The Reconciling Ministries Digest

(Note: Because of the nature of many websites, some of the links to external news sources in this digest may have expired.)

1. New Reconciling Communities in New York and Indiana!
2. Grassroots Miracle: Delegates Receive For The Bible Tells Me So
3. GC 2008--UMC Global Structure: UM NeXus Article on Okayama-Robbins Proposal
4. GC 2008--UMC Global Structure: The Okayama-Robbins Proposal
5. GC 2008--UMC Global Structure: MFSA Support for Okayama-Robbins Proposal
6. GC 2008--UMC Global Structure: The United Methodist Church's Official Proposal
7. Let Us Pray For You
8. Miracle Moments

 New Reconciling Communities in New York and Indiana!

Reconciling Ministries Network welcomes two new Reconciling Communities to the family:

Tabernacle United Methodist Church
Binghamton, New York

“Tabernacle United Methodist Church affirms and welcomes all people and celebrates the diversity of various sexual orientations within God’s good creation.”

The congregation voted (105 – 6)  at a church conference on January 27, 2008 to join the movement.  The core team worked toward the research of the issues and the final presentations. Within this group of a dozen people, Eppie Multer who is 93 "going on 94" and Rev. Bill Bouton, (retired) were especially helpful. Eppie is described as “the most positive upbeat delightful non-judgmental person you could ever want to meet. When I grow up I want to be just like her.” Rev. Bouton, who was once an RMN board member, offered the ministry and insight that this issue is not only an ethical decision (about LBGT people) but is primarily a question regarding the soul of what the Gospel is.

The Open and Affirming Group
First United Methodist Church
Bloomington, Indiana

Our convictions

Since the inception of this group over a year ago, we have encouraged all members of FUMC to participate in conversations on homosexuality and the church through forums, panels, and meetings of the Open and Affirming Group. We believe that such discussion is important, and we wish to continue to encourage all members of FUMC to share their perspectives in a spirit of openness and reconciliation.

We do so because we are personally convinced that inviting full participation of all persons in all aspects of the life of our church is the right thing to do, and because we wish to raise awareness of a theological, moral, and social issue that must be faced by our church and our denomination. We wish to bear witness to our belief in a supportive, inclusive church, a Christ-centered church in which we are directed by Jesus to love our neighbor as ourselves-regardless of any differences between us and our neighbor. 

We believe that the United Methodist Church, with its history of fighting oppression and injustice while ministering to the needs of all persons, should be a church that affirms both the diversity of our community and the unity we experience in Christ.

Our mission

The Open and Affirming Group of the First UMC, Bloomington, Indiana believes in the enactment of First UMC's commitment to be a welcoming and accepting place. We are pledged to work for the inclusion of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender persons in all aspects of the life of this church and of the United Methodist denomination.

We do so in a spirit of reconciliation, welcoming all church members to join us in exploring sexual orientation issues in our faith journey. Our goals are to broaden understanding, to offer the opportunity for all to share their perspectives, and to find ways of promoting institutional change so as to create a community of faith into which all are truly invited.

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Reconciling Communities in the News

Douglas Swan, a member of Reconciling Congregation Grace United Methodist Church, appeared in the Sioux City Journal in connection with the expansion of the Human Relations Ordinance to include sexual orientation.

Full story:
Council votes to expand human rights ordinance to gays
Click here

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The Newark United Methodist Church was featured in The Review, the University of Delaware's Independent Newspaper, for their ongoing work to affiliate with the Reconciling Ministries Network.

Full story:
Main Street church seeks to open door to homosexuals
Click here

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Foundry UMC continues to appear in the news at The United Methodist News Service, the Washington Blade and the Dallas Morning News.

Prior coverage:
2/27/2008 Flashnet: GC 2008: Marriage
Click here

 Grassroots Miracle: Delegates Receive For The Bible Tells Me So

From Good Samaritan UMC in Edina, MN:

On January 13th about 75 persons gathered for an adult forum with Phil and Randi Reitan, a Minnesota family featured in the award winning documentary “For the Bible Tells Me So.”  Those of us in the room that day were touched deeply as we heard their story, a story of pain and rejection by the church and by people of God after their son Jake declared he was gay.  

At the close of the forum there was a sense in the room that we had to do something, but what?  How could we, a group of people in a congregation that declares God loves and accepts ALL people make a difference?  What could we do?  Someone blurted out the words “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if all the delegates attending the United Methodist General Conference could see this film?”  

That was the igniting spark.  You could feel the unifying affirmation in the room.  Yes that’s it.  Let’s do it.

Seven weeks later, over $16,000 has been raised and all the DVD’s have been mailed.  All US delegates and alternate delegates were sent the DVD.  We’ve also sent the DVD to our Minnesota Bishop, our District Superintendents, and one DVD was mailed to every Reconciling Congregation in Minnesota.  Because of DVD formatting conflicts and language differences we chose not to send it to the delegates from foreign countries.

Besides an overwhelming financial response by our Good Samaritan community, we received contributions from individuals and churches from greater Minnesota, Kansas, Arizona, Florida, Tennessee, Arkansas, California, Nebraska, and Illinois.

Thank you to all who not only gave financially but also worked hard to spread the word about what we were doing, to the Good Samaritan Church Council who gave unanimous approval to this project, and to all who diligently gave of their time to package and mail the DVD’s.

Please continue to pray with us now that the same Spirit that moved us to share this film will move in the hearts of all who view it, that they may be open to receiving the incredible message of God’s inclusive love that it portrays.

Marlys Rechkemmer and Dandy Lewis
Coordinators of this unbelievable adventure

Additional coverage:

Letter Included in Mailing to Delegates
Click here

Official Movie Site
Click here

 GC 2008--UMC Global Structure: UM NeXus Article on Okayama-Robbins Proposal

The United Methodist Church has proposed restructuring the global church. An article from UM NeXus provides a good overview of an alternate global structure proposal from Bruce Robbins and Elizabeth Okayama. According to UM NeXus:

During the past several years a Task Group on the Global Nature of the Church, established by the Council of Bishops and the Connectional Table of the UMC, has sought to begin a process for creating an equitable structure for the people called United Methodists, in hopes of renewing the church.

Both the Council of Bishops and the Connectional Table have supported the Task Group’s proposed legislation. The Task Group’s petitions can be found on the web at www.worldwideumc.org.

The bishops and the Connectional Table are correct that the UMC needs reform. The Task Group cites the new mission context, changes within the denomination and the desire to move away from a UMC dominated by “U.S.-centric issues” and structures (such as the domination of English, the pattern of U.S. locations for the most important meetings, etc.). Reports for many decades have called for changes, yet in its successive sessions, General Conference has been able to respond only in minimal ways.

After lengthy conversations with colleagues, we, the authors, have chosen to submit alternative legislation to General Conference. We offer alternatives reluctantly, since we agree with the Task Group that immediate change is needed. However, we strongly disagree with some underlying assumptions and the pathway chosen by the Task Group.

Full story:
Flexible Equity:An Alternative to Renew the UMC
Click here

 GC 2008--UMC Global Structure: The Okayama-Robbins Proposal

Reconciling Ministries Network supports the Okayama-Robbins proposal, an alternative to the UMC proposal. The Okayama-Robbins proposal is a response to the report and petitions from the Task Group on the Global Nature of the Church including alternative legislative recommendations.

Here is the full text of the Okayama-Robbins Alternative General Conference Petition:

Toward an Equitable Structure for the Renewal of Worldwide Ministry in The United Methodist Church

In recognition of the need for change and in appreciation of the efforts of the Task Group created this past quadrennium by the Council of Bishops and the Connectional Table, Be it Resolved, that the General Conference itself implement a process for change toward equity and a renewed vision of the United Methodist Church.  Accordingly, General Conference empower the Council of Bishops to appoint a Task Group on the Structure  of The United Methodist Church that shall bring recommendations to the 2012 General Conference creating Regional Conferences and consistent with the following principles:

1. The geographical boundaries of Regional Conferences shall be arranged so that no one Regional Conference dominates The United Methodist Church fiscally or in any other way.

2. All Regional Conferences shall contribute to the apportioned funds of The United Methodist Church based on regional differences and as appropriate to the availability of resources.

3. Also, each Regional Conference shall be empowered to permit United Methodists in each region to adopt and effectuate appropriate structures to address the following: regional and cultural considerations relating to missional activities, qualifications for ordination, chargeable offenses, and adopting  “Social Principles” appropriate to the region. The General Agencies shall serve the worldwide United Methodist Church.

Procedural Motions:

1. The Task Group shall place all constitutional and disciplinary changes for the renewed structure before the 2012 General Conference accompanied by a plan of implementation during the quadrennial following the anticipated approval of the constitutional changes by the annual conferences.  The Task Group shall make the proposal public twelve months before the 2012 General Conference.

2. In composing the Task Group, the Council of Bishops shall take into account equitable representation from the geographic regions of The United Methodist Church.

3. The Task Group shall report regularly and receive input from the Connectional Table and the Council of Bishops.

Submitted to 2008 General Conference by:

Rev. Bruce Robbins
Hennepin Ave. United Methodist Church
Minneapolis, Minnesota
bruce.robbins@umglobalstructure.org

Elizabeth Okayama
New Hope United Methodist Church
Chicago, Illinois
elizabeth.okayama@umglobalstructure.org

Full story:
Okayama-Robbins Proposal
Click here

 

 GC 2008--UMC Global Structure: MFSA Support for Okayama-Robbins Proposal

The Methodist Federation for Social Action also supports the Okayama-Robbins proposal. According to the Okayama-Robbins site:

The MFSA supports the direction articulated in the legislative proposal submitted by Bruce Robbins and Elizabeth Okayama entitled Renewal of the Ministry and Structure of the United Methodist Church.  This proposal builds on the initial work of the Task Group and makes several significant additions:

• It provides for greater flexibility in defining the regional conferences.  It does not assume that jurisdictions will be maintained in their current configuration within the United States or that current power distributions will remain the same.

• It provides for greater shared responsibility for the financial support of the church, thereby adding to the legitimacy of the voices of many who currently speak from the edges or remain silent.

• It provides for greater regional autonomy to accommodate regional and international differences.

The implementation provisions contained in the Robbins/Okayama proposal significantly improve on the limitations articulated in Petition 24 of the Task Group.  The “principles” contained in Petition 24, especially in item B, appear to be intended to reassure persons concerned with preserving the status quo more than they do with facilitating broad-based, effective change.

The Methodist Federation for Social Action therefore affirms the intent of the work done by the Task Group and believes that the expression of that intent is most fully accomplished in the Robbins/Okayama proposal.  MFSA calls upon members of the General Conference to find ways to harmonize the two proposals in order to move the whole church closer to our common vision of making disciples for Jesus Christ.

Full story:
Support for Proposal: Methodist Federation for Social Action (MFSA)
Click here

 GC 2008--UMC Global Structure: The United Methodist Church's Official Proposal

An article from the United Methodist News Service provides a good overview of the official global structure proposal:

Would making The United Methodist Church in the United States a regional body be the best way for the denomination to function as a worldwide body?

Ten speakers explored that question during a Jan. 25 panel discussion on "The Worldwide Nature of the Church: What It Means" during the Pre-General Conference News Briefing sponsored by United Methodist Communications.

General Conference, which meets every four years, is the denomination’s top legislative body. During its meeting April 23-May 2 in Fort Worth, the 2008 assembly will consider proposed structural changes to the denomination that acknowledge the fact that the church is growing outside of the United States and that 30 percent of United Methodist members now live outside the United States.

Proponents say the structural changes would make the church more effective and equitably organized for worldwide ministry. Opponents say the changes may actually serve to fragment the denomination into national entities, among other things.

A task force examining the issue has proposed four substantive changes to the denomination’s constitution in an effort to make regional and jurisdictional structures similar worldwide. Task force members say the current structure gives the U.S. church too much influence and marginalizes United Methodists in Africa, Asia and Europe.

The constitutional changes would pave the way so that legislation could be proposed to the 2012 assembly that would eliminate U.S. concerns from General Conference. Those concerns instead would become the business of a U.S. regional conference.

Specifically, the legislation would make the church's five jurisdictions in the United States a regional body, similar to the church’s central conferences that currently exist outside of the United States.

Full story:
United Methodists explore church's global structure
Click here

Additional coverage:

World Wide United Methodist Church
Click here

Petitions and Resources
Click here

 Let Us Pray For You

Please let us be part of your support and let us know how we might help. One way is to let us pray for you. We invite you to send your prayer requests to us and be counted in the weekly offering of joys and concerns. You may call (773-736-5526), write (RMN 3801 N. Keeler Ave. Chicago, IL 60641) or email these requests to prayer@rmnetwork.org.

Pray for the California Supreme Court as they decide if gay people have a constitutional right to wed. According to the LA Times:

Four years after thousands of same-sex couples streamed into this liberal bastion to apply for marriage licenses, the California Supreme Court on Tuesday took up the question of whether gay people have a constitutional right to wed.

During more than three hours of arguments from lawyers for and against same-sex marriages, several justices appeared to be skeptical of legalizing the unions, suggesting they see the state's domestic partnerships as marriage in all but the name.

Justice Carol A. Corrigan observed that it might be best to leave the question "to the democratic process" because the perception of same-sex marriages is evolving. She also asked lawyers to show her where the state Constitution addressed same-sex marriages.

Full story:
Same-sex marriage has skeptics on California Supreme Court
Click here

"Now during those days Jesus went out to the mountain to pray; and he spent the night in prayer to God” ~ Luke 6:12

 Miracle Moments

We include these Moments of significant cultural shifts in the hope these societal events may positively impact life in our Church. The implication is not that these events happen spontaneously or miraculously. These highlights occur after years, even decades of struggle and hard work by many people. We offer them as blessings for our journey. Please send us your Miracle Moments to be included when space allows. Send to Moments@RMNetwork.org.

 According to SeattlePI:

OLYMPIA -- Gay and lesbian couples were brought one step closer to same-sex marriage Tuesday when the Legislature voted to extend 170 new rights to them, adding to groundwork begun last year with the passage of domestic partnership rights.

The Senate passed House Bill 3104, proposed by Rep. Jamie Pedersen, D-Seattle, by 29-20 along a mostly party-line vote.

The bill grants same-sex couples additional rights -- including the ability to share bank accounts, the right to hold common property and immunity from testifying against one's partner in court. Divorce rights -- including child-custody provisions -- were also granted.

Full story:
Gay couples win new rights in bill: Governor expected to sign measure
Click here