wfn.org | COSROW addresses Clinton's 'inappropriate' relationship

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

Sept. 29, 1998   Contact: Linda Bloom*(212) 870-3803*New York
{551}

NOTE: This story is accompanied by a sidebar, UMNS #552..  

SAN FRANCISCO (UMNS) - Governing members of the United Methodist agency
that has led the church on issues related to clergy sexual misconduct
have spoken out on the Clinton scandal. 

The Commission on the Status and Role of Women (COSROW), meeting  Sept.
24-27, adopted a statement emphasizing that professional sexual
misconduct is unacceptable "because it involves an inequity of power
between the persons involved. " The 43-member commission rejected the
idea that public and private morality can be separated.

However, the commission affirmed that "integrity and honesty must never
be replaced by political and legal maneuvering. Our country's attention
must not continue to be diverted from other critical issues."  It also
called for a resolution "that will include both forgiveness and
accountability."

President Clinton told a grand jury Aug. 17 that he had  an
"inappropriate" relationship with  White House intern Monica Lewinsky.
The House Judiciary Committee will vote next week on whether to open an
impeachment inquiry.

In other business, the commission adopted a discussion style of "holy
conferencing" to talk about emerging issues, assess its current work and
reflect on its structure, purpose and mission for the future.

During a session on "holy conferencing through the arts," the Rev. Donna
Fado Ivery, a United Methodist pastor from South San Francisco, showed
the group how her own experience with physical disability has led her to
use the arts in a healing way.

In January 1994, Ivery was struck on the head by a glass partition. The
resulting brain injury has left her in chronic pain and disrupted normal
body functions. She eventually learned that painting pictures that
reflected her pain "really opens up a healing road."

"The brushes of the spirit act as my helper in handling the burden of
grief," she explained. "When I do nothing else, I would go to the garage
and paint."

Commission members also:

*	Paid a daylong visit to Glide Memorial United Methodist Church
to learn about its mission and ministries to the poor. (See UMNS
sidebar # 552.)
*	Established a task force on women's issues, particularly the
issues of domestic violence, health care and welfare, with plans to
develop a video, educational materials and training teams in annual
(regional) conferences.
*	Agreed to work with annual conferences to encourage the election
of more women as delegates to General Conference, the denomination's top
legislative body.
*	Reached no consensus about a stance on same-sex covenanting
ceremonies and referred the issue to the commission's legislative
committee. 

# # #
United Methodist News Service
(615)742-5470
Releases and photos also available at
http://www.umc.org/umns/