wfn.org | Large Georgia Church Withholding Funds

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CONTACT: Thomas S. McAnally			    (10-21-71B){183}
	    Nashville, Tenn. (615) 742-5470	 March 25, 1998

Large United Methodist church in Georgia
'redirects' funds from churchwide causes 

by Alice Smith*

	MARIETTA, Ga. (UMNS) -- The Board of Stewards of the
5,200-member First United Methodist Church here voted March 22 to
"redirect" funds expected from the congregation for churchwide causes.
	At the same time, the board voted to pay about 75 percent of
funds apportioned to the congregation for North Georgia Conference and
jurisdictional ministries.
	The total amount being re-channeled is $58,427, compared to
$177,518 that will be forwarded as requested. The only two churchwide
apportionments that will be paid by the Marietta congregation are the
Black College Fund, which supports the 11 historically black colleges
related to the denomination, and a fund that supports a new Africa
University in Zimbabwe.
	Churchwide apportionments rejected are the Episcopal Fund, which
support the expenses of bishops; General Administration Fund, which
provides for expenses of the General Conference, Judicial Council, and
special commissions and committees established by the General
Conference; World Service Fund, which supports the work of churchwide
boards and agencies; Ministerial Education Fund, which supports seminary
education; and the Interdenominational Fund, which supports the work of
ecumenical agencies such as the World and National Councils of Churches.
	Of the funds that would have gone to these causes, $25,000 is
going to the Wesley Foundation at the University of Georgia; $25,000 is
going to a camp redevelopment in the conference; and $6,427 is going to
a boys' home in the Marietta District.
	The board said it took the action because of the "lack of
doctrinal integrity" of United Methodism at the denominational level as
detailed in a 75-page book prepared by a specially appointed task force
in the congregation.
	Those concerns relate to statements and actions by certain
bishops, seminary professors, and staff members of general boards and
agencies, said the Rev. Charles Sineath, senior pastor at the church for
21 years.
	North Georgia Bishop G. Lindsey Davis called the book "biased"
and "full of half-truths."
	"What they have is not the whole story," the bishop said.
"There's a vast volume of material that talks about the positive things
these agencies and commissions are doing. None of that material was
shared. To be balanced, one needs to share both sides of the issue."
	The Rev. Jamie Jenkins, superintendent of the Atlanta-Marietta
District who presided over the stewards' meeting, said he was
disappointed.
"Obviously I'd rather have seen them continue to support the connection
fully as they have in the past and find other ways to impact areas of
concern," he said.
	Although Sineath "fully endorses" the Marietta decision, he
expressed regret that the "good things being done" by churchwide
agencies would not be funded by his church.
	"We're just trying to make a statement of heartbreak about
certain things happening on the general church level," he said. "There
was no joy on the part of anyone that we had to take these steps. . . .
But we felt like that's the best way to draw attention to the things we
believe are contradictory to the Scriptures and our own Articles of
Religion in the Book of Discipline."
	Bucky Smith, chairperson of the board, said there were strong
opinions in the church on both sides of the issue, but the meeting
itself was a civil and reasoned debate.
"Our church has a long, proud tradition . . . of being a church that
always pays its apportionments. To all of a sudden be asked not to pay
all of them is not something people take lightly."
	The vote, taken by secret ballot, was 142 for withholding most
churchwide apportionments and 58 against.  About 100 members of the
church who are not on the board were also present.
	"That's a strong vote," Sineath said, "but there was no sense of
joy, gloating.  . . . I would call it an act of conscience where others
will call it denominational disloyalty.  . . . We see it as
denominational loyalty, tough love. That's why we were very clear we
wanted all $235,000 to go to official United Methodist ministries."
	Still, he said, there was hurt all around.
"The 58 were hurt because we made the decision we did.  The 142 were
hurt because the issues were such we felt compelled by conscience to
make that decision."
	Davis described the action as a violation of the covenantal,
missional commitments a United Methodist congregation makes to the
denomination.
"We work in a web of intricate connections, and part of our
understanding of what it means to be a community of faith is to be
involved in that kind of connection. To go off on your own, so to speak,
flies in the face of our polity, discipline and order."
	He also said he did not believe the Marietta church action will
have the intended impact in the denomination and that the "long-range
impact of this decision, within the Marietta congregation itself, has
not been fully explored or understood."
	Smith observed that the church tried other channels to make its
dissatisfaction with the denomination known. "This is a way, maybe not
the only way, to gain their attention and let them know of our
dissatisfaction with what's going on."
	In addition to being part of several "renewal" movements within
the denomination, the report notes that the Marietta church initiated
petitions on doctrinal integrity and the centrality of Christ that were
adopted by the North Georgia Conference in 1995 but rejected by the 1996
General Conference.
	In its report, the task force lists a number of incidents where
it feels the doctrinal and spiritual integrity of the church has been
violated and offers verses from Scripture and excerpts from the Book of
Discipline to support its viewpoint.
	Some criticism revolves around homosexual issues in the
denomination, such as the acquittal of the Rev. Jimmy Creech in Nebraska
on charges that he violated the discipline of the church by performing a
same-sex ceremony; a statement by 15 bishops at the 1996 General
Conference that they disagreed with the church's "proscriptions" on
homosexuality; and the Reconciling Congregations Program that supports
the full participation of gays and lesbians in the denomination.
	Many of the other concerns relate to women's issues -- the
teaching of "radical" feminist theology at United Methodist-related
seminaries and the writings by some women theologians; a "Re-Imagining
Conference" in 1993; and some actions and publications of the Women's
Division, the parent body of United Methodist Women. 
	"This report," the introduction says, "may seem to include a
disproportionate number of references to women, but it is because of the
pervasive influence that radical feminist theology has on United
Methodism."
	Perhaps the most attention in the report relates to the
ecumenically-sponsored Re-Imagining Conference, which critics charge was
so radical that Sophia was worshipped as a deity. 
	Both Davis and Jenkins expressed the hope that other churches
unhappy with the denomination will, first, seek to educate themselves
fully on the matters and, second, work within the system to change
things.
	Jenkins suggested congregations use their resources --once
obligations are met -- in a "positive way . . .to educate yourselves, to
enter dialogue with those people (with whom you have disagreement). Have
Randy Nugent, staff executive of the United Methodist Board of Global
Ministries come down and have a serious face-to-face conversation."
	One of the strengths of the denomination, Jenkins pointed out,
is "our ability to stand together even when we don't always stand in the
same place.  . . . I hope this direction (of First Church Marietta) is a
short-term thing and . . . we'll find a way to correct this action while
at the same time not ignoring issues of concern."
	"We're not turning one another loose," Davis said. "I will
continue to be their bishop and work with them to seek reconciliation
and God's peace. We're going to remain in Christian conversation on
these issues."
# # #
	*Smith is the executive director of the Georgia United Methodist
Communications Council.
	

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