It's time to take a stand for civility
[8-18-01]
The Rev. Kent Winters-Hazelton has sent this
"cover letter" for the Call
to Civility. He was part of the group at Ghost Ranch that drafted
the Call, and is a member of the Witherspoon executive committee. He
is pastor of Claremont Presbyterian Church, Claremont, California.
I remember my first denominational conflict. As a high school student I
was a delegate to the annual meeting of the California-Nevada Conference
of the United Methodist Church. There was much to remember about that
gathering: The incredible service of ordination for new clergy, the
Black Panther whose fiery rhetoric almost caused a walk-out by the
mostly white delegates; the minister who resigned his ordination because
the church he was appointed to refused to accept him; the late-night
caucusing as we tried to save campus ministry programs. But there was
one moment that truly stands out in my memory -- the communion service
that concluded our week together.
The year was 1970 and the Methodist Church, like many
others, continued to deal with several difficult conflicts stemming from
the radical social changes of the '60s. It was a time when denominations
struggled with issues of race, war, and drugs. Society witnessed
rebellion on our campuses and riots in our cities. Moreover, this was
just two years after the merger of the Methodist and the Evangelical
United Brethren churches. In the midst of all this upheaval the
California-Nevada Conference had as its Bishop, the Reverend Charles
Golden, one of the first African-American Bishops in the UMC.
I was a little young then to realize the difficulty
Bishop Golden must have had trying to preside over his conference. I was
impressed by him, but apparently there were others who were more
critical in their assessment. But on the last evening of the conference,
as delegates and observers gathered for the final celebration of worship
a remarkable event occurred.
The service opened with a great processional hymn and
dozens of clergy moved toward the chancel area. The last person in the
procession was Bishop Golden. As we sang, I watched him move forward,
turn and mount the steps to his seat near the pulpit. It was only then
that his eyes caught the banner hanging at the back of the auditorium,
the one hung by the youth caucus. It said simply, "We love you
Charlie Golden."
The look on the Bishop's face was priceless. He was
stunned, he stopped singing in mid verse. Tears came to his eyes and it
took him several moments to regain his emotions. He was deeply moved by
this expression of support and compassion. It was a significant moment
in my formation as a Christian, partially as a student thinking about my
response to Christ and my role in his Church. I observed the way a
judicatory can care for its leaders, even those who may be
controversial, and in doing so is able to strengthen the larger church.
It was a powerful and moving experience for me - one I hope I will never
forget.
What must the young people of our church today think
when they hear of the barrage of attacks directed toward the Moderator
of the 213th General Assembly? What impressions will the
words of the Layman, the Presbyterian Coalition and the
so-called "Confessing Church" have upon the next generation of
church leaders? Who is there to tell them that this is not how we do
things in the Presbyterian Church?
From the moment of his election as Moderator, to the
recent meeting in Denver of
conservative leaders who seek to discredit the work of this
Assembly, there has been an unrelenting and unprecedented attack on the
Christian faith and theological integrity of Jack Rogers. He has been
the subject of heavy criticism for doing something we pastors encourage
all our parishioners to do - to grow in our understanding of faith and
of God's presence in our world. He has been accused of betraying the
church and leading it away from the truth. The right wing has denounced
him for his honest and accurate statements regarding the so-called
"Confessing Church." One former Moderator said to me,
"This is the most evangelical Moderator we have had in some time,
and he is being attacked by the evangelicals in our church. This is
absurd."
Jack Rogers is a kind and gracious man, thoughtful and
caring to those who share differing perspectives. He has sought to
accommodate the conservative leadership who oppose him. He has acted on
his promise to be a bridge builder by sitting down and listening to the
angry voices lined up against him. What he hears, unfortunately, is a
harsh, belligerent, demeaning assault that must tear at his soul.
While these personal barbs may cause injury to him, I
am sure Jack is hurt even more by the implied attack on the integrity of
his fellow commissioners. The actions of the 213th General
Assembly did not emerge out of a vacuum. The commissioners, elders and
ministers of local churches, faithful presbyters all, came to Louisville
to do their service to the church. For many, this was a once in a
lifetime experience. They were very well prepared for the work that lay
before them. Together they lifted up passages from our common Book of
Confessions. They studied the Scriptures, they read the materials sent
to them ahead of time, they listened and discerned the leading of the
Holy Spirit at work in the life of our church.
The votes of this Assembly came out of 10 years of
study and 25 years of activism. Congregations and presbyteries have
spent time discussing the issues of Biblical authority and
interpretation, of unity amid diversity, of sexuality and legislation.
The majority of the commissioners at this Assembly refused to kowtow to
the prevailing cultural norm in condemning homosexuality, but rather
took a stance against the tide in claiming that lesbian and gay
Christians as baptized members of the Church are entitled to
full rights and privileges. The elders and ministers present in
Louisville made a conscientious declaration that the only way to restore
the "peace, unity and purity" of our church is to remove
G-6.0106b from our Constitution.
Meanwhile, the right wing of the church is putting
forth a full force blitz to discredit the actions of this Assembly,
calling it "apostate," an "aberration," and
declining to acknowledge its legitimacy. In doing so, it challenges the
very integrity of our church and its system of leadership. It says to
each commissioner at this year's Assembly, conservative and progressive
alike, that your work has no meaning; worse, it cannot and does not
reflect Christian faith.
Those of us in the church who are not affiliated with
the leadership of the Presbyterian Lay Committee, the Presbyterian
Coalition, and the "Confessing Church" must say, loudly and
boldly, this is not how we work in the Presbyterian Church. If we
disagree with an action of a session, presbytery or General Assembly, we
have a means to try to change that outcome. It is a system that has been
tested throughout generations of Presbyterians. It happened this year as
many people throughout the denomination said, "The current ban on
ordination for non-married heterosexual persons is not working. Let's
look at ways to make a change that better serves our church." What
we do not do, and have not done is to try to undermine and delegitimize
the process. To do so is neither decent nor in order.
The Witherspoon Society and the Presbyterian Peace
Fellowship have issued a statement
calling for a return to civility in our church. You will find the
statement on page 5 in the Summer 2001 issue of Network News,
and on the web sites for these two organizations. I would encourage you
to sign this statement, share it with others
in your church and presbytery, and send copies to Jack Rogers, Cliff
Kirkpatrick, and to the Presbyterian Lay Committee.
It is vitally important that we not allow the Lay
Committee to set the tone of the upcoming debate on the legitimacy of
this year's General Assembly. Let us continue to seek together
"a more excellent way."
Kent Winters-Hazelton
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