wfn.org | Black United Methodists criticize church's racism repentance

[NewsDesk@UMCOM.UMC.ORG]

April 11, 2001 News media contact: Linda Green*(615)742-5470*Nashville,
Tenn.     10-31-71B{176} 

By M. Garlinda Burton*

HOUSTON (UMNS)--The national caucus of black United Methodists criticized
the church's 2000 General Conference for a service of repentance for racism,
saying the delegates extended an olive branch to historically black
Methodist denominations but failed to engage black people who stayed in the
"mother church."

At their annual April 4-7 meeting, more than 500 members of national Black
Methodists for Church Renewal (BMCR) voted to ask the United Methodist
Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns to "include the
voices of black United Methodists" in any further resources and events aimed
at making amends for historic racism that has split the Methodist family.  

At the 2000 General Conference, the denomination's highest legislative body,
delegates atoned for racism in Methodist history that led to the creation of
the African Methodist Episcopal, African Methodist Episcopal Zion and
Christian Methodist Episcopal churches.  Bishops and other representatives
from those three churches expressed hope, caution and appreciation for the
initial step toward healing.

The act of repentance, which is being followed by a churchwide study and
similar worship services in annual conference session this spring and
summer, came after years of conversation with a pan-Methodist panel.
	
However, some black United Methodists were concerned that an expression of
regret for racism's blot on the church had not begun "at home." 

"We need to clean our own house before we start reaching out to other
folks," said the Rev. McCallister Hollins, pastor of Ben Hill United
Methodist Church, Atlanta.   "We should have started with an apology to
those of us who stayed with the church even though we were segregated (into
the former Central Jurisdiction)."

Hollins, who previously served on the Committee on Pan-Methodist
Cooperation, claimed he and others that had tried unsuccessfully to lobby
for a response from black United Methodists to be included in last year's
service of repentance. He and other black delegates to General Conference
even threatened to walk out of the service during the conference, because
"our concerns were ignored."

"Three weeks before General Conference, I kept raising the issue and they
finally included the words 'and those who stayed'" on the list of those to
whom the apology was directed, said Hollins, BMCR vice chairperson.

A task force was instructed to draft a formal response and recommendations
to the General Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns.

In another action, the caucus re-elected Anne Fleming Williams, caucus
chairperson; the Rev. McCallister Hollins, Atlanta, vice chairperson, and
the Rev. Rosa Clements, Cleveland, Ohio, treasurer. The group elected as new
secretary Velva Hardaway of Dayton, Ohio.
# # #
* Burton is the editor of Interpreter magazine.
.

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United Methodist News Service
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