wfn.org | Pan-Methodists call for cease-fire in Holy Land

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April 16, 2002	News media contact: Linda Green7(615)742-54707Nashville,
Tenn.     10-31-71B{163}

By Linda Green*

KANSAS CITY (UMNS) - Representatives of the commission on Pan-Methodism are
calling for a cease-fire and a peaceful resolution to the conflict between
Israelis and Palestinians.

The members of the Commission on Pan-Methodist Cooperation and Union passed
a resolution during their April 10-12 meeting appealing to leaders of Israel
and the Palestinian National Authority to lead their people in ending the
violence. The commission represents the more than 12 million members of the
African Methodist Episcopal (AME), African Methodist Episcopal Zion (AMEZ),
Christian Methodist Episcopal (CME) and United Methodist (UM) churches. All
share a common heritage in the Methodist movement, launched in the 18th
century by Anglican clergyman John Wesley.

In the resolution, "A Call for Action," the commission notes that the
Israeli-Palestinian conflict has persisted for more than 50 years. The
pan-Methodist leaders call upon the international community to support
diplomacy leading to justice for all and a guarantee of survival and safety,
especially for children. They also ask those people "who feel marginalized
to seek redress through international channels rather than destruction and
terror."  

"What is happening in the Holy Land is of such a nature that we as
Christians cannot be silent," said AMEZ Bishop Clarence Carr of St. Louis.
Although it seems that the United States "is biased against Palestine," the
violence on either side cannot be condoned, he said. "It cannot be denied
that Israel has taken the land" and that requests from the United Nations
and from governmental leaders have been denied by Israel, he said.

The commission encourages the members of the four Methodist communions to
pray for an end to the conflict, the violence and loss of life on both
sides, and for an early, peaceful resolution.  

The group also wants President George Bush, Secretary of State Colin Powell,
U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan and other leaders to pursue eight
"crucial" goals. Those include issuing an international call for Israeli
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to cease military action, end closures and
curfews, withdraw from and cease further development of settlements in all
occupied lands; and for Palestinian National Authority President Yasser
Arafat to urge that the violence end.

"Not taking a stance is the passing of an opportunity to be a prophetic
voice in making a statement as witnesses for Christ in a crisis situation,"
Carr said during the commission's discussion. "I feel very keenly that we
should encourage our leaders to take appropriate action to bring an end to
that colossal event."

The church can't stand by and let events of this nature happen without
raising a voice for the voiceless, he said. "People who strap bombs to
themselves says something about the desperation they feel by their
willingness to kill themselves."

The 36-member commission was created in 2000 with the merger of the
Commission on Pan-Methodist Cooperation, formed in 1985, and the Commission
on Union, formed in 1996. The group works to foster meaningful cooperation
among the four Methodist denominations in evangelism, missions,
publications, social concerns and higher education.

In March 2001, the commission wrote a letter to the headquarters of the
Waffle House company in Norcross, Ga., describing their concerns about an
alleged case of racial discrimination at a restaurant in Tullahoma, Tenn.
After exploring the incident, the commission members voiced their
"condemnation of any violation of basic human rights" and called upon
individual members of Methodist churches to "refuse to patronize all Waffle
House restaurants until they are assured that all patrons are treated with
equal dignity and respect."

The incident occurred when four African-American men said they were twice
refused service at the Tullahoma location. On a third attempt to enter the
restaurant, one of the men videotaped an employee telling them that the
building was closed for maintenance while other customers could be seen in
the establishment eating. The four men subsequently filed a $230 million
lawsuit against Waffle House, charging discrimination. 
 
During the commission's April 10-12 session, a delegation from Waffle House
met with the group's executive committee. The company representatives
addressed the fact that more than a year had passed since the commission had
written its letter.

"We ignored you because we ignore everybody," said Ann Parker, Waffle House
vice president and corporate psychologist. "Our CEO is a very private
person, and out of our culture, we don't reach out." However, she said, "We
are proactive. We have a good company, and we are committed to diversity."

The commission has requested Waffle House provide information and statistics
on minorities and on African American franchises, employment and locations.

The commission learned that the Tullahoma restaurant is a franchise, and
that all franchises and corporate-owned locations are bound by the same
processes. The group was told that the Waffle House people in Tullahoma are
being held accountable for their actions. 

Though the incident is in litigation, the corporate office has been
dismissed from the lawsuit, the delegation said.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the commissioners drafted a letter to
Waffle House expressing appreciation for the person-to-person conversation
with officials. They were encouraged by the reports received regarding the
process the company has made in addressing the complaint. They also said
they were encouraged by reports of Waffle House's efforts to implement
policies that would help prevent such a case from occurring again.

# # #

A full text of the resolution regarding the Middle East follows.

A Call for Action from the Commission on Pan-Methodist Cooperation and Union
April 12, 2002

We, the members of the Commission on Pan-Methodist Cooperation and Union,
meeting in Kansas City, Missouri on April 10-12, 2002, representing more
than 12 million members of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the
African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, the Christian Methodist Episcopal
Church, and the United Methodist Church, search for unity rather than
division, cooperation rather than competition, justice rather than
oppression. We unite our hearts in prayer. We continue our search for the
ways of reconciliation and common community. Our very mission and identity
cause us to speak out against this escalating conflict between our sisters
and brothers in the Holy Land.

We receive daily reports of continuing violence and death in the Holy Land.
For more than fifty years this conflict has persisted and been festering. In
1990, the United Nations Security Council called for ways and means of
ensuring the safety and protection of the Palestinian people under Israeli
occupation. It further urged Israel to accept and enforce the provisions of
the Fourth Geneva Convention for all territories occupied by Israel since
1967. While strides have been made at times in the intervening years, the
recent escalation of tactics of terror and death compel us to voice this
appeal and plea.  
	
Recognizing that neither the Palestinians nor the Israelis are going
anywhere, we call upon the leaders of Israel and the Palestinian authority
to lead their people into a cessation of violence and destruction. We call
upon the international community to support diplomacy leading to justice for
all and a guarantee of survival and safety, especially for children. We call
upon those persons who feel marginalized to seek redress through
international channels rather than destruction and terror. 

We call upon the President and Secretary of State of the United States, the
Secretary General of the United Nations and other involved leaders to pursue
these crucial goals:

7	International calling for Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to cease
military action, end closures and curfews, cease further development of
settlements in all occupied lands.

7	International calling for Chairman Yasser Arafat to urge a cessation
of violence.
	
7	A full end to the occupation and a restoration of order and
stability based upon UN Security Resolution 1402 which calls for a ceasefire
and Israeli withdrawal from occupied areas of Palestine and for peaceful
negotiations.
	
7	Strong consideration of the Arab League's willingness to offer
normal relations with Israel in exchange for a Palestinian state on pre-1967
borders.
	
7	An internationally supervised shared Jerusalem with protection of
equality and rights of access, worship and practice to all three faiths -
Islam, Judaism, Christianity.  
	
7	Recognition that this crisis has no military solution - only a
solution based on justice.  
	
7	The formal creation of a viable Palestinian state as well as
measures necessary for recognition of Israel by all the Arab nations,
including the Palestinians. 
	
7	A strong international human rights effort to confront the extremist
forces of anti-Semitic and anti-Islamic threats that have grown from this
crisis.

We call upon the members of our communions to pray fervently for an end of
conflict, violence and loss of life on both sides of this conflict, and for
an early peaceful resolution.

Commission on Pan-Methodist Cooperation and Union

By: Bishop Charles Helton - Chair

African Methodist Episcopal Church
Bishop T. Larry Kirkland - Los Angeles, CA		Bishop McKinley
Young - Dallas, TX
Bishop Preston Williams, Atlanta, GA		Rev. Floyd Alexander -
Cleveland, OH
Rev. Dr. Taylor Thompson - Cincinnati, OH		Mrs. Anna Milner -
Atlanta, GA
Mr. Addison Young - Atlanta, GA			Ms. Thelma Milner - Atlanta,
GA
Rev. Robert Keesee - Nashville, TN

African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church
Bishop Richard K. Thompson -Montgomery, AL	Bishop Clarence Carr - St.
Louis, MO
Rev. Dr. Donnell Williams - Tuscaloosa, AL	Bishop Nathaniel Jarrett -
Chicago, IL
Rev. Dr. Gloria Moore - Knoxville, TN		Mr. Raymond Richmond -
Jackson, MS
Rev. George Maize, IV - Los Angeles, CA		Dr. Betty V. Stith - New
Rochelle, NY
Dr. F. George Shipman - Durham, NC		Dr. Mary A. Love -
Charlotte, NC

Christian Methodist Episcopal Church
Bishop Paul A. Stewart - Birmingham, AL		Bishop Charles Helton -
Charlotte, NC
Bishop Marshall Gilmore - Dallas, TX		Rev. Sylvester Williams -
Birmingham, AL
Rev. Dr. Luther Smith - Atlanta, GA			Ms. Juanita Bryant -
Cleveland, Ohio
Rev. Dr. Darryl Coleman - Los Angeles, CA	            Mr. Matthew
Davis - Memphis, TN
Ms. Cyreeta Collins - Jamaica, New York		

United Methodist Church
Bishop Melvin Talbert - Nashville, TN		Bishop Fritz Mutti - Topeka,
KS
Bishop Charlene Kammerer - Charlotte, NC		Rev. Jim McDonald -
Charlotteville, VA
Dr. Trudi Kibbe Reed - Little Rock, AK		Mr. Byrd Bonner - San
Antonio, TX
Mr. Adam Webb - Ames, Iowa			Mrs. Harriet McCabe -
Naperville, IL
Rev. Tyrone Gordon - Wichita, KS

April 12, 2002

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United Methodist News Service
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