wfn.org | Assembly will hold appreciation service for black members

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

Oct. 23, 2003 News media contact: Tim Tanton7(615)742-54707Nashville, Tenn. 
ALL-AA-I{506}

NOTE: This report is a sidebar to UMNS story #505.

A UMNS Report
By J. Richard Peck*

When United Methodists gather for their top legislative assembly next spring,
they will hold a service of appreciation for African Americans who remained
with the denomination during the segregation era. 

The service will be conducted by the denomination's Commission on Christian
Unity and Interreligious Concerns and Black Methodists for Church Renewal. 

In 2000, the General Conference held a service of repentance and
reconciliation, in which the church officially apologized for racism that led
to the creation of three historically African-American Methodist
denominations. After that service, however, many United Methodists said that
a similar act might be performed for the black members who stayed in the
predominantly white denomination.

The service of appreciation was one of many items discussed by the Commission
on General Conference during its Oct. 16-18 meeting in Pittsburgh, site of
the 2004 assembly. 

In other action, the commission:
7	Agreed to ask the General Conference to end the practice of allowing
individuals and local churches to petition the assembly directly, starting in
2008. (See main story.)
7	Agreed to provide an orientation session for all delegates before the
April 27 morning worship service, while other orientation sessions may still
be held for youth, women, or members of ethnic minority groups. 
7	Learned that the rules committee will continue its plan to ask the
delegates to allow bishops to serve as chairs of legislative committees with
vice chairs to report actions to plenary sessions. 
7	Planned for daily Bible study and time with prayer partners for
meditation before voting on controversial issues. 
7	Learned that the Rev. Barbara Day Miller, music director for the
conference, has invited more than 50 musical groups, including liturgical
dance teams, drum corps, college, seminary and children choirs, and a choral
group from Mytischi Church in Moscow. The groups will participate in morning
worship, sing during breaks and perform in the food court. 
7	Limited the exhibition area to the 14 general agencies and United
Methodist youth. 
7	Heard from Marvin Cropsey, editor of the Daily Christian Advocate,
that the advance edition will be available in English, French, and
Portuguese. 
7	Learned that no replies have been received to speaking invitations
issued to President George W. Bush or Laura Bush and to Boris Trajkovski,
president of Macedonia.
7	Planned for optional communion services during the noon hour each
day.
7	Agreed to provide J. Allen Gross, chairman of the host committee for
the 2008 General Conference in Fort Worth, a book on hosting responsibilities
with the understanding that similar volumes will be available to future host
committees.

# # #

*Peck is a retired clergy member of the New York Annual Conference, four-time
editor of the Daily Christian Advocate and editor of the 2000 Book of
Resolutions.

 
 

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United Methodist News Service
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