By James V. Heidinger II,
President and Publisher
GOOD NEWS PERSPECTIVE – No. 24, May 19, 2008
We have now had two weeks to reflect on our church’s General Conference in Fort Worth, Texas, and I want to share with you some of my initial impressions. As soon as we returned to our offices, the magazine staff worked feverishly to assemble our 52-page special edition of Good News magazine covering General Conference. I am very anxious for you to get it in your hands. It is an outstanding issue and deals in-depth with the major issues addressed at General Conference.
Fort Worth was the eighth General Conference that I have attended. Each one of these events ends up leaving a bittersweet taste in my mouth. There is pageantry expressing the global nature of United Methodism and some pretty good preaching and singing. And then there are the grandstanding speeches and political maneuverings that leave you wondering if this is what John Wesley had in mind to strengthen the spiritual growth and witness of early Methodism.
We have always believed that General Conference can steer the direction of the United Methodist Church — either positively or negatively. That is why our work there plays an important part in our overall renewal ministry. Our legislative agenda suffered some losses and gained some victories. Throughout our time at General Conference, we endeavored to be a voice for the grassroots United Methodists in the pew who still believe in traditional Christian values.
Homosexuality Debate—Yet Again
We can all give thanks that our church reaffirmed our gracious and biblically-grounded positions on human sexuality and marriage. While we affirm and share in ministry with those who struggle with same-sex attraction, we maintain our trust in Scripture and nearly 2000 years of church teaching on this matter. In voting the way it did, the General Conference enabled our church to steer clear of the deep divisions now tearing at the Episcopal Church and the wider Anglican Communion.
Unfortunately, however, our Council of Bishops made a regretful decision that will keep this issue roiling our denomination for at least the next four years. Despite the decisive votes on the matter, approximately 150 activists were allowed (once again) to interrupt the conference with a "time of witnessing" on behalf of the gay-lesbian-bisexual-transgender cause. This was obviously a protest against the actions taken by the conference to strongly reaffirm our church’s teachings on homosexuality. Protesters were allowed to march around the floor of the conference, sing songs, and then, most regretfully, place a black shroud over the conference’s altar table.
Many delegates and observers found the protest offensive, and the placing of the shroud over the altar an act of desecration. We know a small minority of individuals do not agree with our church’s biblically-grounded positions, but our denomination stands with nearly every other branch of the Christian faith in claiming that "the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching," and that "marriage is between one man and one woman."
We don’t believe the protest on the floor of the General Conference should have been allowed. Outside the convention center, the protesters had the unfettered opportunity to lobby delegates with their handouts and make their demonstration known with drumbeats. Inside the convention center, they wore rainbow stoles and stood in silent protest whenever there was a vote on homosexuality.
Allowing the protest to take over the General Conference floor broke covenant and trust with those delegates who were sent from their local congregations to move the denomination forward.
Judicial Council Elections
We were very disappointed with the results of the Judicial Council elections. Three faithful, evangelical members who had given extraordinary service were not re-elected. They were obviously targeted by the Council of Bishops and special interest groups because of their vote in overturning Bishop Charlene Kammerer’s 2005 ruling that removed the Rev. Ed Johnson from his church in South Hills, Virginia. As you will recall, the Rev. Johnson refused to bow to Bishop Kammerer’s demand that he accept a self-avowed, practicing homosexual as a church member. Though the man was active in the church, the Rev. Johnson had postponed membership pending further counseling.
Although it would have been perfectly appropriate to do so, none of these fine members were re-nominated by the Council of Bishops to serve another term. Instead, five of the Council of Bishop’s nominees were elected. Then, shortly after the vote was taken it was revealed that many delegates had had placed on their chair or desk a campaign flyer (unsigned and unidentified) recommending five bishop-supported candidates. All five were elected, and in the order listed on the flyer! This egregious action violated the General Conference Rules of Order that prohibit the distribution of materials on the desks of delegates. And it happened the very morning votes were to be cast for Judicial Council elections.
“Cellphonegate”
As you may have already read, the Renewal and Reform Coalition provided cell phones, as a hospitality gift, for Central Conference delegates. When others learned of this, the accusations flew furiously (you can click here to read the story and here to read the Good News response). The story quoted no less than eight denominational officials (including three bishops) who questioned our motivation or accused our Coalition of a laundry list of violations: “vote-buying,” “bribery,” “paternalism,” “racism,” “manipulation,” etc. Sadly, none of the eight quoted had made any attempt to speak to any of our Coalition leaders before making their accusations. The article did quote three Central Conference delegates who received a cell phone. They were grateful and said they felt no conditions or strings attached whatsoever.
Those leaders quoted in the news article might have done well to have followed the charitable example of Bishop Roy I. Sano, executive secretary of the Council of Bishops. His concerns about this very issue led him to initiate a face-to-face conversation with Coalition leaders to inquire about the distribution of the phones. We were grateful to Bishop Sano for his gracious spirit in seeking further information about the issue. It’s amazing how much mutual understanding and respect can be gained when a church leader takes the time to talk and listen.
Because of the rumors questioning our integrity, we urge you to carefully read the story linked above and our response.
A Messy Process
Finally, a few key aspects of the General Conference left much to be desired. Delegates from the Central Conferences (Africa, the Philippines, and Europe) suffered the most from this failing. Many of them arrived in Fort Worth without having had the opportunity to review the pre-conference reports and petitions that the U.S. delegates had in their hands for several months. Furthermore, translation problems still continue to plague the proceedings, making it very difficult for non-English speaking delegates to follow the parliamentary procedures leading up to very important votes regarding the future of our church.
Numerous and lengthy reports and celebrations early in the conference left precious little time later to seriously debate the very important issues. A particularly egregious example of this came on the final day of the conference when a petition to amend Article IV of our church’s Constitution came up for debate immediately following the morning break. Not that there was much of a debate to hear. Because time had been used so unwisely, the conference was working under a rule that allowed only a one minute speech in favor of a petition and a one minute speech against it.
Imagine our U.S. Congress voting to amend one of the articles of our nation’s Constitution after just two minutes of debate! It was a very frustrating experience for the delegates, and a very disheartening thing for observers to watch. And this was done on the final day, when a number of central conference delegates were not present, and even some U.S. delegates had decided to head home out of utter frustration and exhaustion.
Good News Going Forward
At one point during the long days and nights of observing General Conference, it became very clear to me as the proceedings unfolded, that some church institutionalists and bureaucrats were trying very hard to roll back changes Good News has advocated in recent years. Boards and agencies were desperately trying to protect their "turf." The dwindling annual conferences in the Western Jurisdiction failed to stop attempts to curtail their outsized and unfair influence on the church. And several bishops and other church leaders went out of their way to make not-so-subtle attacks on Good News and the other reform and renewal groups. These are not pleasant things to hear, but no one said the work of renewal and reform would be easy.
So going forward I urge you to prepare yourself for some serious battles ahead. Despite a terrible track record with decades of precipitous decline, there are still UM leaders that hold to the outdated and misguided belief that continued liberal revisionism will somehow revitalize the church. Furthermore, a now left-of-center Judicial Council could plunge the church into crisis when radical advocates for the gay-lesbian-bisexual-transgender agenda decide to challenge our church’s biblically-grounded teachings on human sexuality and marriage.
On a positive note, however, it is important to note that this backlash actually demonstrates how influential evangelicals have become. Indeed, many liberals recognized that this General Conference was perhaps their last chance to gain traction in the church. In 2012, roughly 40 percent of all the General Conference delegates will come from the more biblically-grounded Central Conferences in Africa, Europe and Asia. Their strength, coupled with the stability and growth of evangelicals in the U.S. church, will challenge and thwart the divisive liberal agenda.
Nevertheless, we still have much work to do. Despite our growing strength, we have a formidable task ahead of us—ensuring that those institutionally-minded church officials do not suffocate the glowing embers of a church longing to blaze forth with the Good News of Jesus Christ.
In closing, we thank you for your many prayers, your faithful partnership and your generous investment in Good News. Our presence in Fort Worth with a team of more than 50 persons was a costly endeavor. But we believe it was worth the effort and expense. I am asking you to prayerfully consider a generous gift to Good News this month. We need your financial support to help us take care of some of these expenses. Thanks for your dedication. We are grateful for you.
Click here to send your response plus the title of this article to us at Good News.