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October 27, 1999 NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) - The United Methodist Church does not have an official position on the issue of whether homosexuals should be allowed to serve as Boy Scout leaders. Two official agencies of the United Methodist Church have expressed opposing viewpoints on the issue, but neither agency is authorized to speak for the denomination as a whole. The only official body that speaks for the church is the General Conference, which is convened every four years. The United Methodist Board of Church and Society is pushing the Boy Scouts of America to allow homosexuals to serve in leadership positions. The Commission on United Methodist Men has spoken out in support of the Scouts being able to set their own guidelines, which currently bar homosexuals from such roles. The disagreement between the two agencies has created a lot of confusion among the public, according to Mary Lynn Holly, director of the United Methodist Church's information service, InfoServ, based in Nashville. Several published news reports have been misleading or blatantly inaccurate about the issue, she said. "Our callers are confused by the fact that when this is reported in the press, it's not clear that the boards and agencies are speaking only for themselves and not for the denomination as a whole," Holly said. "This comes from a lack of understanding about how the church works. "What you need is a short course in United Methodist polity to understand what has happened," she said. Without that, sorting out the issue can be difficult, she said. Unless the General Conference acts in some way on the Boy Scouts issue, the United Methodist Church has no official position. The next meeting of the denomination's top legislative body will be May 2-12 in Cleveland. The Board of Church and Society, based in Washington, is the denomination's social action agency. United Methodist Men, based in Nashville, Tenn., houses the church's Office of Scouting Ministry. In August, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled that the Boy Scouts could not discriminate against a leader who is homosexual because of the state's laws against discrimination. The court ruled the Scouts are a "place of public accommodation." The court also ruled that the Scouts are "public" because they are chartered by the federal government and receive aid from public groups such as schools, fire departments and the federal government, including the military. During a Sept.17-19 meeting, governing directors of United Methodist Men voted to support an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court regarding that ruling. The men's group said that the Scouts should have the right to set its own course without government interference. A year earlier, the United Methodist Men had joined with other religious groups in filing a friend-of-the-court brief with the New Jersey Supreme Court. After the court's ruling, Scouting Ministry Director Larry Coppock said it was important for the commission to join the appeal. "We are the number one charter organization of Boy Scouts of America and it is our belief that the Boy Scouts should be able to select and recruit leadership in accordance with their guidelines and principles," he said, in an earlier United Methodist News Service report. Governing members of the Board of Church and Society took an opposite viewpoint at their Oct. 7-10 meeting. "While the General Board of Church and Society would like to enthusiastically affirm and encourage this continuing partnership of the church and scouting, we cannot due to the Boy Scouts of America's discrimination against gays," the board said in a statement. "This discrimination conflicts with our [church's] Social Principles." In the statement, the board quotes references from the Social Principles that affirm the human rights and civil liberties of homosexual people. The Social Principles are contained in the denomination's Book of Discipline. The board statement concluded by affirming the New Jersey court's decision on James Dale v. Boy Scouts of America and calling upon the Boy Scouts organization not to discriminate. Membership in the Boy Scouting organization through local United Methodist churches total more than 421,000 in 11,738 Cub Scout packs, Boy Scout troops and Venture crews. More than 8,000 United Methodist churches charter at least one scout unit.
Bishops issue pastoral letter urging unity amid "troublesome" issues Nov. 8, 1999 NOTE: The full text of the bishops' pastoral letter follows this story. LAKE JUNALUSKA, N.C. (UMNS) - United Methodists are being encouraged by their "chief shepherds" not to let arguments over sensitive issues such as homosexuality distract them from the primary mission of the church. In closing sessions of their week-long meeting at Lake Junaluska Nov. 5, bishops of the church approved a pastoral letter offering "hope and encouragement" and reminding members that "making disciples of Jesus Christ" is the denomination's primary mission. The letter, being mailed to all pastors, was one of five actions taken by the Council of Bishops in preparation for both the new millennium and the church's General Conference. There is considerable anxiety across the church about the top legislative gathering in Cleveland May 2-12, where delegates will deal with many volatile issues such as homosexuality. The conference, which meets every four years, is the only body that can speak officially for the church. The bishops pointed to a wide array of serious issues facing the church, but the pastoral letter and other actions were prompted largely by a debate about homosexuality that has raged in the denomination since the early 1970s. In addition to the 1,000-word pastoral letter, the bishops issued a "call to prayer, fasting and Christian conferencing" in preparation for the General Conference. They also agreed to initiate a period of "Christian conferencing" with their respective delegations to the conference and to provide time at their future meetings when they can explore issues related to homosexuality. The bishops voted to support a "symbol act" at the conference, particularly focused on the church wide initiative on children and poverty, which they started. While affirming their unity in Jesus Christ, the bishops acknowledge they are still learning how to celebrate their individual diversity. "Let no one mistake the Spirit's variety of gifts in our midst for any lack of common commitment to Jesus Christ," they declare. "Even though individual bishops may express their personal convictions, we are united in our desire to serve Christ, to lead the church faithfully, and to be a witness to the unity of the Spirit." While some in the church fear that diversity could lead to division, the bishops say this is a "time to be quiet, to be united, to listen for God's guiding voice, and to learn from one another." To help lead this process, they are issuing the "'call to prayer, fasting and Christian conversation,' ... an invitation for the whole United Methodist Church to join us, your bishops, in the spiritual disciplines as we seek God's guidance for our church." Several bishops expressed concern that the pastoral letter reflected an "imbalance" by focusing too much on the issue of homosexuality. Nevertheless, the council noted that homosexuality was an issue that has vexed delegates to the past seven General Conferences. The bishops ask delegates to the Cleveland conference to "consider ways to move this issue beyond legislative solutions." Bishop Marshall L. (Jack) Meadors Jr., of the church's Mississippi Area, was among those saying the letter was not balanced. "We say we don't want to be distracted (from the primary mission of the church), but we are distracted in this paper," he said. Meadors, who leads a task force guiding the initiative on children and poverty, wondered aloud how many children around the world would die of preventable causes during the General Conference. Expressing confidence that God will work through the delegates, the bishops pledge in their letter that they will "administer the disciplinary decisions ... in our ministry as bishops. In addition, we offer to guide the church in all possible settings in conferencing around such issues as homosexuality." "In the midst of these discussions of the issues surrounding homosexuality, we need to remember that there are real people whose lives are being victimized when the debate becomes hateful, mean-spirited, and shows a lack of concern," the bishops say. "In our role as shepherds of the church, we hear the anguish of many gay and lesbian persons, their parents and families, their friends, and their pastors. We ask the whole church to respond in Christian love to those who are pained by the church's struggle with the issue of homosexuality." Bishop C. Joseph Sprague of the Chicago Area attempted to have an additional line inserted in the letter: "We yearn for their (gays and lesbians) full inclusion in the life of the church." The motion failed after Bishop Paul Duffey, Montgomery, Ala., expressed concern that such language could refer to full ordination, which the church now prohibits. Also defeated was a motion by Bishop Lindsey Davis of the Atlanta Area to add the line: "We also hear the anger and frustration from those who have grown weary of our continual debate of these issues." The letter asks every congregation to "fulfill the biblical and disciplinary mandate of hospitality for all persons, including gays and lesbians." Pastors are urged "to reach out and actively seek to minister to and with all persons, within the bounds of our Book of Discipline, as we move toward being a more inclusive church." Some African bishops opposed the letter, arguing homosexuality is a "taboo" topic and unquestionably a sin in their respective cultures. "Homosexuality is not just a taboo, it is a word completely strange," said Bishop Nkulu Natandu Ntambo of the North Katanga Area. Comparing the issue to polygamy, he said, "When I accepted Jesus, I accepted that polygamy is a sin." Other African bishops, including Bishop Joseph C. Humper of the Sierra Leone Area and Bishop Emilio de Carvalho of the Western Angola Area, supported the council's release of a letter even though it has different applications in their respective cultures. "We are part of a connectional church," Humper said. "I suggest we all have this problem together. How you handle your problem will help us ... deal with ours." The letter is being distributed to all congregations in the United States. Elsewhere, bishops will receive the letter for distribution to their congregations. Attempts were made to broaden the scope of the issue in the letter from homosexuality to sexuality. Arguing against such a move was Bishop Sharon Rader, Wisconsin Area, secretary of the council. "All delegates need help in dealing with the issue (of homosexuality)," she said. "That is what they are going to wrestle with. Let's help them wrestle with it." Bishop George Bashore of the Pittsburgh Area, a former president of the council, agreed. "One of the sad things is that homosexuality has been a dominant theme in the church for 20 years. When I was president, 95 percent of my mail dealt with this subject. ... For whatever reason, we haven't been able to deal with this subject." Bashore and several other bishops urged the council to spend substantial time discussing the issue of homosexuality. "We must discern the leading of God's spirit for the sake of this church," Bashore said. Bishop Judith Craig of the Ohio West Area reminded the bishops that their discussion at Lake Junaluska had begun with what they might do to offer leadership to the church as the General Conference and the new millennium approach. "Like it or not, the threatening, divisive issue is homosexuality," she said. "There are people waiting for us to say something about that." Noting that the letter couldn't address all the struggles of the world, she pleaded, "don't dilute addressing the issue most frightening our people." A team of episcopal leaders headed by Arkansas Area Bishop Janice Riggle Huie was asked to provide leadership for the call to prayer, fasting and Christian conferencing. Bishop Sharon Brown Christopher of the Illinois Area and Bishop Michael Coyner of the Dakotas Area were asked to provide a packet to assist bishops as they meet with their General Conference delegations. Bishop William Oden of the Dallas Area was asked to bring to the council's next meeting before General Conference a plan for the council to conference on the issue of homosexuality. Nashville Area Bishop Kenneth Carder, a leader in the church wide initiative on children and poverty, was asked to be responsible for the "symbol act" at General Conference. He told United Methodist News Service he anticipates the bishops will have several opportunities to be in ministry with children and the poor during their time in Cleveland. The Council of Bishops, which meets twice each year, will gather April 25-30 in Cleveland before General Conference. Bishops attend the conference but do not vote. Individual bishops preside over business sessions and lead in worship. The Council of Bishops includes 50 active bishops from the United States, 17 active bishops from Europe, Africa and Asia, and about 50 retired bishops. Retired bishops do not vote. Bishop Robert Morgan of the Louisville (Ky.) Area, serving a one-year term as president of the international body, presided over sessions at Lake Junaluska.
Pastoral Letter To: The United Methodist people around the world From: The Council of Bishops of the United Methodist Church Meeting at Lake Junaluska, North Carolina, USA November 5, 1999 Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ who alone is our salvation, our hope, and our peace. On this eve of a new millennium and the eve of the General Conference of 2000, we write this message of hope and encouragement along with a reminder about the primary mission of the church, namely "making disciples of Jesus Christ." (Par. 200 of The Book of Discipline and Matthew 28:19.) As we have gathered for a time of prayer, worship, theological reflection, Christian conversation, and sharing about our work as your bishops, we celebrate with you that the United Methodist Church is alive in God's Spirit, involved in vital ministry, and expanding its mission around the world for the sake of the Gospel. We are privileged to join in sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ along with millions of United Methodist people around the globe. We have heard from each other many joyful stories of this mission. We write to remind all United Methodist persons not to be distracted from our primary mission as a church by arguments over sensitive issues. We live in a world that is filled with injustice, racism, hate crimes, hungry children, warfare, poverty, confusion over issues of sexuality, disease, and violence. We are called to bear witness to a God who so loved the world that God "gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him might not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). We are committed to keeping our primary energy focused upon the mission of Christ to this world which God loves. As a Council of Bishops, we have experienced a new growth in our own sense of unity in Jesus Christ. We confess that we are still learning how to celebrate our diversity while also affirming that unity. We are learning that our unity is a gift of God who holds us together in the midst of diverse opinions, varieties of languages, and a multitude of unique experiences. Let no one mistake the Spirit's variety of gifts in our midst for any lack of common commitment to Jesus Christ. Even though individual bishops may express their personal convictions, we are united in our desire to serve Christ, to lead the church faithfully, and to be a witness to the unity of the Spirit. We continue to pray for the whole United Methodist Church to discover this same sense of unity in Christ. Because the church is one body in Christ, your episcopal leaders are committed to leading the church to maintain unity amid all troublesome and difficult issues. Yet we know that our beloved church is in a time of passage from one age to another, a process of growth in global witness, and a time for discerning God's leading into this new millennium. Some may sense this is a time of crisis, and some may even fear that diversity will lead to division. However, we continue to pray for the unity of the Spirit. We urge all United Methodists to take courage in remembering that Christ has already broken down the walls that divide and that Christ is the Head of the church. This season is a time to be quiet, to be united, to listen for God's guiding voice, and to learn from one another. To help lead this process, our council is issuing a "call to prayer, fasting, and Christian conversation" as we move into the new millennium and as we move specifically toward General Conference in May of 2000. This call is an invitation for the whole United Methodist Church to join us, your bishops, in the spiritual disciplines as we seek God's guidance for our church. We also call the United Methodist Church to focus itself in a fresh way upon our mission and purpose. Too often our church has become distracted by various issues over which we seem to lack clarity of discernment. Certainly the many issues surrounding homosexuality have vexed our church for seven General Conferences. We encourage all delegates to the 2000 General Conference to consider ways to move this issue beyond legislative solutions. We have confidence in the General Conference process, knowing that God will work through the delegates elected to meet next spring. As a Council of Bishops, we are committed to administering the disciplinary decisions of General Conference in our ministry as bishops. In addition, we offer to guide the church in all possible settings in conferencing around such issues as homosexuality. In the midst of these discussions of the issues surrounding homosexuality, we need to remember that there are real people whose lives are being victimized when the debate becomes hateful, mean-spirited, and shows a lack of concern. In our role as shepherds of the church, we hear the anguish of many gay and lesbian persons, their parents and families, their friends, and their pastors. We ask the whole church to respond in Christian love to those who are pained by the church's struggle with the issue of homosexuality. We call upon every congregation to fulfill the biblical and disciplinary mandate of hospitality for all persons, including gays and lesbians. We urge every pastor to reach out and actively seek to minister to and with all persons, within the bounds of our Book of Discipline, as we move toward being a more inclusive church. It would be tragic for the United Methodist Church to allow any discussion of any issue to distract us from our mission of proclaiming the Gospel, making disciples for Christ, and spreading scriptural holiness throughout the earth. We ask that you join us in praying the prayer on page 564 of our United Methodist Hymnal: Help each of us, gracious God, To live in such magnanimity and restraint, That the Head of the church may never have cause To say to any one of us, "This is my body, broken by you." Amen Christ, who willingly gave his body and blood for us, calls us to be the unified Body of Christ in the world today. May it be so, and may
the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ show us the way. Amen. |
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