Considering Checking Out My Local UMC.

[catlover]

Before I do, I would like to know how the UMC feels about social justice and diversity.

[cristianna]

Welcome catlover! :wave:

That's a very broad question catlover. Is there a specific area you are most interested in?

[GraceSeeker]

catlover, when you say "I would like to know how the UMC feels about .....", fill in the blank with anything, there is only one place that can answer your question, and that is the General Conference. The reason is that the UMC is not just a sum of its constituent members who often have conflicting views with one another, but as a denomination speaks only through our General Conference. Now, you are in luck, though it meets only once every four years, it just so happens to be meeting right now. Just some quick checking I found 59 calendar items or petitions having something to do with diversity and 95 related to social justice.

Now, whether they will come out in the same place you are or not, I don't know. But, you can actually observe how conversations about diversity and social justice are taking place in real time by simply going to General Conference 2008 (http://www.umc.org/site/c.lwL4KnN1LtH/b.3989461/k.1E85/General_Conference_2008.htm) where you can read about issues that have been brought to the General Conference, see what action is or is not taken on them, and even watch live video streaming from the floor of the conference when in session.

When they are all done, the work of the General Conference will produce a book called The Book of Discipline which serves as a guide to all things United Methodist for the next 4 years. The work of past conferences can be found at the denominational website: www.umc.org (http://www.umc.org).

One whole section of The Discipline is dedicated to our Social Principles, the preamble of that section reads:We, the people called United Methodists, affirm our faith in God our Creator and Father, in Jesus Christ our Savior, and in the Holy Spirit, our Guide and Guard.

We acknowledge our complete dependence upon God in birth, in life, in death, and in life eternal. Secure in God’s love, we affirm the goodness of life and confess our many sins against God’s will for us as we find it in Jesus Christ. We have not always been faithful stewards of all that has been committed to us by God the Creator. We have been reluctant followers of Jesus Christ in his mission to bring all persons into a community of love. Though called by the Holy Spirit to become new creatures in Christ, we have resisted the further call to become the people of God in our dealings with each other and the earth on which we live.

Grateful for God’s forgiving love, in which we live and by which we are judged, and affirming our belief in the inestimable worth of each individual, we renew our commitment to become faithful witnesses to the gospel, not alone to the ends of earth, but also to the depths of our common life and work. You can continue reading the rest by clicking on this link (http://archives.umc.org/interior.asp?ptid=1&mid=1686) which gets you into the same website I referenced above.

[Speculative]

It has been my experience that "The UMC" and "My Local UMC" have quite a difference of opinion on a variety of issues. I'd call the church and ask how they feel on issues that are important to you (as a matter of fact--that's what I did).

[cristianna]

It has been my experience that "The UMC" and "My Local UMC" have quite a difference of opinion on a variety of issues. I'd call the church and ask how they feel on issues that are important to you (as a matter of fact--that's what I did).

Speculative offers some very valuable advice too (as did GraceSeeker).

Any secretary, pastor, associate pastor, etc. should openly welcome your questions of their position whether it's a phone call, email or requested meeting.

[Speculative]

Speculative offers some very valuable advice too (as did GraceSeeker).

Thanks :)

I think what we've demonstrated here is that the investigation of the UMC is a two-pronged process.

First, I went to the web ( umc.org) and read about where the church, as a whole, stood on a variety of issues that were of concern to me.

Then, I called the local UMC with some further questions.

I recommend this process for anyone looking into the UMC. The pastor I called at the time was very open and honest in her views about several hot-button topics from a random call from someone she'd never met before. I'd say just her willingness to answer without putting me off (and without knowing what MY position was) impressed me.

As far as social justice/diversity are concerned, I've found that the UMC takes this more seriously than some of the other denominations I looked into--you can see this from the website--however it would be good to contact the local congregation just to see what their emphases are, because this may vary from congregation to congregation. :)

[GraceSeeker]

Something I was both impressed (yet also curiously offended) by came out of General Conference this morning.


One commission of the UMC has taken it upon itself to monitor who it is that is getting to speak on the platform to address the assembly and who it is that is coming to the microphone to offering petitions/amendments or to ask question of the legislation before General Conference.

I was impressed that they took note and shared it with others in order to monitor the degree to which our our actual behaviors are consistent with our words regarding valuing diversity. I was also impressed in a report that seemed to me to show that there is indeed a great deal of diveristy among those who are being seen and whose voices are being heard, though it isn't yet all that it could be.

But this same group also told a story of how one many didn't get served as he thought he should at a local restaurant when his delegation had a meal together. No one likes to have this happen, and of course one can understand why the man was upset. I was offended by the fact that because the man happened to be black that the delegation elected to view it as an act of racism, rather than as just something that can happen to anyone (black people too) by mistake. The restaurant did apologize for their poor service.

[cristianna]

That was kind of ridiculous. I'm white by social standards (peach in the winter and tan in the summer if you ask me), and we've had issues too. In fact, not that long ago at a restaurant I previously waited tables at we had everything from our appetizer to salad to entree on the table at one time. Good thing we hadn't already placed our dessert order! :P

That's really is a shame how they choose to view that instance because poor service (customer service in a store or by wait staff) rarely sees one specific color.

[EecoErin]

Hey, GraceSeeker! That is very interesting that you would mention the man who didn't get served. I talked with someone that day at the conference, and at first had the same reaction you did - "Why would he assume it's because of his appearance that he didn't get served???"

The details seem to flesh out a stranger story than appears at first. Everyone ordered, and everyone else had gotten a meal, when it was pointed out to the server that the black man didn't have his meal, which was the same kind of meal as another at the table had ordered. By the time everyone at the table was nearly done, they got the manager involved, who gave a lackluster apology and a weak excuse. I didn't hear whether the man ever got his food.

Does that mean the whole restaurant is racist? Not necessarily. Does it sound a little fishy? Yeah. I don't know what I'd do in that circumstance, nor what i'd think if I were anyone in that situation. I don't like to think anyone jumped to conclusions, so I hope that didn't happen. But I love to hear that so many banded together to support this man, who felt - and feelings and perceptions are relevant - that he had encountered racism in a very visceral way.

I guess that's related to the OP! Catlover, you still around? Didn't mean to commandeer the thread! Have you gotten some answers? Have you checked out the websites or local congregation? What kind of social justice and sensitivity are you looking for?

[JosephPaul]

Generally speaking, the UMC General Conference is very progressive. But, of course, variations exist all the way down to individual churches. We have African American female preachers, if that gives you a little perspective on diversity. And the conference has recently made several strong statements regarding social justice covering a broad area of concerns.

Is there something in particular that is of concern to you?

One thing you should know about the UMC is that it is, in my experience, very responsive (according to the individual church some times). In other words, you might make a suggestion to the church's mission committee (or even join the committee) on some issue of social justice and expect to see (time and money willing) action on issues that are of concern to you.

It really is, in my experience, a responsive organization.

Is there some topic in particular you had concern about? I, personally, have never attended a UMC where diversity was an issue. We are pretty much open to all.

[JosephPaul]

Of course, your level of involvement does have some impact on your degree of influence. In my last church, I taught a Sunday school class and led the Missions Committee and sat on the Children's Committee and was the leader for the UMM, worked the Angel Food program and the food pantry and actually came in once a month and buffed the floors. In my new church, as of yet, I just show up for Sunday school and service and then go on my merry way.