GCCUIC

by The Rev. Dr. Stephen J. Sidorak, Jr.

General Secretary

In his sermon “Behold, I am Doing a New Thing,” Paul Tillich observed the first thing about the “new” is that it cannot be forced or calculated. He says all we can do is to be ready for the “saving new” which will appear when we least expect it.

We began seeing traces of a “new thing” for the General Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns when I first assumed the position of general secretary in 2008.  It became quite apparent that a major crisis was upon us as a denomination.  In many circles, I heard words to this effect:  “Not to worry, The United Methodist Church has been threatening to change for over forty years!”  Of course, the implication of that statement is that we should have no worries; that this crisis too shall pass; it does not need to be taken very seriously; and there is really no reason to change.  I felt, early on, however, as if a kairos moment was upon us.  It was not there to be denied, but to be seized.  

At GCCUIC, we decided not to let what some called a crisis, and what we discerned to be an opportunity, go to waste.  We proved ourselves ready to be made new.  It has resulted in a remarkable convergence across the connection.

The recommendation coming before the 2012 General Conference is for GCCUIC to become an integral component of the common life of the Council of Bishops and serve as its instrument for Christian unity and interreligious concerns.  The Council of Bishops is charged with corporate responsibility for and actual oversight of the ecumenical and interreligious ministries of The United Methodist Church.  It would be a logical place to be lodged.  It would be named the Office of Christian Unity and Interreligious Relationships (OCUIR). 

What good would this restructuring do?  Please let me “argue it out” for you.  It would deepen the relationship between the ecumenical and interreligious staff of The United Methodist Church and the membership of the Council of Bishops.  It would allow staff to attend to the ecumenical and interreligious education and formation of bishops. It would help cultivate a culture of undivided attention to things ecumenical and interreligious within the Council of Bishops. It would enable and facilitate stronger connections to the annual conferences and their local churches.  It would give ecumenical and interreligious staff direct access to Central Conference bishops collectively and likely improve the prospects for deeper understanding and greater cooperation worldwide.  It would encourage us to focus dwindling financial resources on important ecumenical and interreligious meetings and events.  It would reduce the number of individuals involved in governance.  It would represent an honest effort to be good stewards.  Finally, it would reflect more clearly the structural model used by our ecumenical partners and enable them to more readily comprehend our ecumenical and interreligious ministries and the way they are led.

Ultimately, we are talking about creating a new structure that will strengthen our commitment as United Methodists to bring unity, peace and justice to the world.

Going forward, it will be imperative that there be intentional provision for the meaningful inclusion and active participation of lay people.  There can be no room for any kind of exclusive “clericalism” in this proposed new office.  We must honor the gifts and graces that the laity bring to any resultant restructuring. 

Thus, this is not a “power-grab” by the Council of Bishops, as many perceive it to be.  To the contrary, this initiative to incorporate GCCUIC into the Council of Bishops and create therein a new OCUIR was first taken by GCCUIC itself!  It is simply an attempt to be more efficient and effective in the way the ecumenical and interreligious ministries of The United Methodist Church are organized and managed.  We must ensure that GCCUIC’s critical and unique functions are considerably enhanced in whatever form a remodeled United Methodist household emerges.  In fact, we should seek to re-shape the ecumenical and interreligious ministries of The United Methodist Church so that we lead with more than our money.  

                        In conclusion, let me emphasize the institutional significance, the Constitutional significance, of Christian unity and interreligious concerns within The United Methodist Church.  What matters most is that we protect and preserve this very significance, not defend or conserve any particular organized expression of it.  Too much is at stake for us to curl-up inside a cozy cocoon while all around us there loom threats that could substantially diminish and further marginalize why GCCUIC came into existence in the first place.

* Sidorak, an ordained elder in the Rocky Mountain Conference of the United Methodist Church, is general secretary of the General Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns with offices in New York.