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From the Editor: How ‘open’ are we?
Jim Nelson
In this issue we didn’t report on many of the petitions submitted to General Conference that were rejected, resulting in no changes to the Book of Discipline. A few even had heated debates on the Conference floor, but still resulted in the Conference deciding to do nothing, and leave the Discipline unchanged.
One that caught my interest dealt with the pastor’s authority in deciding who is and is not worthy to join the church. The petition was in response to a 2005 decision by the Judicial Council, which upheld a pastor’s decision to deny membership to someone whose lifestyle he disapproved of.
The majority report coming out of the legislative committee asked the conference to make it clear that pastors and congregations “are to faithfully receive all persons who are willing to affirm our vows of membership.”
Whereas the minority report urged delegates to declare “pastors have the responsibility of discerning one’s readiness to take the vows of membership.”
Both were rejected. But I found the report of the debate by the United Methodist News Service interesting. It stated that a member of the Georgia delegation speaking in support of the minority report said, “pastors must be good shepherds who care for their flock. Allowing anyone to come into the community could have unintended consequences.”
I’m confused. I thought we were all sinners, and none of us are “worthy” of the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Besides, what I believe is a sin; you may not and vice versa.
Some sins are out in the open; even in-your-face. Whereas, others are more subtle, in the dark, done behind closed doors. The Bible tells us that a sin is a sin, and no one is any worse than any other. Who decides what behavior is acceptable and what is not?
If “unintended consequences” is a problem, I am more concerned about the sins I can’t see, than the ones I can. They are often more insidious and can cause much more damage. So how do we keep out those whose sins we don’t see?
A church is defiled not by who it lets in, but by who it keeps out. Jesus said he came for the sick, that those who are well have no need for a doctor. Our churches should be full of the vilest people so we can help heal them, and lead them to Christ.
Plus, how do we know the unacceptable person wasn’t sent by God, led by the Holy Spirit? If we deny them membership, are we not then denying or blaspheming the Holy Spirit, the unforgivable sin? Maybe God sent them to us because God knew that once they become active in our church, and felt the love that surrounded them, they would change their ways and live a more righteous life. Or maybe God sent them to teach us something. The Bible is full of stories of God using unholy people for holy purposes.
Jesus tells us that as we judge so shall we be judged. And isn’t “discerning one’s readiness” really just a euphemistic phrase for “being judgmental”? I don’t know about you, but I want to make the standard I set for God to judge me to be as low as possible.
Being “good shepherds who care for their flock” could mean not diminishing the lives of our congregations by denying them the opportunity to interact with someone God sent to live and worship among them.
Is “open hearts, open minds, open doors” just a slogan or what we truly believe?
From the Bishop: Hope for Africa Children’s Choir is a true blessing
B. Michael Watson
The theme for this year’s General Conference of The United Methodist Church was “A Future With Hope.” Nothing demonstrated that expectant theme better than the presence and ministry of the “Hope For Africa Children’s Choir.” These twenty-three beautiful children, ages 5 to 12-years-old, and their wonderful adult leaders are winning the hearts of everyone who sees and hears them. It is a joy to know that loving resources from the South Georgia Conference have made it possible for this choir to travel from Uganda to the United States to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ in such a remarkable way.
Last year, while I was in the East Africa Annual Conference on one of the many missions connected with our South Georgia partnership in ministry with that conference, a group of us had the thrill of sharing in the official opening of Humble United Methodist School in Mukono, Uganda. In this miraculous manifestation of God’s marvelous ministry through The United Methodist Church, we rejoiced to celebrate that over 200 beautiful children now live in hope because some of their sisters and brothers in Christ love enough to feed, clothe, house, educate, and medicate them. The school’s mission is to provide orphans and other vulnerable children with quality education enriched with vocational skills and Christian morals to develop self-reliant and faithfully fruitful adults who will live in service to others as God-fearing and responsible members of the human family.
A music academy was born out of this ministry. Now, the “Hope For Africa Children’s Choir” is a new and living embodiment of hope for the future through the precious sights and sounds of some of the world’s most vulnerable children. You will want to meet the children and adults in this wonderful ministry. On page 6 in this issue of the Wesleyan Christian Advocate you will be able to find their scheduled performances. I hope that you will be able to attend one or more of these inspiring events and that you will be led by God’s Holy Spirit to help continue this ministry with our sisters and brothers in Africa. Your help is a participation in a future with hope! Gifts can be made through any local church or directly to the South Georgia Annual Conference, P. O. Box 52101, Macon, GA 31208, designated to our East African partnership.
Mike Watson Resident Bishop South Georgia Area The United Methodist Church.
Aging Well: Mrs. Louise Short: A True Hero of General Conference
Robert Beckum
One of the highlights of General Conference was the brief address of Mrs. Louise Short. Her statement was not an official part of the day’s agenda—-just a courtesy. Sometimes, however, amazing things happen apart from the “planned agenda.” But first, let me tell you what was on the printed agenda. We began each day with “The HERO Report.” This report came jointly from The General Commission on the Status and Role of Women and The General Commission on Religion and Race. The purpose of this daily report was to “monitor” the language and behavior of delegates, pointing out terms of condescension or other alienating use of language, which would undermine our commitment to holy conferencing. Furthermore, the daily report celebrated the contributions of minorities, the marginalized—-those whose voices may be minimized by commonly accepted assumptions.
Now, back to the unplanned order of the day—-Louise Short. At age 102 she was attending her 20th General Conference. She is the widow of the late Bishop Roy Short, and she attended her first General Conference in 1938. In Fort Worth, she was perhaps the only person present who had attended every meeting of General Conference in the United Methodist Church. She challenged the first assumption of the day when she informed the two young men sent to escort (read help) her to the stage that she was fully capable of coming to the stage without their assistance. She began by saying, “I know that most of you are amazed that I am still alive, but the truth is I’m not only still alive, I’m still LIVING!”
Then, to the Delegates of General Conference who, in its ten days of meeting, totally ignored the needs and the contributions of older adults she raised two concerns more powerfully than any other voice. First, she raised her concern over the role of the laity. “We (the general church) need to do a better job of empowering the laity—-the people in our local churches—-to be in ministry and to reach people for Christ. Solid leadership comes from solid local churches and the people in them—-lay persons are the heart of our churches and everything we do must enable them to be in ministry.” Second, Mrs. Short voiced her concern that the people called Methodists might be losing their courage to stand as faithful witnesses to the most important social issues of our day. Her most important advice to the 2008 General Conference: “Keep the faith,” she said simply, “Keep the faith.”
In Louise Short’s five minute address I heard the prayer of the psalmist: “So even to old age and gray hairs, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come”(Psalm 71:18). She didn’t make it into the HERO report given daily at the conference. My guess is, however, she made it into the report of heroes, which truly matters. This 102 year-old saint gave voice to the concerns of millions of United Methodists and their hopes for the future of our connection.
Rev. Robert Beckum is Vice President of Church Relations and Development Magnolia Manor rbeckum@magnoliamanor.com
Goodbye, Mr. Bill
In the April 18 edition of the Advocate, we featured a photo and story about Bill Hargrove, a member at Grace UMC in Atlanta, a gentleman thought to be the oldest Georgia United Methodist. The story focused on the fact that Hargrove was to turn 107 years of age on May 9. Hargrove died on May 5, missing another milestone birthday by just days. But the days that he lived, and witnessed, are still to be celebrated.
When I joined the staff of the Advocate in 2001, Hargrove was one of my first assignments. I enjoyed our telephone interview immensely, laughing as he recalled his long history at Grace and the various ways he had served. Of his time on the worship committee, he said, “Once I got on there, they couldn’t get rid of me.”
He had also served as a greeter at the front door of the church on Sundays since he joined the church in 1924. As a journalist, I had interviewed countless people prior to Hargrove, including captains of industry such as Ted Turner and other celebrities such as Falcons’ quarterbacks. I even covered races where Paul Newman raced. But there was a secret Hargrove had that I was convinced would be not only newsworthy, but also personally helpful. So of course I asked him to what he attributed his longevity of 100 years.
He told me there was no secret, that he just got up every day and stood up at the church door every Sunday. “I get to see everybody and get to know them.” In short, he was a witness. I never let him know, but at the time, I was a little disappointed with his answer. I had been hoping for some advice on special health supplements or physical fitness regimens. I had also hoped he wouldn’t have frowned on fried foods or any of my other vices.
(As regular readers of this publication, and others which featured Hargrove through the years know, he was also an accomplished and avid bowler, and that may have helped him live a long time. In my case, bowling was my personal Waterloo, almost preventing my graduation from UGA, so I knew that was not in my future.)
But in the ensuing years since 2001 and Hargrove’s 100th birthday story, I have had the pleasure of interviewing hundreds of faithful United Methodists and I have come to understand that Hargrove’s “secret” is no secret to them. They get up; they stand up; they witness. They go about their business of showing and telling the world about Christ with their heartfelt and energetic “Come and see” message. I’m honored to have the job of shining a light on these messengers. Rest in peace, Bill, thou good and faithful servant.
Anne Dukes
Associate Editor
Church and Society speaks for those without a voice
MILLEDGEVILLE - I felt compelled to respond to the letter by our Jurisdictional Delegate, Charles Miller, about the work of the General Board of Church and Society. I understand his concern and discomfort with some of the actions of the Board, for truly they have taken some very unpopular stances that many of us “in the pew” United Methodists would just rather they not deal with! You need to be aware that the General Board of Church and Society is not the only agency supporting causes and issues that would appall you! They just don't get the publicity that the General Board of Church and Society gets.
I served on the Annual Conference Committee on Church and Society and chaired that Committee for four years. During that time we took on unpopular issues at the Annual Conference, and we advocated two boycotts, one against a sheet and towel company, and one against a chocolate company. We never got unanimous support, even in our own committee, but we saw the need to speak for the people being hurt by these companies. In a church I served, I witnessed first hand what one of the companies did to my church member, a long time employee who was fired so the company would not have to pay a pension for her! This was a common practice of that company all over the country, and the employees had little voice to object to the practices of this huge company.
The General Conference Board of Church and Society does not take on issues so that they can irritate the church; they take on issues so that people who have little voice, people who are being hurt, can have some voice in alleviating their suffering. That is one of the things I have been so proud of with our United Methodist Church: we seek out the poor, the hurting, the powerless, and we do what we can to represent them.
If we only took on issues with which all our church members felt good about, if we only took on issues that we could all support, there would be a lot of people in the world left out by the negligence of the Church.
We will never agree on what issues we should represent, but we should all agree that people are more important than issues. Jesus proved that over and over again. I thank God for the General Board of Church and Society, even when they make my toes curl in my shoes with some of the things they do!
I would like to encourage our delegate to Jurisdictional Conference to have a broader view of the church, to see that our work is not to be popular but to be faithful.
Jay Hodges
Pastor, Milledgeville First United Methodist Church
The Rev. Eddie Fox - Super Delegate
ROME - Dear Jim, Well the biggest divisive issue in the Methodist Church has been retained…let's hear it for the Super Delegate, The Rev. Eddie Fox! Too bad the popular vote counts for nothing…almost like our governmental elections
“The Rev. Eddie Fox, director of world evangelism for the World Methodist Council, led the effort to retain the current language. ‘My integrity will not allow me to be silent,’ he said in introducing the ‘minority report’ to keep the church's stance unchanged. He said the Social Principles must be faithful to biblical teaching, and he suggested that any change in the language would harm the global church.”
You have to wonder if the Rev. Fox is in favor of returning the liberated people of the world to slavery in order to be faithful to biblical teaching. That argument was used for years in reference to African-Americans since the word used most often in the New Testament by Jesus, in reference to servants, was “d_ul__” which is from the Greek verb “to enslave”. And let's not even go into how the scripture deals with women… I never have understood how, when it comes to belief in Bible teaching, some people think you can have it both ways... but then, being a simple lay-person...maybe I just don't understand the part about "Open Hearts, Open Doors, Open Minds"
Speaking only for myself, I pray that within the next four years Rev. Fox's brand of “integrity” will fade from the world.
J. B. Gordon
Trinity UMC, Rome
Bishop Davis' math questioned
ATLANTA - Commenting on the General Conference's decision to uphold its stance against homosexuality and the declaration that the practice of homosexuality is "incompatible with Christian teachings", Bishop Lindsey Davis said, "I think the church is right. I think we are very much in sync with historic Christianity and very much in sync with 99.9 percent of Christians in the world".
By asserting that 99.9% of Christians would agree with the Discipline's current language on homosexuality, Bishop Davis thus assumes that only 1 in 1,000 Christians disagree with this exclusionary theological position. I for one believe that more than 1 in 1,000 Christians support the full inclusion of our LGBTQ brothers and sisters. I believe that more than 1 in 1,000 United Methodists support this.
If one considers the delegates to General Conference to be representative of United Methodism, then one would have to concede that 45% of United Methodists support this. I even believe that more than 1 in 1,000 North Georgia United Methodists support this. Last year as a candidate for delegate to General Conference I received almost 20% of the votes cast on the first ballot, in spite of having proclaimed my belief that God's "radical love and inclusion should extend fully to our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters, just as they are.” If only 1 in 1,000 (or in this case, about 900) lay delegates supported full inclusion, where did my votes come from?
Despite the pain that many today feel in my church, in other churches throughout North Georgia, and in churches throughout Methodism, we will continue to bear witness to the continuing, renewing, and refreshing movement of the Holy Spirit in our midst. As God says through the prophet Isaiah, "Behold, I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert."
It was not that long ago that the UMC used Scripture (and the misguided interpretations thereof) to justify the denial of full ordination rights to women and the segregation of African-Americans into separate churches and church structures. I know that one day we will look back on this current exclusion with the same regret and shame that we now feel for our prior errors. I only hope and pray that this day will come sooner rather than later.
Dan Browning
Lay Leader, Druid Hills UMC
Almost 300 years ago, your founder, John Wesley, explained the moral implications of what is now fashionably called globalization. Wesley’s statement “I look on all the world as my parish,” describes our mutual responsibility.
But more than anything, the fight against malaria is going to take a firm commitment to John Wesley’s idea. You are 12 million people armed with the conviction that all the world is your parish. That makes you the most powerful weapon there is against malaria.
William H. Gates Sr., co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, founding partner of a Seattle law firm and the father of Microsoft founder Bill Gates, speaking to the delegates at General Conference in Fort Worth about the Nothing But Nets campaign.
Stained Glass
By Johnny Hawkins
