Progressive Witness Strong and Faithful
By Kathryn Johnson
June 2004

Progressive United Methodists had a mighty presence at General Conference 2004. With a clear sense of purpose, MFSA and other progressive groups and individuals built on the careful organizing done prior to GC and remained steady, faithful and strong throughout the two weeks in Pittsburgh. Our witness bore fruit in a variety of areas including legislation, education and relationship-building.

Legislatively there were far more successes than disappointments as the UMC continued to take strong prophetic stands on a number of justice issues. Across the board, efforts by conservative groups within the church to fundamentally change the nature of the work of the Women’s Division and the General Board of Church and Society were met with stiff resistance. Likewise, efforts to more narrowly define the theology and doctrine of the church were rebuffed.

Angered and saddened that GC upheld, and in some cases strengthened, church policies that exclude and discriminate against Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual and Transgender persons, we did not let this diminish our witness. A steady presence in the plenary hall, a prayer vigil held along the entryway as delegates entered the Convention Center twice a day, daily publications and frequent worship grounded all of our efforts in our love of God and love of neighbor. The haunting melody of the hymn, “What Does The Lord Require,” still rings in the ears of many as we sang these words for hours on end.

Morning briefings and evening strategy sessions kept people informed and provided opportunities for progressive delegates to meet and plan together.

Hundreds of delegates, volunteers and visitors attended lunches each day at Smithfield Church where our hearts and minds were fed by exceptional speakers who informed and inspired delegates, volunteers and visitors.

Weekend events, including MFSA’s Ball Award celebration, provided opportunities to laugh and enjoy fellowship with one another amidst the intense work of GC.

The final event of the entire General Conference, a communion service conducted by the Reconciling Movement Network just after midnight, sent us singing into the night ready to continue our work as faithful disciples of Christ.

LEGISLATIVE ACTION TO CELEBRATE

NON-VIOLENCE
GC Delegates:
• strengthened UM opposition to the death penalty.

• called for an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestine, respect for human rights and for the Palestinian Authority and the Israelis to condemn all violence.

• acknowledged the breadth of the problem of violence against women and children, holding the church accountable for any culpability and calling on faith communities to make a just response.

• expressed support for a US Department of Peace.

• adopted a Mission Plan for Restorative Justice Ministries.

• affirmed International Law and Cooperation as the cornerstone of multilateralism.

• called on the UMC to educate and to take action in “transforming the criminal
justice system.”

RACIAL AND INTERFAITH JUSTICE AND RECONCILIATION

GC Delegates:
• added “racial discrimination” to the list of chargeable offenses in the Discipline.

• reiterated support for reparations for African-Americans.

• protested increased discrimination against Muslim and Arabs in the USA.

• denounced racial profiling as an “unjust and evil reality” that needs to be corrected.

• affirmed and funded the Native American Comprehensive Plan, National Plan for Hispanic/Latino Ministry, Asian American Language Ministry Study and the Korean American National Plan.

• passed a resolution, “Global Racism and Xenophobia,” calling on UMs to be actively anti-racist.

• strengthened the UMC’s statement on Affirmative Action.

GOD’S INCLUSIVE HOSPITALITY TO ALL PERSONS

GC delegates:
• added clear, strong language to the Social Principles calling on UMs to advocate for initiatives which would prohibit job and housing discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity throughout the world; and to advocate for initiatives which provide for extra penalties for crimes which are expressly committed for the purpose of harming someone based solely on their race, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender, or disability.

• called on the General Board of Church and Society to develop educational tools designed to provide for open and healthy dialogue and understanding of sexuality in the world with the specific goal of protecting the human and civil rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons.

• authorized and funded a study on the causes and prevention of teen suicide focusing on sexual identity crises.

• affirmed UMC support of the full implementation of the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and urged all congregations to implement and enforce the provisions of the ADA and all disability related programs within every area that members of the United Methodist church reside with the same vigor and interest as they would any other law affecting their able bodied constituency.

ECONOMIC JUSTICE

GC delegates:
• called on local churches and annual conferences to develop specific ministries to meet major needs in rural areas of the U.S. and called on UM seminaries to prepare clergy to be more effective pastors in rural areas. Additionally the UMC called for agricultural policies that are just, participatory and sustainable.

• affirmed the importance of international trade and investment in an interdependent world and called for trade policies that support the dignity of the human person, a clean environment and our common humanity.

• acknowledged that homelessness is a crisis that strikes at the soul of the nation and at the heart of the church, called for a comprehensive, all-out attack on poverty, and articulated specific actions that can be taken by general church agencies, annual conferences, and local churches.

CIVIL RIGHTS AND CIVIL LIBERTIES

GC Delegates:
• affirmed the prophetic tradition of dissent and called on all UMs to publicly speak out for the protection of human rights for all-including the right to dissent through peaceable assembly, freedom of the press, freedom of speech and other nonviolent means.

• affirmed its historical position on the separation of church and state whereby government may not engage in, sponsor, supervise, aid, or lend its authority to religious expressions or religious observances.

OTHER

GC Delegates:
• renewed UM support for the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice.

• affirmed those persons who wish to enhance medical research by donating their early embryos remaining after in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures have ended.

• urged Congress to pass legislation authorizing federal funding for medical research with embryonic stem cells, and encouraged the US Health and Human Services to establish an interdisciplinary oversight body for all research involving stem cells.

MFSA CELEBRATES THAT THE FOLLOWING THINGS WERE DEFEATED:

• attempts to reduce UM presence on Boards of Trustees of colleges and seminaries.

• an attempt to require the Board of Discipleship to produce materials in line with the philosophy of the Transforming Congregation movement.

• attempts to impose rigid doctrinal standards on clergy, bishops and agency staff.

• attempts to limit academic freedom and freedom of the pulpit.

• attempts to restructure the University Senate.

• efforts to adopt more restrictive language on abortion.

• attempts to make UMW optional in the local church and/or give equal status with other women’s organizations in the local church.

• repeated attempts to take the Methodist Building and its endowment from the General Board o Church and Society.

• an attempt to institute prohibitions on the ordination of transgender persons.

• an effort to redistribute the Ministerial Education fund to benefit conservative seminaries.

DISAPPOINTMENTS

MFSA affirms the fact that shortly before adjournment, GC delegates called for a full investigation into the mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners. Likewise, we appreciate the statement released by the bishops shortly after GC lamenting “the continued warfare by the U.S. and coalition forces” and urging the U.S. government to request United Nations help in establishing a transitional government in Iraq.

It is a major disappointment, however, that apart from these statements there was an almost total lack of discussion and action related to the war in Iraq and associated foreign policy issues. The timing of GC provided an opportunity for the UMC to speak with a loud, clear voice about the misguided policies which have led to death and destruction in Iraq and have isolated the U.S. from the international community.

With regard to the full inclusion of lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender (LGBT) persons in the life of the church we are bitterly disappointed that the UMC was not willing to acknowledge that persons of good faith disagree on the “compatibility” of homosexuality with Christian teaching. Additionally the extension of the ban to the annual conference level that prohibits UM money being spent to “promote the acceptance of homosexuality” was deeply disappointing.

Given several opportunities to celebrate and support families in their many and diverse expressions, GC delegates chose instead to define “family” in very narrow terms. They also added language to the Social Principles stating that marriage consists of the union of one man and one woman.