Methodist Federation for Social Action

Contact: Bishop C. Dale White, (401) 847-3419

Organizations leading an ultra-conservative effort to control and reshape The United Methodist Church to fit their agenda are the focus of a book released today by active United Methodist lay and clergy leaders. United Methodism at RISK: A Wake-Up Call shares extensive research to show who is behind the campaign to force the denomination into a narrow political and theological framework.

The book was published by the Information Project for United Methodists, co-chaired by Bishop C. Dale White, widely known for his leadership on peace issues, and New York attorney and well-known United Methodist lay leader Beth Capen. Veteran Christian journalist Leon Howell is the author. The books close to 200 pages detail the rise of conservative renewal groupswithin United Methodism and sister denominations, and link their activity to right-wing activity in society.

"All United Methodists need to read this book to be fully informed on the tactics, ideological bias and theological restrictions evidenced in the life and work of the conservative renewal groups," Bishop White said in announcing the books release. The direction they would take our church demeans clergy and laity, he said.

"It is insulting to the professional integrity of the clergy to dictate to them the precise theological language they must use in the pulpit and Bible studies," Bishop White said. "And its insulting to the laity to assume they cannot be trusted to engage in theological reflection and define their faith according to their own perceptions and conscience.

"United Methodists need to challenge the claim of these groups that they are true stewards of Scripture and the Wesleyan tradition. A careful reading of the New Testament and the works of John Wesley should convince discerning church members that the narrow ideological focus and questionable tactics of these groups violate the spirit of the Wesleyan revival."

Longtime active United Methodist laywoman Ruth Daugherty of Pennsylvania, a member of the board of the Information Project for United Methodists, shares Bishop Whites concern that people have accurate information about the conservative renewal groups and that dialogue remain open within the denomination.

I believe people should be able to ask questions about their faith, Ms. Daugherty said. We need to discuss what is at the heart of Scripture, what is at the very heart of Jesuslife. The United Methodist Church has always been a place where people can openly talk from different perspectives. We talk and pray together for discernment of what God is saying to us through Scripture. When we look at Jesusdisciples, we see he was very accepting of diversity.

The church should be similarly accepting, she said.

"For Christians, theres only one person who can say he is the truth," she said. "The rest of us are searching for the truth. None of us can say we have it."

Ms. Daugherty and Bishop White stressed the Information Project formed to research and publish the book. It is not to be an ongoing group.

"We are clergy and laity who came together out of concern forour church," Ms. Daugherty said. "We are not advocates for a particular position, and we are not a group representing various organizations. We simply wanted to get information, not accusations, out to United Methodists. We want people to read the book and raise questions."

Among conservative renewal groups named in United Methodism at RISK: A Wake-Up Call are Good News and its Renew Womens Network, the Institute on Religion and Democracy and its UM Action, the Mission Society for United Methodists, the Confessing Movement, Lifewatch, the Association for Church Renewal, A Foundation for Theological Education, Transforming Congregations, and the Coalition for United Methodist Accountability. The book details attacks from these groups on United Methodist Women and the Womens Division of the United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries, the United Methodist General Board of Church and Society, the United Methodist Commission on Religion and Race, and the United Methodist Commission on the Status and Role of Women.

The book also:

Outlines funding sources that reveal the role of secular money in establishing and sustaining conservative renewal groups,
Shares stories of individuals who have been targeted by the groups,
Shows the impact of the groups on boards and agencies of the church that are working for social justice and inclusion of all Gods children,
Tracks the groupsanti-woman attitudes and efforts toward silencing women in church leadership,
Connects the conservative agenda and activity in United Methodism to similar activities in other denominations and beyond the church in political and global arenas, and
Offers action ideas to counter the concerted attacks on the integrity of the denomination by these groups.

Bishop White said he is involved as a leader of the Information Project for United Methodists because he believes the very heart and soul of United Methodism is at risk.

"All of us in this group are passionately committed to The United Methodist Church," he said. I affirm the right of all United Methodists to participate in shaping our church. I am not willing to allow any group to use intimidating tactics to force United Methodists to move lock step in line with its ideological bias. We must stop takeover of these groups that claim to be evangelical while making it more difficult to make and nurture disciples of Jesus Christ."