Two weeks ago, in my Article "On the Run", I wrote that Faithful and Welcoming - the newest renewal group within the United Church of Christ - moved its National Gathering from a Nazarene Church to a United Church of Christ Congregation. Their website now reads this way regarding the National Gathering:
"National Gathering Rescheduled First, let it be noted that New Knoxville was NOT where this was originally scheduled. This is, in fact, the third congregation at which the event was to be held. When members of the church asked the pastor to reconsider his willingness to host this event for this group, the pastor uninvited Faithful and Welcoming. As of now, they have no one who wants to host their event, and they are left with no choice but to cancel the event. They may indeed find a place, but it will be their fourth (that we know about). And there are fewer and fewer places willing to ally with them. Ok, I should stop and rewrite this article. I have been logging on to the website as I write this to make sure I have my information straight, and as I finished that last paragraph this appeared on their website:
"New National Gathering Plans I won't rewrite, but will continue from this point so that you get the same sense that I have gotten about how crazy this is, and how hard it is to keep up with what is going on and how to interpret it.
Also new is this statement about the intent of the gathering: This is a laying down of the gauntlet. It is a dramatic shift, not so much in their intent (for this has been the intent all along) but in their need to keep it a secret any longer. They are now actively searching for churches who wish to leave, and providing space and voice for them to do so. A little further down the page is a heading that reads "Why discuss the option of leaving?", and therein will be found and invitation to join their chat room so that you can share your thoughts about this. The invitation reads this way: "FWC believes all of us should be in conversation with each other, and should listen to one another's concerns and options." All of us? Well, no, not really. Just a couple of paragraphs later this can be found: "To comment in an open forum on the future in the UCC for those who consider themselves evangelical, traditional, conservative, or orthodox, visit the FWC web page." So, is an "Open Forum" by definition open only to those of a particular theological bent? And as if that were not enough, the next paragraph includes this: "If you are supportive of the principles of FWC, you may join the FWChurches Yahoo! chat room or the FWClergy chat room - the latter is by invitation to clergy who register as FWClergy on the web site." So, we have gone from "all of us should be in conversation" to "Those who consider themselves evangelical, traditional. Conservative, or orthodox," to "If you are supportive..., by invitation only."
It should also be noted that they are reporting on their website that all of the keynoters are being uninvited. Actually, that is an assumption. What they write is this: That means no Presbyterian Layman; no Exodus International. Instead, they will "...invite national and regional UCC leaders to share with us why they want us to stay in the UCC and how our voices will be heard and valued." I will be most curious to see whom they invite. OK, enough on Faithful and Welcoming. I started this article wanting to write about the difference we were making as we work to expose those bent on attacking Mainline Churches. I received correspondence from a member of one our St. Louis area churches who began reading the site a number of weeks ago when a friend of hers called and told her to read my Feb. 13 article (The Role of the Pastor in an Attack: the Aggressor). Her friend was upset that I mentioned her pastor Mark Friz by name. Her friend then wanted her to call me and ask me to stop writing about Mark. This woman wanted to write and tell me that it was at that point she started reading the Talk2action website. She called her friend back and told her she would not ask me to stop writing, and she began reading the site every week. It was when she read last week's article (A Church Fights Back) that she wrote to me. It dawned on her how important it was for key Lay leaders to stand up and defend their church against attack. She recounted in her mind how some members of her own church had begun to hint at dissatisfaction with the UCC, and how in her own church strong leaders stood up to them; and how she was going to commit herself to the defense of her own church from any further attacks. This is why we write: to inform and empower leaders within their own churches. Too many attacks occur without full knowledge of who and what are behind them. We are making a difference.
Making a Difference | 9 comments (9 topical, 0 hidden)
About 4 years ago my congregation voted whether or not to affiliate with the UCC. It was a difficult time because the church was less than 20 years old and had had strong growth without a centralized denominational support structure. The church had just called a new, passionate minister who firmly wanted us to join the UCC, despite the firm rejection by a number of founding members. The measure failed by a small majority and my church remains an independent congregation--not unlike the original congregational churches of New England and our founding fathers. I share this with you to state the following point: how could my beloved congregation ever reconsider visiting this issue again? At a time when the UCC could use the strength my congregation could offer, I see no way to raise the measure of affilitation again simply because of the hatefulness behind the FWC. Maybe I am wrong, (in the negative) maybe there is a core faction of my congregation that would embrace FWC--but I sincerely doubt it. My minister routinely addresses all of the FWC's contentions and places them at the forefront of his ministry--radically inclusive love for all--regardless of just about anything. I will keep my eyes on this work and point concerned members of my church this way for guidance and support. Thanks!
by Pauljaxon on Tue May 02, 2006 at 06:04:55 PM EST
It is good to see the FWC scrambling to regain its footing after its exposure in this, and other communities.
Places like this can make the difference. People can make the difference. The push-back must continue.
Thank you for the article.
This post epitomizes what Talk to Action is for. It tracks and analyzes the latest developments, and highlights sucesses.
by Frederick Clarkson on Wed May 03, 2006 at 01:27:43 AM EST
We do not usually make public mention when we delete inappropriate comments or ban trolls. We do not wish such matters to distract us from the focus and people's experience of the site; or to extend the efforts of a troll to be the center of attention.
I this instance, I am making an exception. The president of Faithful and Welcoming, named Bob Thompson, (aka Corinthpastor), who John Dorhauer has written a bit about, posted a comment in which he acknowledged that he does not agree with the purposes of this site, but requested the opportunity to comment anyway. I politely declined, but we did not delete his comment or ban him from the site. We prefer to assume that people understand English and are honorable people until proved otherwise. We have dealt with some others in this way to everyone's satisfaction. Then, Thompson posted a second comment anyway. Here is how he opened his second comment:
OK, I haven't been kicked off the site yet, so I'm going to post my response to John and see where we go from here. If I am removed or asked to leave, I'm OK with that. Well, I am not "OK with that." I do not like it that Thompson abused the courtesy I extended to him and that he is forcing my hand. Thompson took the fact that he was not immediately kicked off the site as permission to post -- in flagrant disregard of what I said. A little futher down, he writes If my being in this "talk2action" blog is perceived as an unwelcome intrusion, I'll bow out. The option to bow out gracefully had already been extended. But Thompson abused this courtesy, and as his language quoted above indicates, he was well aware of exactly what he was doing. The option to "bow out" is no longer his.
This troll has been banned.
Making a Difference | 9 comments (9 topical, 0 hidden)
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