Decision Number 203
SUBJECT TO FINAL EDITING
Ruling of Bishop D. D. Alejandro in The Philippines Annual Conference Regarding Annual Conference Responsibility for Annuity Claim of a Minister
Digest
The ruling of Bishop Alejandro in regard to division of responsibility for the annuity claim of Rev. Candido Padilla is affirmed.
Statement of Facts
Under the date of September 18, 1963, Paul Locke A. Granadosin, Secretary of the Philippines Annual Conference transmitted to the Judicial Council the written decision of Bishop D. D. Alejandro duly and regularly made in session of said Annual Conference on April 7, 1963, regarding responsibility for the pension claim of Rev. Candido Padilla.
The pertinent facts indicate that the said Rev. Candido Padilla, a retired ministerial member of the Middle Philippines Annual Conference, was transferred to the Philippines Annual Conference and granted retirement in said conference on April 6, 1963.
In 1961 the Philippines Annual Conference had been divided into two annual conferences: The Philippines Annual Conference and the Middle Philippines AnnualConference. A part of the service rendered by Rev. Candido Padilla had been in the territory now embraced in the Middle Philippines Annual Conference.
On April 6, 1963, Rev. William M. Pickard presented the following written request for an episcopal decision:
"It seems evident to this petitioner that the Middle Philippines Annual Conference is the legal successor to that portion of the old Philippines Annual Conference in which Bulacan is located. Therefore, he asks the Bishop to rule if the action of the Philippines Annual Conference on April 6, 1963, which allows Rev. Padilla to collect annuity from the Philippines Annual Conference, is legal."
On the next day Bishop Alejandro responded with the following written decision:
"Pursuant to Paragraph 1636 of the 1960 Discipline, the Rev. Candido Padilla, retired member of the conference, cannot claim annuity for all of his years of service as a minister of The Methodist Church of the Philippines Annual Conference alone. The Middle Philippines Conference must assume the corresponding responsibility for the years of effective service rendered by Rev. Candido Padilla within the bounds of the Middle Philippines Conference being a legal successor of the Philippines Conference."
Jurisdiction
The ruling of Bishop Alejandro is properly before the Judicial Council under Paragraph 40 of the 1960 Discipline of The Methodist Church.
Analysis and Rationale
Paragraph 1636.1 of the 1960 Discipline of The Methodist Church does state that: "The responsibility for annuity for years of approved service of aconference claimant shall rest with the Annual Conference in which the service was performed or its legal successor."
Paragraph 1633 of the 1960 Discipline of The Methodist Church declares further:
"The provisions in this pension code are to give guidance in the administration of pensions in the conferences of The Methodist Church outside the United States. In so far as may be practicable, the general principles involved in the code shall be regarded and employed in such conferences until the General Conference shall order otherwise."
In view of the provisions of these paragraphs the ruling of Bishop D. D. Alejandro in regard to the annuity claim of Rev. Candido Padilla is correct.
Decision
Therefore, the ruling of Bishop D. D. Alejandro in this case is affirmed by the Judicial Council.