Methodist Federation for Social Action (MFSA)
February 19, 2008
The Methodist Federation for Social Action (MFSA) commends the work that has been done by the Task Group on the Global Nature of the Church (hereinafter identified as the Task Group.) We affirm the need to address the current inequities and imbalances that exist across our global church by creatively reshaping our structure. It is not enough to have a vision of a worldwide church grounded in semantics only. It is necessary to make systemic changes that will empower those who are currently marginalized if we are going to become a church that is United in more than name.
In affirming the work that has been done by the Task Group, we are mindful of the constraints under which that body has labored. It is no small challenge to build consensus sufficient to initiate major change without having to yield and to compromise at numerous points.
MFSA calls upon the General Conference to affirm the beginning that the Task Group has made and to move forward to address several additional critical issues. Real change will only take place when the General Conference itself affirms a clear direction for the future. It is essential to know what is being enabled by enabling legislation. The petitions in the report of the current Task Group do not take us as far as we believe the church needs to go.
To that end, 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.
