wfn.org | Trustees of controversial campground lock out church leaders

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.UMC.ORG>]

Aug. 13, 1999  News media contact: Tim Tanton*(615)742-5470*Nashville, Tenn.
10-21-28-71B{423}

By Linda S. Rhodes*

DESPLAINES, Ill. (UMNS) -- On Saturday, Aug. 7, about 40 Northern Illinois
Conference clergy and laity arrived at the Historic Methodist Campground in
DesPlaines to attend the annual meeting of the Campground Association. 

Some were expecting to vote as delegates, others wanted to observe or speak
out against alleged incidents of discrimination against a gay couple. 

But instead of a meeting, the group found locked gates, more than 25
tactical police units barricading roads into the campgrounds, police with
attack dogs patrolling fence lines and huge professionally produced signs
declaring that the campground was closed.

Locked outside were the Rev. Phil Blackwell, conference program officer, and
the Rev. Todd Singley, pastor of Irving Park United Methodist Church and
co-chair of the conference board of church and society, which is currently
investigating charges that the campground discriminated against a homosexual
couple in violation of the United Methodist Church's Social Principles.

Also locked out were Nancy Duel, conference lay leader and member of the
board of church and society investigating team; Linda Rhodes, conference
communications director; about a dozen pastors, and a number of lay members
of churches from across the conference.

Calling the situation "distressing," Singley called the action by the
campground trustees "grossly inhospitable, disrespectful to a process that
has sought mutual understanding, and a violation of our good faith and
trust."

Singley said Marjorie Cilley, president of the campground trustees, had
given verbal consent for representatives of the investigative team to be
present at the annual meeting as observers. "We assured her that we would
not vote or act as mediators," Singley said, "merely as observers of the
process. We were greatly distressed by this violation of her word given to
us, presumably, in good faith. We came to attend the meeting in good faith."

Those locked out of the campground formed a prayer circle in front of the
locked gate, holding hands and praying and singing. All the while, they were
videotaped by uniformed security guards and monitored by armed police with
guard dogs.

Standing outside the locked gate, the campground's attorney, John E.
Juergensmeyer, said the lockout was due to "specific threats against board
members and the campground." Only people entitled to vote at the meeting or
those who are residents on the grounds were being admitted, he said.

Capt. Bernie Wolter, commander of the DesPlaines Police Department's
tactical team, said police were admitting only cottage owners whose names
were on a list.

Wolter said Juergensmeyer told police "there might be 500 to 1,000
demonstrators" attempting to disrupt the campground meeting. As a result,
DesPlaines Police, Cook County Sheriff's deputies and Cook County Forest
Preserve Police staked out the entire area.

"We were merely there for security purposes," Wolter said. "We were there to
preserve the peace."

Although he could not quote an exact figure for the cost of the security
patrol, Wolter said it "cost a lot," because most of the police were working
on overtime pay. He said all costs will be covered by the city of DesPlaines
and Cook County.

Wolter noted that the 40 or so people kept outside the gates "were very
peaceful. We had no problems whatsoever."

While remaining peaceful, many of the pastors were angered that they were
locked out of the campgrounds.

Blackwell noted that he sent a fax to all Northern Illinois churches
inviting them to the meeting at the request of Cilley and the other
trustees.

"They informally asked me if I would reiterate on behalf of the association
that this was an open afternoon and everyone was welcome," Blackwell said.
He said the turn of events "suggests an attitude on their part of unilateral
authority. It is symbolic to me of how they see themselves as an independent
entity."

"We must disassociate ourselves from this madness," said the Rev. Dwight
Stewart, pastor of Euclid Avenue United Methodist Church in Oak Park. "We
must not allow the United Methodist name to be on this place. I hope the
bishop (C. Joseph Sprague) will encourage pastors not to conduct worship
services or preach on this ground. This is unholy ground."

The board of church and society's investigation follows a resolution
approved at the June 8 session of annual conference in DeKalb, Ill. The
resolution called for the investigation due to allegations that campground
trustees refused to rent a cottage to Robert Carroll and Russell Elenz
because of their sexual orientation. Campground trustees are also accused of
trying to evict Bill and Nanette Graham and their two children when they
befriended Carroll and Elenz.

During the investigation process, a dispute arose over who is eligible to
vote at the campground's annual meeting where trustees are elected.

Campground association by-laws state that qualified voters at the
association annual election meeting include the resident bishop, district
superintendents and clergy of the Northern Illinois Conference who "shall
each be entitled to one vote."

The by-laws also state: "Any church in the Northern Illinois Conference
choosing to be represented at the Association Annual Election Meeting may be
so represented by one lay member whose appointment must be reported in
writing to the Secretary of the Association by the Pastor, Secretary of the
Administrative Board/Council of such church at least 20 days before the date
of the Association Annual Election Meeting. A lay member shall continue to
serve as such until written notice is received from their church advising
change or replacement."

Under a section headed "Conduct of the Election," the by-laws stipulate that
entry checkers are to use "a copy of the current year Directory of the
Northern Illinois Conference for the purpose of verifying the identity and
validity of Conference clergy including the Bishop and the District
Superintendents."

Also allowed to vote in the election, according to the by-laws, are the nine
association trustees and resident owners of the cottages on the campground.

Despite the by-laws, campground trustees decided to allow only trustees and
cottage owners to vote at this year's meeting, according to Robert Matson,
husband of trustees vice president Martha Matson.

Saying that the by-laws do not agree with the campground's 1867 charter,
Matson said, "there are some serious impediments in the (United Methodist
Book of) Discipline that we have to overcome."

Based on a report from the campground's credentials committee, Matson said,
trustees passed a resolution stating that "the credentials sent by the
various churches for the annual election meeting of August 7, 1999, are not
supported by necessary evidence that a local church has chosen to be
represented in our Association by a resolution of their annual charge
conference. 

Such credentials cannot be, nor will they, be approved unless or until a
covenant relationship between the Conference and the Association exists and
the necessary 'commission' is agreed to by both the Conference and the
Association."

Two churches, Epworth United Methodist in Chicago and Covenant United
Methodist in Evanston, Ill., had rented groves on the campground to hold
picnics before the annual meeting. Neither picnic was permitted.

The Rev. Bettye Mixon, pastor of Epworth, said she was called the day before
the scheduled picnic and told that the campground was being closed "because
there were going to be all these people out here and they were afraid the
elderly people on the campground might have a heart attack."

Singley indicated that the investigation into the campground's activities is
not completed. "We will be meeting again," he said, "particularly after the
events on Saturday, which add a whole new layer to all this."

In an Aug. 10 statement, Singley and Cecelia Long, co-chairs of the
conference board of church and society, said the trustees "violated two
points of understanding agreed to by the trustees' chairperson and the
investigative committee."

In addition to denying investigating team members access to the annual
meeting, trustees violated a "good faith agreement" with the investigative
committee that no action against the Graham family would be taken for the
remainder of the summer season, Long and Singley said. However, they noted,
the Graham family has been denied access to their cabin, and locks on their
cabin were changed.

Regarding the lockout, Long and Singley said: "Such a fearful response of
calling police and canine units against representatives of the Church of
Jesus Christ is faithless and is condemned in the strongest possible terms."

# # #

*Rhodes is communications director of the Northern Illinois Annual
(regional) Conference of the United Methodist Church.

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