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By James V. Heidinger II, GOOD NEWS PERSPECTIVE – No. 21, April 28, 2008 Welcome to this special General Conference issue of Perspective sent from Fort Worth, Texas. We hope you find it helpful and informative. Please feel free to forward it to family, friends, or persons in your local church who might be interested in receiving General Conference updates. To subscribe, send your e-mail address to: perspective@goodnewsmag.org. E-mail addresses will not be sold or shared. Angela Brown of California-Nevada and Ruben Reyes of the Philippines were elected to fill the two open slots for laity, while the Revs. Kathi Austin-Mahle of Minnesota, F. Belton Joyner of North Carolina and William B. Lawrence of North Texas were elected to fill the three clergy openings. “Give me wisdom that may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart.” (Psalm 119:34) Please join us in praying for these new Judicial Council members. Angela Brown of California-Nevada and Ruben Reyes of the Philippines were elected to fill the two open slots for laity, while the Revs. Kathi Austin-Mahle of Minnesota, F. Belton Joyner of North Carolina and William B. Lawrence of North Texas were elected to fill the three clergy openings.
The meaning of membership As United Methodists, do we have standards for membership, or do we accept as members any who say they want to join? That is the issue facing the General Conference this week in three proposals coming from legislative committees. General Administration is bringing petition #81157 (p. 954) on Inclusiveness. This petition seeks to amend ¶4 of the Constitution in the following ways: “All persons (delete ‘without regard to race, color, national origin, status or economic condition’) who seek relationship in Jesus Christ shall be eligible to attend its worship services,…and upon taking vows declaring the Christian faith, become professing members … no conference or other organizational unit of the Church shall be structured so as to exclude any member or any constituent body (delete ‘of the Church because of race, color, national origin, status or economic condition’).” Local Church is bringing petition #80088 (p. 1329, amended), which adds the sentence to ¶214, “The pastor(s) and the congregation are to faithfully receive all persons who are willing to affirm our vows of membership.” Petition #80261 (p. 1337) amends ¶225 to read, “A member in good standing in any Christian denomination … who desires to unite with The United Methodist Church shall be received as either a baptized or a professing member.” All three of these petitions mandate that the local church must receive as a member any person who wants to join. The consequences of adopting any of these three petitions would be: • Membership preparation classes could be offered, but not required, in order for a person to join the church. • People who might bring harm
to the church or its members could not be turned away. Real-life examples
include: Two, a person who belongs to a cult and joins the church to lead members into the cult. • People who join the church for frivolous reasons, such as to satisfy a church policy that weddings will only be performed for members, could not be turned away. • The pastor’s authority is severely curtailed, turning the pastor into a glorified clerk or a recording secretary. These petitions are really aimed at addressing one exceptional case, where a pastor delayed an unrepentant, practicing homosexual for church membership. Exceptions make bad law. It is important to note that the prospective member was not denied membership because he was a homosexual, but because he was unwilling to live by UM standards for sexual faithfulness. If it were not for the controversial issue of homosexuality, we would not even be having this discussion. Advocates are seizing on this incident to engineer the mandated acceptance of homosexuality. Furthermore, the proposal to amend ¶4 would probably create the constitutional basis to overturn the church’s ban on the ordination of self-avowed practicing homosexuals. Since the new paragraph would read that the church cannot be structured to exclude anyone (on any basis, without exception), the Judicial Council could rule that the General Conference cannot structurally exclude self-avowed practicing homosexuals (“any member”) from ordination. In one fell swoop, this amendment would likely undo all the carefully drawn prohibitions in the Book of Discipline against the affirmation and acceptance of the practice of homosexuality. Ultimately, it would lead to the schism of the church. We must not allow this attempt to drive a wedge into the church over homosexuality to completely change over 200 years of church tradition and our historic understanding of membership. To reduce the meaning of membership to a clerical act driven solely by the desire of the prospective member would deprive our denomination of one of the most vital drivers for growth. Even the local Lions and Rotary Clubs do better.
God’s hidden chariots Earthly cares are a heavenly discipline. But they are something even better. They are God’s chariots, sent to take the soul to its high places of triumph. They do not look like chariots. They look like enemies, suffering trials, defeats, misunderstandings, disappointments, unkindnesses. They look like ‘vehicles’ that are dangerously out of control, crashing toward us with misery and wretchedness, about to roll over us and crush us. But if we [only] could see them as they really are. Here is the secret: Everything that comes to us becomes a chariot the moment we treat it as such. All are chariots waiting to carry you to the very heights of victory you have so longed to reach. On the other hand, even the smallest trial becomes one of those out-of-control vehicles to thrust you into misery and despair if you let it. It lies within each one of us to choose which it shall be. The chief characteristics of [the higher life] in God are these: entire surrender to the Lord, and perfect trust in Him. This will result in victory and inward rest of the soul. It differs from the lower range of Christian experience in that it causes us to let the Lord carry our burdens…and direct our affairs for us. Hannah Whitall Smith wrote several books, but the most celebrated was the classic, The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life. Published in 1875, it is still in print.
An initiative for unborn children After the 1972 General Conference narrowly approved legalized abortion, the late Albert Outler, noted United Methodist theologian and ecumenist, observed the tragedy awaiting our church and society: “Without radical reform of the consultative process by which the UM Church pretends to determine serious moral and political questions, we shall go on becoming more and more a part of the problem (namely, the literal demoralization of modern society) and less a part of its Christian solution.” Thirty-six years later, his words have become reality. Abortion has ushered in a culture of death instead of life, created division instead of unity, and promoted injustice for the most vulnerable members of the human family. Planned Parenthood reports that more than 90 percent of abortions are done for birth-control reasons—accounting for more than 1,440,000 abortions a year. Redemptive ministry to abortion-vulnerable persons is the bright future that can end our present darkness, but we must care enough to address the abortion issue with justice and compassion for both the mother and the child. Currently, our Book of Discipline states: “We cannot affirm abortion as an acceptable means of birth control, and we unconditionally reject it as a means of gender selection.” At the 2000 General Conference, United Methodism voted overwhelmingly to oppose partial-birth abortion by a vote of 622-275. For many years now, our denomination has been used by political activists. Using the good name of Women’s Division and the Board of Church and Society, the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice (RCRC) supports extreme abortion political positions. That needs to end. The RCRC supports gender selection abortions; United Methodism does not. RCRC supports birth control abortions; United Methodism does not. RCRC supports partial-birth abortion; United Methodism does not. Our church should no longer be used as a pawn in divisive abortion politics. The official documents of our denomination need to reflect the careful and judicious discernment of the entire United Methodist Church. We need to encourage boards and churches to welcome abortion-vulnerable women, to offer life-saving resources, and to strengthen partnerships with maternity homes, and abortion-alternative centers. For too long, we have put off this basic Christian calling of hospitality and justice for the vulnerable and weak. We have failed the gospel and those described in Scripture as the “least of these.” The United Methodist Church needs to become a sanctuary for those escaping abortion.
Lifewatch Lunch Monday, April 28, Lifewatch Lunch – 12:45-2:15 p.m. Carol Everett will speak on the topic, “Ask a pro-lifer why she changed sides.” Carol was involved in the operation of four abortion clinics in the Dallas area from 1977 to 1983. She now works in defense of life. The issue of abortion is emotional, difficult, and confusing. Come by and let someone who’s “been there” guide your decision-making process. Tuesday, April 29, Religious Liberty Lunch – 12:45-2:15 p.m. Faith McDonnell will address the persecution of Christians around the world. She is an author, activist, and IRD’s Director of Religious Liberty. ____________________________________________________________ |
Become a Good News Partner today! Make a generous
Become a Good News Partner today! Make a generous investment for renewal and reform in
The United Methodist Church. |
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