22 April 2008
Reports on General Conference 2008
22 April 2008
IMAGINE
An Overview of the Faith and Order Legislation
General Conference 2008
Mary Elizabeth Moore
Imagine a church in which 168 petitions urge that we retain the language of Par. 304.2 and 3 on standards of ministry – “the highest standards of holy living” and the “incompatibility” of homosexuality with Christian teaching.
And then imagine a church in which 8 annual conferences (including ours) sent identical petitions to change Paragraph 304.3 by striking all recriminations against homosexuality.
Imagine a church in which dozens of petitions seek to strengthen our reliance on biblical authority (sola scriptura) by adding it in many new places and by denying any possibility of disputing with what is written in the Bible.
And then imagine a church in which two petitions urge that the present wording on biblical authority be retained, and another proposes adding these words: “The biblical authors, though also subject to human and cultural limitations, were also illumined by the Spirit …”
Imagine a church in which the Council of Bishops, along with others, petition that the mission of the United Methodist Church be “to make disciples for the transformation of the world.”
And then imagine the many other accents that people want to add to our Book of Discipline – a stronger accent on repentance wherever God’s grace is discussed and a warning against venerating images.
Imagine a church in which two men from Florida with active petition-writing pens propose quite different positions on inclusiveness. One argues that we should be inclusive in matters of race, but exclusive in matters of belief and practice.
And then imagine a whole pile of petitions on inclusiveness, changing Par. 138 in many different directions or maintaining it as it is.
Imagine a church in which a permanent Faith and Order Committee is proposed under the auspices of the General Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns, which would be accountable to the Council of Bishops and General Conference.
And then imagine a church with multiple resolutions to retain or revise a resolution “On Being the Church amid Disagreement.”
Imagine a church with resolutions to condemn the “Church within a Church Movement” and “SoulForce”
And then imagine a church that closes the Faith and Order section of ADCA with a Love Resolution from Desert Southwest Annual Conference:
“Therefore, Be it resolved that … we week to be a witness to God’s loving desires for all of God’s children in our communities, nation and around the world.”
Imagine this church! – conflicted, struggling, seeking God’s guidance in convoluted but heartfelt ways, yet determined to love, or so we hope! Isn’t it wonderful? Isn’t it scary? Aren’t we glad that God is larger than our words on a page, but God does somehow move in those very words?
