wfn.org | Christian unity board addresses racism, homosexuality

[NewsDesk@UMCOM.UMC.ORG]

Oct. 10, 2000 News media contact: Tim Tanton·(615)742-5470·Nashville, Tenn.
10-28-31-71B{463}

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (UMNS) - New members of the United Methodist Church's
agency on Christian unity wrestled with some of the denomination's most
sensitive issues during their first meeting of the 2001-2004 period.

Racism, homosexuality, interfaith relationships and the global nature of the
United Methodist Church received substantial discussion during an Oct. 4-8
organizational gathering. Most of the 38 members of the churchwide
Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns are new to the
agency, which has offices in New York.

"We have emerged from General Conference with numerous mandates for this
commission," the Rev. Bruce Robbins, top staff executive, told agency
directors on the first day. General Conference, the United Methodist
Church's top legislative assembly, met May 2-12 in Cleveland.

The mandates include:
·	Planning follow-up actions to the Act of Repentance for racism, a
May 4 service in which the General Conference delegates repented for past
and current racism in the United Methodist Church.
·	Planning a series of dialogues around issues related to
homosexuality.

The commission brainstormed on those items and passed the results on to two
new task forces.

The Act of Repentance at General Conference was the first step in a
churchwide effort, said staff executive Anne Marshall. "The liturgy was not
the end. That was really the beginning for us."

Last May's Act of Repentance service focused largely on racist acts within
the Methodist Church that led to the creation of three historically
African-American denominations - the African Methodist Episcopal, African
Methodist Episcopal Zion and Christian Methodist Episcopal churches. Bishops
from the black churches addressed the General Conference following the
three-hour Act of Repentance liturgy.

Several members said a need still exists for reconciliation between white
and black United Methodists. Bishop Melvin Talbert, a commission member,
expressed his pain that African Americans within the denomination were not
given an opportunity to speak and share their experiences as part of the Act
of Repentance service. The church must acknowledge the blacks who stayed in
the denomination, and repentance must occur, said Talbert, an African
American and ecumenical officer for the United Methodist Council of Bishops.

The General Conference has called for all local congregations to engage in
reflection and liturgical acts of repentance, and a study guide has been
developed for churches and annual conferences to use. However, Robbins said
some annual conferences aren't ready to repent.

Many people are "totally oblivious" to the need for repentance, said Bishop
Peter Weaver, a commission member who leads the church's Philadelphia Area.
In order for the act to have power and authenticity, people must first
confront their sin and then turn around in their hearts, he said. Yet many
people "are blind to that," he said. "They have eyes and do not see."

The commission must be sure that the study guide is placed in the hands of
church pastors and that they understand its importance, said the Rev. Rachel
Scott James of Bowling Green, Ky.
Shirley Readdean of Schenectady, N.Y., suggested the agency develop a study
guide for youth.

Youth representatives on the commission provided a fresh perspective at
points. Melvin Glasco of Dallas, an African American, said racism isn't just
in white people. "The racism is on both sides, and we all do have an
obligation to repent."

Craig Mulanax, a young person from Derby, Kan., described his excitement and
hope for the commission's work on racism. "That's what our goal is -- that
it (racism) stops with us. It stops here. That's an exciting thing. ... And
we can change the world."

Bishop Fritz Mutti, commission president, reminded the directors that by
definition racism involves the element of one party having power over
another. "Don't ever let the white community off the hook," said the bishop,
who is white.

Commissioners discussed including other groups, such as Native Americans,
Asian Americans and Hispanics, in the repentance efforts. Marshall, a Native
American, explained that the commission had decided that focusing on the
black church would be best as the first step. The Act of Repentance service
resulted from the commission's efforts at building a foundation for closer
relationship and union with the historically black Methodist churches.

The commission needs to work with the Commission on Religion and Race, the
Black Methodists for Church Renewal and the historically African-American
Methodist denominations to find the best way to move forward, Robbins said.

He said he sensed a mandate from the directors for the agency to continue
with work already under way regarding racism. That includes providing the
study guide for use in the annual conferences; developing liturgical
resources for conferences, districts and local churches to use in acts of
repentance; advocating for an amendment to the church's constitution that
would deal with racism; and supporting a video using material from the
General Conference service. 

Comments from the discussions on racism were passed on to the new task force
on the acts of repentance, led by Weaver and the Rev. Joy Moore of Wilmore,
Ky.

A similar task force was appointed to work on planning dialogues on
homosexuality. That group will be led by the Rev. Gregory Stover of
Cincinnati and Janice Love of Columbia, S.C.

Following small-group discussions on homosexuality, commission members
affirmed the need for more dialogue in the church. They raised a lengthy
list of questions and comments dealing with the struggle over homosexuality
as a power issue in the church, whether the denomination is really in
ministry to homosexuals, whether there can be unity without uniformity, and
so on.

The Rev. Aslam Barkat of Cross Lanes, W. Va., said the church has created
its own problem by making the debate a win-lose issue. He asked whether it
could be changed to a win-win situation.

The commission also dealt with several interfaith issues, including
providing financial help to the National Council of Churches of Christ in
the USA (see UMNS story #457), responding to a Vatican document on the
status of non-Catholic churches, and exploring the global nature of the
church. 

Commission directors gave Robbins guidance for responding to the Vatican's
"Dominus Iesus" document, issued Aug. 6. In it, the Vatican reiterated its
view that the Roman Catholic Church is the true church of Christ, and that
the Protestant traditions are "ecclesial communities" and "not churches in
the proper sense." However, people baptized in those communities are
incorporated in Christ and are in communion, "albeit imperfect," with the
one church, the Vatican stated.

Robbins said after the meeting that he'll probably write a letter to his
counterparts in the Roman Catholic Church and share some of the commission's
perspectives.

Commission members discussed the global nature of the United Methodist
Church from different perspectives. They asked Robbins to contact the new
top staff executive of the General Council on Ministries, the denomination's
program coordinating agency in Dayton, Ohio, and share what the commission
has done in terms of exploring the church's global nature.

In other business, the commission elected officers for the next four years.
Mutti, who leads the church's Kansas Area, was named president, and Readdean
was elected vice president. Dalila Cruz of San Antonio was elected
secretary.

The commission also honored the Rev. Joe Hale of Lake Junaluska, N.C., for
his leadership as top staff executive of the World Methodist Council.
Afterward, Hale showed a video of the World Methodist Peace Award being
presented in September to Nelson Mandela, anti-apartheid leader and former
president of the Republic of South Africa. 
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United Methodist News Service
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