As the General Secretary of the General Commission on
Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns of The United Methodist Church-or
GCCUIC-I want to share with you a few reflections that might remind or inform
United Methodists about a most important matter that will be before us at the
2012 General Conference.
The Lenten
season is an appropriate time for United Methodists to enter into a sustained
process of prayerful contemplation and spiritual preparation for the Act of
Repentance to which our whole church is committed at the 2012 General
Conference. I refer to the responsibility
given to GCCUIC by the 2008 General Conference to help lead our church toward "Healing Relationships with Indigenous
Persons" as adopted in Resolution # 3323.Each of us has a sacred duty to
ready ourselves for the rigorous self-examination that will be required of
United Methodists over the next couple of years. Indeed, how authentically and meaningfully we
can carry out an Act of Repentance in 2012 depends in large measure on how
diligently and faithfully we discern the need for it-historically and
intellectually, morally and emotionally.
Thus,
I invite United Methodists into an ongoing conversation with one another about
the many troubling patterns and numerous disturbing incidents in the history of
the United
States
with respect to Native Americans and indigenous peoples the world around.
Indeed, we must "reason together" as we come to terms
with a shameful record of crimes against humanity, often perpetrated in the
name of Christ Jesus, thereby confirming our complicity in them. We, "The People Called (United) Methodist,"
are now being summoned to substantive dialogue, even "holy conferencing,"
regarding a tragic history that resulted in what was described by George E.
Tinker as the "cultural genocide" of
Native Americans and indigenous peoples throughout the oikoumene, the whole inhabited earth. In short, we are being called to
confession. Across the connection, it is
incumbent upon us to struggle spiritually with the ecclesiological implications
attendant to this Act of Repentance.
United Methodist Ecumenical and Interreligious Training (UMEIT-pronounced "You Might") is a network of United Methodists comprised of Conference Committee on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns members and chairs, but open to anyone who has an interest in ecumenism and/or interreligious concerns. Created during the 2009 National Workshop on Christian Unity, UMEIT is designed to support, facilitate and encourage ecumenical and interreligious ministries in annual conferences, districts and local congregations. UMEIT provides a forum to compare notes on ecumenical and interreligious activities and to provide leadership development seminars with noted scholars and church leaders.
The mission efforts of many Christian churches, too often accompanied
colonization that "resulted in indignities, cultural genocide, and
atrocities against the tribal peoples." The United Methodist Church
is not exempt from this past practice. The General Conference has
tried in the past to address the resulting and lingering pain through
various petitions such as Concerning Demeaning Names to Native
Americans, Health Care for Native Americans, Native American Ministries
Sunday, and the Native American Religious Freedom Act. However, the
pain and grievances of Native Americans and other indigenous persons in
various places around the globe where The United Methodist Church
exists have not been healed.
Why now? The United
Methodist Church has not expressed genuine repentance to indigenous
persons on the scale it has been mandated to do this quadrennium.
Kairos moments happen as the Holy Spirit moves in God’s people to
prepare their hearts for the next step in God’s plan for humankind. The
2008 General Conference recognized this moment and asked the General
Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns to begin its
implementation.
