
shalt return”). Nowadays,
“Repent, and believe the
Gospel” is more likely, or
“Remember that you are
dust, and to dust you shall
See LENT, 2A
INSIDE
See page 3B for upcoming
church listings.
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NICOLE BOWMAN-LAYTON/CHOWAN HERALD
Top: A group wearing robes from Hogwarts School of
Witchcraft and Wizardry wait for the trivia questions
during an event at the Harry Potter Extravaganza! at
Shepard-Pruden Memorial Library. Left: A volunteer
shows off an augmented reality program that allows
library patrons to learn about the solar system Saturday
during the Harry Potter Extravaganza! at the Shepard-
Pruden Memorial Library.
Wizarding World
comes to
Extravaganza celebrates
Harry Potter book series
BY NICOLE BOWMAN-
LAYTON
Editor
Wizards and muggles
(non-magic folks) of all
ages came to the Shepard-
Pruden Memorial Library
on Saturday for the Harry
Potter Extravaganza.
The event kicked off
Friday, as the Taylor The
ater had two free showings
of “Harry Potter and the
Sorcerer’s Stone,” a movie
based on the first book of
the beloved-children’s se
ries written by J.K. Rowling.
library
The first book was released
in 1997, with a series of film
adaptations premiering in
2001.
According to Librar
ian Jennifer Finlay, over
350 people came through
the library’s door — deco
rated like platform 9 3/4 at
London’s King’s Cross train
station — Saturday. The
platform is used by wizard
to get to the Hogwarts Ex
press, which takes students
to Hogwarts School of
Witchcraft and Wizardry.
“I can not say thank you
enough to all of our vol
unteers who took on then-
magical roles with relish,”
See LIBRARY, 9A
Vidant CEO: Compromise with Folwell possible
Waldrum speaks to
Edenton, Chowan officials
BY MILES LAYTON
Staff Writer
The head of Greenville-
based Vidant Health told
state and local officials
meeting here last week that
he agrees some compro
mise is possible in Vidant
and other hospitals’ ongoing
fight with the state treasur
er over reforming the State
Health Plan for Teachers
and State Employees.
Vidant Health CEO Mi
chael Waldrum suggested
the possibility of compro-
INSIDE
Community reacts to
Waldrum’s speech - 7A
mise with state Treasurer
Dale Folwell the same week
state lawmakers introduced
legislation designed to delay
Fowell’s efforts to reform
the plan that covers most
health insurance costs for
teachers and state employ
ees.
Under Folwell’s reform
plan, the state would reduce
reimbursement rates to
health care providers by 14
See VIDANT, 7A
MILES LAYTON/CHOWAN HERALD
A large crowd attended a forum Thursday in Edenton
held to discuss proposed changes to the State Health
Plan for Teachers and State Employees. Attending were
(front row, l-r) Jay Briley, president of Vidant Community
Hospitals; state Rep. Ed Goodwin, R-Chowan; and state
Sen. Bob Steinburg, R-Chowan.
3 arrested
in Bertie
Two Edenton men face
multiple charges
BY THADD WHITE
Bertie Ledger-Advance
WINDSOR — Officers
with the
Bertie
County
Sheriff’s
Office
reacted
quickly to
shots be
ing fired
into a
home on
Morning
Road on
Feb. 27
and it led
to three
arrests.
Bertie
County
Sheriff
John Hol
ley said
911 Dis
patch re
ceived a
call short
ly after
noon last
Wednes-
EVANS
LITTLEJOHN
ARMSTEAD
day reporting individuals
See BERTIE, 2A
Spring
forward
From Staff Reports
Daylight saving
time will begin at 2
am. Sunday, March
10. Don’t forget to turn
your clocks ahead.
Edenton Ifire Chief
Billy Bass reminds
residents that this is a
good time to replace
your smoke detector if
it is older than 10 years
old, or to replace the
battery in your current
smoke detector.
“Smoke detectors
are an early detection
for smoke and can
save your life in the
event of a fire,” Bass
said.
If you need help
in replacing your
old smoke detector,
changing the battery,
or if you don’t have a
working smoke de
tector in your home,
Bass urges people to
contact the Edenton
Fire Department at
252-482-3115.
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