wfn.org | UMNS# 04593-PBS' 'The Congregation' features United Methodist

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PBS' 'The Congregation' features United Methodist church 

Dec. 15, 2004	 News media contact:   Linda  Bloom * (646) 3693759*  New
York {04593}

NOTE: Photographs are available with this story at http://umns.umc.org.

A UMNS Report
By Linda Bloom*

Although Philadelphia's First United Methodist Church of Germantown is most
recently known as the church of Beth Stroud - the former pastor stripped of
her ministerial credentials Dec. 2 after a clergy trial - the congregation
has a long history of activism and social justice ministry.

That history, as well as the impact on the church when its pastor of 37 years
retired and a new pastor was appointed, is part of "The Congregation," a new
documentary produced by Alan and Susan Raymond. The documentary will air Dec.
29 on PBS.

The recipients of numerous awards for their work, the Raymonds filmed the
groundbreaking PBS series, "An American Family," featuring the Loud family,
in 1973; won an Academy Award in 1994 for "I Am a Promise: the Children of
Stanton Elementary School"; received international acclaim and an Emmy in
2000 for "Children of War," a look at the effect on war and terrorism on the
lives of children; and most recently documented a prison inmate-run literacy
program in "How Do You Spell Murder?" in 2003.

Alan Raymond told United Methodist News Service that "The Congregation" is
their first documentary to focus on religion, a subject they believe has been
overlooked on television. "You don't really see a kind of depiction of
ordinary religious life that often," he said.

"Hopefully our documentary will shed some light on why these congregations
have endured, even though they are now faced with a more ethnically and
religiously diverse nation," the Raymonds say in a commentary at
http://thecongregationmovie.com, the documentary's Web site. "We decided to
focus on a mainline Protestant church because of the historic importance of
Protestant churches in American life." 

One of the first Methodist churches in America, First United Methodist Church
of Germantown, known today by its acronym FUMCOG, was founded in 1796, a few
miles from Independence Hall in Philadelphia. The cornerstone of the current
building was laid in 1896, and the congregation had 2,000 members by the end
of World War II.

The church building's beauty, featured in such scenes as a Christmas service
in chapel, was appealing to Alan Raymond. "I like the whole idea of the
church as a kind of sacred place," he said. "That was one of the first things
that attracted me to (First) church."

Like many urban churches, First Church lost members as the middle class
migrated to the suburbs during the 1950s. With the appointment of the Rev.
Ted Loder in 1962, the congregation committed itself to social justice
issues, becoming involved in the cause of civil rights and opposing the
Vietnam War. In 1984, the church declared itself a public sanctuary for
Guatemalan refugees, and in 1990, it became a "reconciling" congregation,
supporting the full participating of gays and lesbians in the church.

Noting the congregation's concern today about issues such as the war in Iraq,
and its commitment to social justice through programs such as after-school
tutoring for students, Alan Raymond said he was glad to find people "who
still care about things in the world." 

The filmmakers also captured a tumultuous period for First Church. Loder's
retirement in 2000, followed by the appointment of the Rev. Fred Day the next
year, led to a division among its members, some of whom considered Day too
traditional for their congregation. The documentary follows the transition of
the new pastor into the church.

Although that transition is part of the film's dramatic structure, it also is
a common experience for many churchgoers. "Everyone who has ever been a
member of a congregation ... has had pastoral change," Susan Raymond pointed
out.

The church trial of Stroud, then associate pastor, was not in the script when
the Raymonds began filming, but it became an integral part of the
documentary.

Included are scenes of the staff-parish relations committee talking with
Stroud about her decision to publicly acknowledge her sexual orientation, of
Stroud writing the April 2003 sermon that would reveal she was a lesbian
living in a committed relationship with another woman, and of Stroud gathered
with family and friends just before delivering that sermon. "They're having
one last pause before the sermon, knowing this was going to change everyone's
life," Susan Raymond recalled.

The filmmakers said they felt privileged to follow Stroud's journey. "She
never wavered in her decision," Susan Raymond noted. "It became clear she was
going to go all the way to the end."

"Whatever side of this issue you're on, it's rare to see someone who sticks
to their principles in this way," Alan Raymond added.

A church trial court found Stroud guilty on Dec. 2 of being a "self-avowed
practicing homosexual," which is not acceptable for pastors under United
Methodist law. The court removed her ministerial credentials, and she remains
on staff at First Church as a lay employee. 

 The premiere of "The Congregation is 9:30 to 11:30 p.m., Eastern time, Dec.
29. Check www.pbs.org/tvschedules/ for local listings.

*Bloom is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in New York.

News media contact: Linda Bloom, New York, (646) 369-3759 or
newsdesk@umcom.org.

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United Methodist News Service