Commentary: New bishops’ president personifies Wesleyan ideals
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The Rev. Chester Jones |
May 26, 2006
A UMNS Commentary
By the Rev. Chester Jones*
Witnessing the passing of the gavel from Bishop Peter D. Weaver of the Boston
Area to Bishop Janice Riggle Huie of the Houston Area reminded me of how far
we have come as a denomination since 1956.
On May 10, at a noon service in the Simpson Memorial Chapel of the United
Methodist Building in Washington, Huie became the 38th president of the Council
of Bishops and its second female president.
The event reminded attendees that just 50 years ago this month, on
May 4, women in the Methodist Church were granted full clergy rights.
Before then, women were denied full clergy rights and even conference
membership based on gender. Another milestone was reached in 1980, when
Marjorie Swank Matthews was elected the first female bishop. Four years
later, Leontine T. Kelly was elected the first woman bishop of color.
Since 1980, the church has elected 21 women bishops.
Bishop Huie has lived a life that is in solidarity with justice for all people,
but clergywomen in particular. I say this as someone who has known her since
before she became a bishop and who served in her cabinet as a district superintendent
in Arkansas.
In her acceptance remarks, Huie spoke of her yearning to return to the time
when Methodism was seen as a movement instead of an institution. She spoke
of reclaiming a sense of the Wesleyan tradition of social holiness.
Without apology, she used the word “holiness” — loving God
with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, and loving our neighbor as ourselves.
Human beings were created in God’s likeness to serve and glorify God
in holiness of life. Holiness reflects the presence of the Holy Spirit in our
lives.
We have differences and fences to mend, but Huie made it clear in her message
that we as United Methodists may differ on any number of opinions, but we need
to be united on the essentials of the Christian faith.
For John Wesley, belief in the Holy Spirit, the
final authority of Scripture and ministry with the poor were essentials of
Christian teaching.
We must let
the Holy Spirit guide us in seeking answers and solutions to our differences.
We cannot solve these differences with denial, rage or degradation. That is
why we haven’t handled the issues of racism and sexism properly.
Leadership vision
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A UMNS photo by Kathleen Thomas-Sano Bishop Peter Weaver passes the gavel to Bishop Janice Riggle Huie, incoming Council of Bishops president.
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The
presidency of the United Methodist Council of Bishops changes hands as
Bishop Peter Weaver, of the church's Boston Area, passes the gavel to
Bishop Janice Riggle Huie, Houston Area, at a May 10 service in the
Simpson Memorial Chapel of the United Methodist Building in Washington.
Huie becomes the 38th president of the Council and its second female
president. A UMNS photo by Kathleen Thomas-Sano. Photo #06573.
Accompanies UMNS story #310. 5/26/06 |
Huie has articulated a vision and mission that
includes an internal and external focus. Her internal focus is on healing
and building
bridges of reconciliation.
Her external focus is the same as the “thrust of the Wesleyan movement
and of the United Brethren and Evangelical Association? ?to reform
the nation, particularly the Church, and to spread scriptural holiness over
the land’” (Discipline, par. 101, 2004 p. 45).
She personifies the belief outlined in our Book
of Discipline that “Scriptural
holiness entails more than personal piety; love of God is always linked with
love of neighbor, a passion for justice and renewal in the life of the world.” Like
Wesley, Huie clearly believes, “there is no religion but social religion,
no holiness but social holiness” (Discipline, par. 101, 2004).
We must get our priorities straight and start
focusing on the fundamentals our denomination has outlined, Huie said in
her remarks.
Knowing who we are
in making the power of God’s grace available to everyone is paramount.
Being United Methodist in the Wesleyan tradition means providing a clear understanding
of God’s grace in all its forms.
Making disciples in the Wesleyan tradition for Huie is a scripturally based
holiness movement that is mission-fed and laity-led. The Wesleyan tradition
is clear about its commitment to the authority of Scripture as primary.
In her witness, she spoke about team-centered servant leadership that is not
person-centered, but community-centered, cradled in the abiding grace of God.
Servant leadership is about a spiritual lifestyle that meets the needs of all
people in the community. We must rekindle this flame and lift up the cross.
Huie noted that our understanding of personal
and social holiness should be reflected not only in words but also in our
deeds of faith
and work. For her,
holiness empowers us to walk down both sides of the street. Holiness helps
us to walk down the side of the street that leads to Jericho — mission — and
the side that leads to Emmaus — personal experience with Christ.
Committed to the connection
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A UMNS photo by Kathleen Thomas-Sano Bishop Janice Riggle Huie speaks of reclaiming a sense of the Wesleyan tradition of social holiness.
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Bishop
Janice Riggle Huie, new president of the United Methodist Council of
Bishops, speaks of reclaiming a sense of the Wesleyan tradition of
social holiness. Huie, who leads the denomination's Houston Area, spoke
at a passing-of-the-gavel service May 10 in the Simpson Memorial Chapel
of the United Methodist Building in Washington. She received the gavel
from Bishop Peter Weaver, Boston Area. Huie is the 38th president and
second female president of the council. A UMNS photo by Kathleen
Thomas-Sano. Photo #06574. Accompanies UMNS story #310. 5/26/06 |
During her response, Huie took a moment to share
the awe she feels in being asked to serve in this new role. “Never
did I imagine, being raised in a small Texas farming community, that God
would bring me
to this point.”
Who is she? She is a wife, mother, grandmother and spiritual leader who models
change. A compassionate and dedicated servant leader, she is modest about her
background and accomplishments. Through her leadership, she merged the two
conferences in Arkansas, a feat that I still find incredible. She leads with
humility and sincerity.
Having received a doctor of ministry degree in homiletics and liturgy from
Candler School of Theology at Emory University, Huie was elected bishop in
the South Central Jurisdiction in 1996 and assigned to the Arkansas Area. She
was reassigned to Houston in 2004.
She is a strong advocate of leadership training and development. She has a
deep spiritual side and has a way of taking simple things in life and using
them to make profound points. Through this, she is able to relate to all people.
A genuine and caring person, she is deeply committed to our connectional system.
During her installation service, Huie challenged
us to move forward with a willingness to hear the Holy Spirit and to let
it guide
us. She reiterated
the words of Wesley on his dying bed, strengthening our mission in making disciples
for Jesus Christ, saying, “Best of all, God is with us.”
*Jones is top staff executive of the United Methodist Commission on Religion
and Race.
News media contact: Kathy L. Gilbert, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5470 or
newsdesk@umcom.org.
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