wfn.org | Annual conferences respond to Sept. 11, racism

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.ORG>]

July 1, 2002   News media contact: Tim Tanton7(615)742-54707Nashville, Tenn.
10-21-28-30-71BP{279}

NOTE:  This story is based on reports filed by individuals in each annual
conference. It is intended as an overview and not an exhaustive record of
every conference action. Editors may want to localize this story for their
publications. Individual reports can be found at
http://umns.umc.org/acreports/index.html. Reports from conferences outside
the United States, meeting throughout the year, are posted as they become
available. Photographs are available with this story.

By United Methodist News Service

Two "isms" - terrorism and racism - were on the minds of United Methodists
as they gathered for their regional meetings this year.

The denomination's bishops around the United States directed their churches
to observe Sunday, Sept. 8, as a time for holding "Remembering 9-11"
services, marking the one-year anniversary of terrorist attacks in New York,
Washington and Pennsylvania.

The bishops also designated September "Open House Month," at the request of
the church's Igniting Ministry media campaign. It will be the second year
that the United Methodist Church has set the month-long emphasis on being
welcoming and inviting.

In addition, many of the church's U.S. annual conferences held services of
repentance for racism, continuing a series of actions that began formally
with the Act of Repentance and Reconciliation at the 2000 General Conference
in Cleveland. 

Those actions highlighted United Methodist annual conference gatherings in
May and June, when church members in the 65 U.S. regions met to conduct
business, adopt resolutions on issues of concern and celebrate ministry.
Similar conference meetings are held outside the United States at different
times in the year. When the U.S. conferences meet next year, their number
will have decreased to 64, following the vote by Missouri East and Missouri
West members to merge effective Jan. 1.

Terrorism and the Mideast crisis

The words "Sept. 11" and the images of that grim day have changed the lives
of all Americans, and the annual conferences showed their concern through
resolutions and offerings made in response to the attacks.

Members of the New York Conference, where the World Trade Center attacks
occurred, saw a dramatic presentation on the tragedy. The performance,
staged by members of the Church of St. Paul and St. Andrew, sent a message
that despite the violence of Sept. 11, people are good.

Terrorism was condemned across the church, though feelings about the proper
response varied. North Indiana members passed a resolution in "Support of
the War Against Terrorism." Nebraska members resolved that their pastors and
laity support alternatives to war, while folks in Northern Illinois decided
to send President Bush a letter opposing military force as a means of
promoting peace or bringing justice. Mississippi prayed for U.S. military
personnel.

Yellowstone members commended the Board of Global Ministries - and
specifically the top executive of the Women's Division - the Board of Church
and Society, and the Commission on the Status and Role of Women for their
advocacy of peaceful measures in response to terrorism. Detroit members
condemned terrorism and called on churches to speak in favor of nonviolent
responses and to hear oppressed people. They also spoke against the Patriot
Act, stating that it enables the abuse of civil liberties. Desert Southwest
endorsed programs that support global peacemaking and better understanding
of Islam.

United Methodists expressed concern for the people of Afghanistan, where
U.S.-led forces are rooting out al-Qaida fighters. West Michigan adopted
resolutions in support of Afghan women, the resettlement of Afghan refugees
through the United Methodist Committee on Relief and U.S. help in rebuilding
Afghanistan. North Alabama members packed health kits for UMCOR to send to
Afghan refugees, and Central Texas sent more than two tons of wheat seed to
help restore agriculture and relieve hunger in Afghanistan.

The relentless violence between Israelis and Palestinians drew expressions
of concern from around the connection. Minnesota, Western North Carolina and
the Pacific Northwest supported the Council of Bishops' recent statement
calling for an immediate cease-fire in the Middle East, and affirming the
right of both sides to live in nations with safe and secure borders.
Virginia also called for a cease-fire and the establishment of an
independent Palestinian state.

"God desperately needs voices to speak out against violence, abuse,
prejudice, hate and any nationalism that violates or compromises God's
vision for the human family," said Bishop Ray W. Chamberlain Jr. of the
Holston Annual Conference.

Racism

More than a dozen conferences held services of repentance and reconciliation
for racism, while others addressed the issue by distributing study
materials, planning future services or giving updates on ongoing efforts to
address the problem. 

The New England Conference passed a policy on racial harassment, to provide
guidance to laypeople and clergy members. North Georgia members asked their
conference to consider recommending that General Conference revise the
denomination's Book of Discipline to reflect a more solid commitment to
eliminate racism. During a repentance service, Alabama-West Florida members
raised more than $6,000 to start a church in Selma, Ala., that would serve
the city's largely black population.

"We must understand that reconciliation is a difficult thing to do because
real reconciliation involves not only confession and repentance; real
reconciliation requires restitution," said the Rev. Zan W. Holmes of Dallas,
preaching at the Southwest Texas repentance service. "Restitution means we
have to give up whatever we need to make right what is wrong. Restitution
means we have a responsibility to repair what's broken."

Children's issues

The events of Sept. 11 and other issues notwithstanding, annual conferences
stayed focused on supporting the Bishops' Initiative on Children and Poverty
and the "Hope for the Children of Africa" appeal. During a worship service,
West Ohio members gave more than $300,000 to "Hope for the Children of
Africa." Holston members sent $161,000 worth of supply kits for needy
children in Zimbabwe and Liberia.

North Indiana collected more than 5,000 teddy bears for children in
hospitals and shelters in the area and in West Africa. The Memphis and
Tennessee conferences collected a total of about $150,000 in an offering for
the children of Kamina in the North Katanga Conference of the Democratic
Republic of Congo. Northern Illinois heard an appeal to raise $1 million in
this four-year period to help children through four projects, including
ministries with churches in Angola and India. Little Rock will focus on
hunger among children in Arkansas' delta region through a new partnership
with Heifer Project International.

Social concerns

Several annual conferences adopted resolutions encouraging their
congregations to study the denomination's Social Principles and the Social
Creed. The United Methodist Board of Church and Society is asking
conferences to request that General Conference designate 2005 to 2008 as a
time for such study, to mark the creed's 100th anniversary in 2008. 

For the Board of Church and Society itself, the support-gauge readings
ranged from full to empty. California-Nevada and Central Pennsylvania passed
resolutions affirming the board's work as the denomination's social advocacy
agency. South Carolina passed a resolution supporting the board's existence,
while Alabama-West Florida rejected a call for the board's dissolution.
Illinois Great Rivers voted not to affirm the board, after a discussion
about agency statements following the Sept. 11 attacks.

In keeping with the spirit of Methodism's founder, John Wesley, who spoke
out fearlessly on issues of his day, the annual conferences passed
resolutions on a host of social concerns, including:
7	Death penalty: Conferences adopting measures against the death
penalty included Illinois Great Rivers, Nebraska and Oregon-Idaho. Central
Pennsylvania called for reforms. Virginia asked its churches to study the
death penalty.
7	Gambling: Central Pennsylvania, Florida, Illinois Great Rivers,
Memphis, Nebraska, South Indiana, West Ohio and Western North Carolina were
among those taking action against gambling at state or national levels.
Missouri West members approved a special offering for a church social
services agency in Kansas City, after the agency refused a $50,000 donation
from a local casino.
7	HIV/AIDS: The Rocky Mountain Conference and Pacific Northwest
expressed support for funding to address the global AIDS crisis.
7	Homosexuality: A Western Pennsylvania dialogue team presented a
video on members' efforts to understand one another better and model
Christ's love, despite differing views on homosexuality. They hope their
work will be used as a model at the 2004 General Conference. Pacific
Northwest members voted to include in their minutes opposing statements on
the church's prohibition of gays from ordained ministry. Iowa approved the
development of study materials on homosexuality. Illinois Great Rivers asked
local churches to reach out to people "involved in homosexual practice,
offering God's love and acceptance, leading to repentance, forgiveness,
restoration and healing." Detroit and Minnesota urged studies or
conversations in their conferences related to the issue.
7	International sanctions: Detroit, Nebraska and North Carolina called
for lifting the U.S. embargo of Cuba. Pacific Northwest challenged the
economic sanctions against Iraq.
7	Native people: In West Ohio, a clergyman who belongs to the Shawnee
nation proposed holding a service of reconciliation with Native Americans.
West Virginia supported Native American and Native Alaskan land sovereignty.
The Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference spoke against the transportation
of nuclear waste across the state of Oklahoma, which includes Indian
country.
7	Poverty: North Carolina urged that more resources be spent on
fighting poverty and helping Third World countries.
7	Reproduction: Eastern Pennsylvania urged the Board of Church and
Society and the Women's Division to withdraw from the Religious Coalition
for Reproductive Choice, stating that the church's position on abortion
differs from the coalition's.
7	Tobacco: Florida, Minnesota, South Carolina, West Virginia and
Tennessee approved increasing taxes on tobacco products to discourage teen
smoking.

Other resolutions supported the Igniting Ministry campaign, faith-based
initiatives, ecumenical cooperation, the rights of religious minorities and
resolution of the India-Pakistan border dispute. Conferences also spoke
against land mines, predatory lending, the persecution of Christians and
plans to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Reaching out

United Methodists have a history of reaching out to others through
ministries that focus on evangelism, social change and relief. They took
action during their annual gatherings to support ministries with U.S. ethnic
groups, such as Hispanics, Koreans and Vietnamese, as well as people in
other parts of the world.

Many annual conferences highlighted ministries with the fast-growing
Hispanic population. The New Mexico Conference adopted a Comprehensive Plan
for Effective Hispanic Ministries, as well as a Native American
Comprehensive Plan. The Southwest Texas Conference authorized the naming of
a conference-level Hispanic ministry task force. South Indiana commissioned
three lay missionaries to the Hispanic community.

Looking beyond U.S. borders, Wisconsin members raised $31,000 to build a new
church in Melnikovo, Russia. Holston collected $9,000 for the Cuba Annual
Conference. Several conferences collected school and health supplies for
Liberia, Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe and other destinations in Africa. West Ohio
adopted a covenant with the North Katanga Conference in the Democratic
Republic of Congo. 

Red Bird Missionary Conference raised more than $15,000 for a program that
provides prostheses for victims of landmines, war and disease. Western
Pennsylvania collected 16,660 emergency kits for UMCOR. Similar efforts
occurred throughout the connection.

For many, the annual conference experience isn't complete without an
opportunity for hands-on ministry. "Potato drops," sponsored by the Society
of St. Andrew hunger relief organization, are a staple at many conferences.
Members in Virginia, Missouri East and West, and North Central New York were
among those who bagged tens of thousands of potatoes to feed the hungry.

"There are 32 million hungry people in the country, and half of them are
children," said the society's Ken Bradford, at the Missouri West meeting.
"With our abundance, together we have the ability to end hunger."

Some conferences recognized the humanitarian work of another agency,
Goodwill Industries, which celebrates its centennial this year. A Methodist
founded that ministry.

Clergy issues

Whether the topic was sexual abuse policies or retiree medical benefits,
clergy-related matters were major agenda items this year. 

In the Baltimore-Washington Conference, members debated whether to support
the appointment of a transgender pastor to a local congregation. However,
the filing of a complaint against the pastor resulted in actions being taken
to place her on involuntary leave of absence.

As the Catholic Church struggles with a major sexual-abuse scandal in the
priesthood, many United Methodist conferences adopted or updated their
policies on abuse and related issues. West Virginia pledged to actively
recognize and resolve cases of clergy sexual abuse. Baltimore-Washington
established a policy requiring background checks on all candidates for
ordained ministry and clergy transferring into the conference.

Rising health care costs and retiree medical expenses are squeezing budgets
across the church. Many conferences responded by asking their active and
retired clergy members to shoulder more of the premium costs. Wyoming
Conference members (in New York and Pennsylvania) increased the minimum
salary level for clergy to help offset rising health insurance premium
costs. In Florida, clergy members will help pay for dependent insurance, and
congregations with full-time pastors will be billed for health insurance. 

Holston members learned that a three-year campaign had raised more than $8
million in pledges for pastors' pensions, exceeding the $7.8 million goal to
fund a liability for pre-1982 pensions.

Kansas West members approved an amendment to a board of equitable
compensation report, requiring that salary disparities between men and women
clergy members be resolved by Dec. 31 or a lump sum payment be made to the
women included in the board's gender equity study.

Of the 61 annual conferences that provided reports to United Methodist News
Service, 14 had membership increases. Those were: North Georgia (up 7,404);
Kansas East (3,283); Texas (2,892); North Texas (2,266); North Carolina
(1,896); North Arkansas (1,821); Central Texas (1,695); Southwest Texas
(1,383); Alabama-West Florida (1,144); Tennessee (845); Virginia (701);
Eastern Pennsylvania (390); Western North Carolina; (243) and Mississippi
(197). Forty-four out of 59 conferences reported increases in average weekly
worship attendance. 

The church's General Council on Finance and Administration will give a
definitive report on membership statistics later this year.

Though the 2003 sessions are still nearly a year away, the annual
conferences already have at least one major item on their agendas: the
election of delegates to the 2004 General and jurisdictional conferences.
# # # 

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United Methodist News Service
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