News
- Lease of property issue heads to United Methodist 'supreme court
- United Methodists refine ecumenical relations process
- Three Nebraska Seminarians Graduate from Saint Paul School of Theology
Lease of property issue heads to United Methodist 'supreme court
by Linda Green, United Methodist News Service
DALLAS-A faculty member of Southern Methodist University wants The United Methodist Church's highest court to rule on whether the leasing of property to The President George W. Bush Foundation violates the university's articles of incorporation and subsidizes a political view point.
The Rev. Jeannie Trevino-Teddlie, director of the Mexican-American program at Perkins School of Theology at United Methodist-related SMU and a delegate to the South Central Jurisdictional Conference from the Central Texas Annual (regional) Conference, asked for a decision of law that will go to the United Methodist Judicial Council this fall.
"The main thing I am most concerned about is that by leasing property to the Bush Foundation, at less than fair market value, we are in effect subsidizing a policy institute that has a specific political ideology and ideological point of view," she said, adding the denomination's law book, the Book of Discipline, allows church property "to be used for the work of the church and not to subsidize a political point of view."
In February, SMU officials approved giving the Bush Foundation a 99-year lease to build a presidential library, museum and policy institute on university property. The lease is $1,000 for 99 years--renewable for up to 250 years.
Trevino-Teddlie asked Bishop Robert Hayes of Oklahoma, who was presiding over that session of the South Central Jurisdictional Conference, for the ruling of law. Hayes said he will determine if it "was within the bounds of SMU to lease this land for the amount of money that they wanted."
"I have to examine her petition and determine whether I feel that the conference has violated the terms of the Book of Discipline," Hayes explained. "I will write and respond to her seeking a declaration of law and submit it to the Judicial Council."
The council will then examine the question and Hayes' decision and "make a ruling on whether I am correct or she is correct" when it meets in October. The council reviews all bishops' decisions of law during annual and jurisdictional conference sessions.
The delegates to the South Central Jurisdiction, owners of the Southern Methodist University, on July 17 affirmed the leasing of the land to the Bush Foundation. Along with that approval, the delegates asked that the university's integrity be protected.
Trevino-Teddlie said allowing the institute on the campus of SMU is "contrary to what the United Methodist Book of Discipline allows, and I would like to get a ruling on that."
Her question for a ruling of law asks: "Is the approval of the lease of property of Southern Methodist University by the South Central Jurisdiction and Southern Methodist University, at less than market value, to the Bush Foundation for the purpose of establishing a policy institute, in conflict with the articles of incorporation of Southern Methodist University, the rules of the South Central Jurisdiction and/or The Book of Discipline, specifically Para. 2503.4, which requires all United Methodist property to be 'kept, maintained... for the benefit of The United Methodist Church and subject to the usages and the Discipline of The United Methodist Church'" and said lease would subsidize a specific political and ideological point of view?"
While the library and museum have been welcomed by many United Methodists, others have opposed the institute fearing it will be a partisan think-tank.
"The issue is the policy institute," Trevino-Teddlie said. "The United Methodist Church should not be in the business of endorsing any political point of view--whether that is democrat, republican, green party--that is not what The United Methodist Church has stated the use of Methodist property is for. I think there is a violation there."
Acknowledging that seeking the question of law makes her walk a fine line with the university that employs her, she emphasized, "I am a Christian first. I am speaking out of my faith and to me that is all that is important."
 |  |
|
United Methodists refine ecumenical relations process
By Linda Green*May 21, 2008 | FORT WORTH, Texas (UMNS)
Prior to the 2008 United Methodist General Conference, the church's Council of Bishops was authorized to work in cooperation with its ecumenical agency to engage in formal relations with other denominations or ecclesial bodies. The bishops' ecumenical officer coordinated the relationships.
Delegates to the 2008 General Conference added language to give the bishops authority to enter into "interim and provisional ecumenical agreements" with other Christian bodies, following consultation with and concurrence of the United Methodist Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns. However, all agreements of full communion and permanent membership in ecumenical organizations must be ratified by General Conference.
By a General Conference vote, The United Methodist Church entered into full relationship with The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America on April 28. The denomination also has an interim Eucharist-sharing covenant relationship with The Episcopal Church and agreements with five historically black Methodist denominations that make up the Pan-Methodist Commission.
"The nature of our ecumenical relationships is evolving, changing and growing," said Doug Mills, a staff member of the Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns. "The Discipline was silent on full communion and to keep up with our evolving relationships, we needed to give a structure to allow the church to move forward in its ecumenical commitments."
In approving the petition submitted by the Council of Bishops, General Conference delegates described full communion as two or more Christian churches that recognize the:
— One, holy, catholic and apostolic faith as expressed in the Holy Scriptures and confessed in the church's historic creeds;
—Authenticity of each other's baptism and Eucharist and extend sacramental hospitality to each other's members;
—Validity of their respective ministries; and
—Full interchangeability and reciprocity of all ordained ministers in each of the churches.
Full communion does not presume that there are no differences in rites or doctrines between churches, but that these differences provide no barrier to affirming each other as full expressions of the one holy, catholic, and apostolic Church of Jesus Christ, according to legislation passed by the assembly. The relationship commits the churches to working together as partners in mission.
"This is a positive step and it provides steps for further conversation with Christian bodies," said West Virginia Bishop Ernest Lyght, who submitted the petition on behalf of the Council of Bishops. "Historically, The United Methodist Church has not functioned in isolation. Going back decades, it has always sought to be in relationships with Christian communities and non-Christian communities."
Prior to the 2008 General Conference, the Book of Discipline did not define full communion but did define covenanting, said Bishop William Oden, the outgoing ecumenical officer for the Council of Bishops. "The understanding of covenanting has been expanded by the use of full communion," he said.
Oden said the church is in a new era in which the term "full communion" will be used more and more in ecumenical relationships.
*Green is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in Nashville, Tenn.
News media contact: Linda Green, e-mail: newsdesk@umcom.
 | |
|