Methodist bishops pledge cooperation—but not merger
By Alice M. Smith*
March 16, 2007 | ATLANTA (UMNS)
Bishop Nathaniel Jarrett
|
Bishops from six Methodist denominations value fellowship among the
churches and cooperating in projects and issues of concern to all, but a
union or merger of the churches is definitely not on the horizon.
Bishops attending a once-every-four-years consultation March 11-13
made that clear when, after considerable discussion, they agreed that
the name of the Commission on Pan-Methodist Cooperation and Union should
simply be “Pan-Methodist Commission.”
Other names considered by the group of 62 bishops were “Commission on
Pan-Methodist Cooperation” and “Commission on Pan-Methodist Cooperation
and Unity.”
The commission is a representative body of the United Methodist
Church and three historically black Methodist churches: African
Methodist Episcopal, African Methodist Episcopal Zion and Christian
Methodist Episcopal. It is the sponsor of the bishops’ consultation, to
which all active Methodist bishops are invited.
At the Atlanta meeting, two other Methodist bodies became a part of
the consultation for the first time: the Union American Methodist
Episcopal Church and the African Union Methodist Protestant Church.
Since the joint commission was established by action of the
individual General Conferences of the Methodist denominations, the
General Conferences will have to approve the name change, said Bishop
Nathaniel Jarrett of Chicago, who serves as president of the commission
and is a bishop in the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church.
Bishop William Oden
|
Speaking to the group, Jarrett said the commission had decided “some
time ago” that “organic union” was neither feasible nor desired. Yet,
the words “cooperation and union” were included in the commission’s name
to reflect the belief that “God is calling us to more than
cooperation,” he explained. “The problem came when that understanding
(fuller cooperation but not merger) was not clearly articulated.”
At the consultation, several bishops in the African-American churches
broached the subject of a name change, stating that “union” is
misleading and not the commission’s intention. “It’s not what we are
working toward,” said Bishop Earl McCloud Jr., Atlanta, of the African
Methodist Episcopal Church.
The motion to shorten the name to Pan-Methodist Commission was made
by United Methodist Bishop James Swanson of the Holston Conference. “No
matter what you say in this particular matter … people will still say
you’re talking about union,” should “unity” or “union” remain in the
name, he said. His motion passed by a vote of 23-12.
Ways to work together
While specific reasons opposing “union” were not enumerated on the
floor, Bishop William Oden of Dallas, ecumenical officer for the United
Methodist Council of Bishops, said some obstacles to a merger would be
different pension structures, processes for electing bishops, and the
fear that the historically black denominations would be “swallowed up”
by the larger United Methodist Church.
Yet, there are many ways in which the Methodist bodies can work
together, he said. “We have more in common than we do differences. Our
Disciplines are very similar. We have the same services of ordination,
Communion and baptism.”
The bishops discussed some of cooperative ventures with regard to
children and poverty, substance abuse prevention, higher education and
men’s ministries.
The United Methodist Church at its 2000 General Conference held a
service of repentance and reconciliation, during which it formally
apologized for racist acts in the past that caused African-American
Methodists to leave and establish their own churches.
In a more recent sign of cooperation and reconciliation,
representatives of African- American churches have been serving on the
general agencies, commissions and boards of the United Methodist Church.
Bishop Ann Sherer
|
Lula Howard of Louisville, Ky., a member of the African Methodist
Episcopal Zion Church, described her experience serving on the United
Methodist Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns.
“I’m sorry to see my term ending because I’ve learned so much,” she
said. “I have had a wonderful experience.”
Currently, United Methodists do not serve on the boards and agencies
of the other churches, but one reason is that the African-American
churches generally do not have comparable structures, said Oden. “I’ve
spoke at the CME and AME Zion General Conferences,” he said. “They are
really good about reciprocating invitations and inviting us to their
General Conferences.”
Pressing issues
The bishops also discussed cooperative work in the future. On the
Gulf Coast, bishops of the Methodist churches will meet to discuss how
to help people affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and to address
insurance, reconstruction and justice issues.
A committee was appointed to draft a statement calling for an end to
the war in Iraq, and another group was named to write a letter on the
Israeli-Palestinian issue, emphasizing injustices shown to Palestinians.
Both letters will be circulated among the bishops for their signatures
before being forwarded to U.S. government bodies.
With regard to issues of a living wage, health care and HIV/AIDS, the
bishops agreed to write letters of support to national groups already
working on these concerns and to link with religious and community
leaders addressing them in their home areas.
The bishops also asked the commission staff to provide them with
research on AIDS in the United States, particularly with regard to those
most affected, such as African-American women. Statistics show AIDS is
among the top three causes of death for African-American women ages
35-44.
Ecumenical relations
Bishop James Swanson
|
One matter that spurred considerable discussion was the formation of a
new U.S. ecumenical group, Christian Churches Together, of which the
United Methodist Church is a provisional member but which the
African-American Methodist churches have not joined. The group has met
informally since 2001 and officially launched last month.
The black churches are not members of Christian Churches Together,
their bishops said, because they sense a lack of commitment on the
organization’s part to inclusiveness, both ethnic- and gender-wise, and
to social justice. The bishops also said the group detracts from the
National Council of Churches as the primary U.S. ecumenical body.
“Those other groups (in Christian Churches Together) are welcome to
come into the National Council of Churches, but we’re too... justice
oriented,” said Bishop Thomas Hoyt of Hyattville, Md., of the Christian
Methodist Episcopal Church and former president of the NCC. “Why join a
group that just wants to talk?”
In response, United Methodist Bishop Ann Sherer of Nebraska,
president of the Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious
Concerns, said the United Methodist Church shares the concerns of the
black churches and for those reasons has agreed to be a provisional
member – not a full member.
Still, she said, the United Methodist Church believes it is important
“to have some form of conversation with persons of Pentecostal, Roman
Catholic and nondenominational (background)” that do not belong to the
National Council of Churches but are part of Christian Churches
Together.
*Smith is editor of the Wesleyan Christian Advocate, the newspaper of The United Methodist Church in Georgia.
News media contact: Tim Tanton, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.
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Resources
Commission on Pan-Methodist Cooperation and Union
Interdenominational Cooperation Fund
Act of Repentance for Racism |