Iliff regains good standing in United Methodist Church

The Rev. J. Philip Wogaman

A UMNS Report
By Linda Green*

Iliff School of Theology, placed on a warning list by the United Methodist Church following an investigation last fall, has regained positive standing with the denomination.

“We welcome this. It is a constructive response to the efforts we’ve made this year,” said the Rev. J. Philip Wogaman, the seminary’s interim president. “I think Iliff is a better school because of what we have been through this year. We will build on the legacy of the past as we move into a new future.”

Iliff is one of 13 theological schools affiliated with the United Methodist Church. The church’s University Senate determines college and seminary affiliation with the denomination. At its June 23 meeting, the senate removed previous sanctions from the 110-year-old Denver seminary, and the school regained positive status. 

A denominational review team, investigating complaints of leadership problems and cultural insensitivity at the seminary, sanctioned the school with a “public warning” last November. The team made 19 recommendations for Iliff to address what investigators said was a pattern of issues that caused concern.

The warning also included the notice that support from the United Methodist Ministerial Education Fund could be withdrawn. The fund contributed $900,000 to the school’s $5.14 million budget in 2003.

School officials were informed June 27 that the University Senate had approved the actions that Iliff had taken in response to the recommendations. The senate’s actions were based on a follow-up review by the church in April. 

A review team, from the University Senate and the denomination’s Commission on Religion and Race, told school officials they had “found an impressive amount of work in addressing the 19 recommendations.” The team cited in particular the resolution of disputes between Iliff and its former president, the clarification of Iliff’s institutional mission, and the school’s “long-term commitment to model the values embracing diversity, mutual respect and accountability, honest communication, and critical self-reflection.”

The senate and commission also pledged to work closely with Iliff as it continues to progress in the future.   

Henry N. Tisdale

“We were very pleased to be able to that,” Tisdale said. “It was based on the progress that we believe that they have made.

“As one of our very important institutions training leaders for the church, we believe that this is a cause of celebration,” he said.

In response to Iliff regaining it status, Wogaman said, “We will continue to build on our outstanding commitment to inclusiveness and diversity because we understand that diversity is a gift and not an obstacle to genuine community. We will continue to honor our commitment to the church, to the academy and society, understanding that these commitments are mutually supportive.”

The investigation and Iliff’s loss of status were prompted by complaints following the abrupt retirement of former president David Maldonado Jr. in 2004.

Maldonado became the first Latino president of a United Methodist seminary in June 2000, but he left May 26, 2004, saying the faculty resisted his leadership, and that some faculty accused him of being too theologically conservative or moderate. He said he was told that he did “not fit” or was “culturally different,” and he felt pressured to leave by faculty leadership and some trustees.

The investigative team from the University Senate and the Commission on Religion and Race examined complaints against Iliff and found “patterns of institutional governance and perceived racial and cultural insensitivities.” The team determined that “institutional racism was a major, significant factor” leading to Maldonado’s departure.  

Groups expressing concern about the situation included the church caucus MARCHA—its full name, translated from Spanish, means Methodists Associated Representing the Cause of Hispanic Americans. MARCHA had called on Iliff to reinstate Maldonado as president and to issue a public apology to him and the Hispanic/Latino community.

The caucus also advocated for the “well-being of other racial ethnic minorities working or studying at Iliff, and for the quality of theological education in the United Methodist Church.”
 

The Rev. German Acevedo-Delgado

“We (MARCHA) are happy that Iliff took all the steps it did,” said the Rev. German Acevedo-Delgado, a leader of MARCHA. He affirmed the school being returned to positive standing in the church but expressed concern about “adequate follow-up and the continuing commitment of Iliff to inclusiveness,” even though the seminary has implemented new programs to reach out to the Latino community in the Denver area.

Acevedo-Delgado said MARCHA would continue to monitor Iliff’s progress, and if the school “does all the things they say they are going to do, we will be happy.”

Wogaman expressed thanks for the work done by Iliff supporters.

“I want to thank the people of the Iliff community—board members, faculty, students, staff and alumni/ae—for their hard work this year in meeting the expectations of the United Methodist Church,” he said.

*Green is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in Nashville, Tenn. Greta Clovin, Iliff’s director of marketing communications, provided material used in this story.

News media contact: Linda Green, (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.

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Suggested Resources Iliff School of Theology Q&A about the Iliff Review (PDF) Iliff Board Actions (PDF) MARCHA Resolution Regarding Iliff School of Theology