wfn.org | Review team: Magazine did not promote homosexuality

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March 9, 2001     News media contact: Joretta Purdue ·(202)
546-8722·Washington    10-28-71B{122}

By United Methodist News Service*

A special issue of a magazine published by the United Methodist Church's
social action and advocacy agency did not violate the denomination's
prohibition on funding publications that "promote the acceptance
homosexuality," a review committee has decided.

The committee cited four reasons for its conclusion about the
November/December 2000 issue of Christian Social Action, a bimonthly
magazine published by the Washington-based United Methodist Board of Church
and Society. The reasons included the focus of most of the articles on life
stories rather than persuasive or promotional material, recognition that one
article submitted for the magazine had been rejected because it called for
disobedience to the church's policies, the complete listing of all the
denomination's statements about homosexuality and the content of the
editorial page.

The committee, however, expressed concern about the cover of the issue,
calling it "unnecessarily inflammatory." 

The November/December edition of Christian Social Action dealt entirely with
issues related to homosexuality. The United Methodist Church officially
holds that homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching, but it
also teaches that homosexuals are people of sacred worth and that the church
must be in ministry with and to them.

The complaint against the magazine was lodged in late November with the
church's General Council on Finance and Administration (GCFA) in Evanston,
Ill. The GCFA administers the denomination's prohibition against church
dollars being used to fund events and publications that promote the practice
of homosexuality.

While finding that church law had not been violated, the committee did
admonish the board about the cover. The review team said the agency must be
"sensitive to and respectful of the diverse views of the denomination and
the two official positions of the Church (i.e.) 1) homosexual persons are
welcomed; 2) homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching."

The complaint to GCFA was filed jointly by the Rev. James Heidinger,
president of Good News; Patricia Miller, executive director of the
Confessing Movement; and Mark Tooley, executive director of UMAction. All
three organizations are unofficial United Methodist groups that support the
church's strictures regarding homosexuality.

In their letter to GCFA's top staff executive, the complainants charged that
10 articles in the issue promoted the acceptance of homosexuality in
violation of Paragraph 806.9 (at the time of the filing, Paragraph 806.12)
of the church's Book of Discipline. The book contains mandates,
prohibitions, rules and procedures for conducting the denomination's work.

The November/December issue was prepared by a guest editor, the Rev. Harry
C. Kiely, a retired United Methodist pastor who lives in Silver Spring, Md.
The Rev. Erik Alsgaard, editor of the magazine and a staff member of the
Board of Church and Society, has said that he reviewed every article in the
issue with the Book of Discipline's paragraph in mind.

The complaint was turned over to a standing committee of GCFA. The
committee, made up of five United Methodists from around the country and the
head of the GCFA staff, reviewed the magazine issue and submitted written
questions to the Board of Church and Society staff, which is based in
Washington. Replies were also written.

The committee informed the concerned parties of its decision by letters
(reprinted below in their entirety) dated March 1.

Miller told United Methodist News Service that she had not had the
opportunity to get an official response from members of the Confessing
Movement board. However, she did make a personal comment: "While I still
have grave concerns about the issue of the magazine itself and I concur with
the concern about the cover of the magazine, which I believe was
inflammatory, I am thankful that GCFA took our complaint seriously and
conducted an investigation. The investigation and the response to our
complaint are appreciated."

In responding to the decision, Jim Winkler, who became the head of the Board
of Church and Society staff Nov. 1, said he was pleased with the review
team's decision and "the conscientious manner" in which the members carried
out their responsibilities.

"It is important to note that although the [denomination's] Social
Principles declare that homosexuality is incompatible with Christian
teaching, in the very next sentences the Principles implore families and
churches not to reject or condemn lesbian and gay members and friends," he
stated.

"We commit ourselves to be in ministry for and with all persons," he
continued. "This decision by the review team affirms the obligation of the
church to be in ministry with and for homosexual persons. Our intention in
Christian Social Action magazine is to promote such dialogue and to provide
a resource to the church for those who seek to study this difficult issue."

# # #

March 1, 2001

James Heidinger, President		
Good News
308 East Main Street
Wilmore  KY  40390

Patricia Miller, Executive Director	
Confessing Movement
7995 East 21st Street
Indianapolis  IN  46219

Mark Tooley, Executive Director
UMAction
1110 Vermont Avenue, #1180
Washington, D.C.  20005

							
RE: Complaint Under 806.9:  Christian
Social Action, November/December 2000

Gentlepersons:

The GCFA 806.9 review team has completed its investigation of the complaint
you submitted in late November, 2000, regarding the November/December 2000
issue of Christian Social Action. On behalf of the review team, I would like
to thank you for your time and effort in bringing this matter to our
attention.  GCFA takes this responsibility very seriously, and the review
team spends considerable time investigating each and every complaint.  

The review team is composed of five GCFA members and the General Secretary
(chaired by GCFA's President), with one staff person providing assistance as
needed.  All members participated in the entire process, with the exception
of GCFA's General Secretary, who has been on study leave for part of this
process.  

In this instance, our investigation included asking GBCS to provide detailed
information and answers to eight questions from the review team; reading
every page of the publication in question; reviewing the Disciplinary
provisions on homosexuality and ministering to homosexual persons; reviewing
again GCFA's responsibility under 806.9; and discussing the entire matter in
two conference calls.  

The review team has concluded that GBCS did not violate 806.9 in the
publication of the November/December 2000 issue of Christian Social Action.
The review team's analysis and conclusion is detailed in the enclosed letter
to James Winkler, General Secretary of the General Board of Church &
Society.  

We respectfully request that, if you decide to publish information about the
complaint and its outcome, you include this letter and our letter to GBCS in
their entirety. Thank you for your cooperation in that regard.  

We again thank you for bringing this matter to our attention.

Sincerely,

Bishop Alfred L. Norris
GCFA President

Enclosure

Cc:	Bishop Robert Fannin, GCFA Vice-President
	Bishop Mary Ann Swenson, GCFA Member
	Bishop Clifton Ives, GBCS President
	806.9 Review Team Members and Staff
	James Winkler, GBCS General Secretary

March 1, 2001

James Winkler, General Secretary
General Board of Church & Society of 
  The United Methodist Church
100 Maryland Avenue, N.E.
Washington, D.C.  20002-5664

		RE:	Complaint Under 806.9:  Christian Social Action,
November/December 2000

Dear Jim:

The GCFA 806.9 review team has completed its investigation of the complaint
it received in late November, regarding the November/December 2000 issue of
Christian Social Action.  On behalf of the review team, I would like to
thank you for your time, effort and cooperation in complying with our
request for detailed information about this publication. 

The review team has concluded that GBCS did not violate 806.9 in this
publication, for several reasons.  First, and most importantly, the review
team thought that most of the articles (as well as the overall theme of the
magazine), written and submitted by individuals, were focused on the life
stories and experiences of homosexual persons and their families. The
articles did not promote homosexuality as a lifestyle or practice.  The Book
of Discipline obligates the Church to be in ministry with and for homosexual
persons, and the review team concluded that no matter how one feels about
homosexual practice, it is difficult to minister to and with homosexual
persons without having knowledge of and insight into their experiences,
especially the more painful ones.     

Second, the review team found it helpful to know that GBCS rejected
publication of one story in particular that called for disobedience to the
Book of Discipline regarding homosexuality. The fact that GBCS rejected such
a story added credibility to your assurance to us that GBCS understands its
obligation under 806.9 and was not promoting the acceptance of homosexuality
in this publication.  

Third, the review team also found it helpful that you included on page nine
of the publication a listing of all of the relevant Disciplinary provisions,
not just selective portions.  

Fourth, the editorial page that you wrote also was helpful, because it
specifically informs your readers that GBCS is not promoting the acceptance
of homosexuality.  

The review team was concerned with the cover to the publication. Editors of
course try to use covers that capture the reader's immediate attention and
make a point, but the review team felt that this particular cover was
unnecessarily inflammatory. The issue of homosexuality is such a sensitive
one from any perspective that it is not helpful when a strong visual
presentation and headline fan the flames. The review team discussed whether
the cover alone might constitute a violation of 806.9 and concluded that it
did not.  Despite the fact that it is inflammatory, the review team
concluded that the cover's theme relates to hospitality and ministering to
homosexual persons rather than to the Church's position on homosexuality.
However, the review team cautions the General Board of Church and Society
about being sensitive to and respectful of the diverse views of the
denomination and the two official positions of the Church (i.e.1) homosexual
persons are welcomed; 2) homosexuality is incompatible with Christian
teaching).  

We respectfully request that, if you decide to publish information about the
complaint and its outcome, you include this letter and our letter to the
persons who filed the complaint in their entirety.  Thank you for your
cooperation in that regard.

We again thank you for your cooperation in this important investigation. The
review team takes its responsibility very seriously and we are grateful for
the thorough response that you provided.

Sincerely,

Bishop Alfred L. Norris
GCFA President

Cc:	Bishop Robert Fannin, GCFA Vice-President
	Bishop Mary Ann Swenson, GCFA Member
	Bishop Clifton Ives, GBCS President
	806.9 Review Team Members and Staff
	James Heidinger, President, Good News
	Patricia Miller, Executive Director, Confessing Movement
	Mark Tooley, Executive Director, UMAction

# # #

*************************************
United Methodist News Service
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