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Umaction Briefing ❖ Winter 2009 a Newsletter for United Methodists Working for Scripture-Based Reform in Our Denomination

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Umaction Briefing ❖ Winter 2009 a Newsletter for United Methodists Working for Scripture-Based Reform in Our Denomination UMAction Briefing ❖ Winter 2009 A newsletter for United Methodists working for Scripture-based reform in our denomination. Circulation: 475,000 Don’t Leave Our Church! United Methodist Lobby Signs Then Withdraws Stay and Work for Reform! from Abortion Letter We tell you the painful truth UMAction Non Profit Org. about what has gone wrong Winter 2009 Briefing U.S. Postage he United Methodist General Board of Church and Conference, the legislative arm of our denomination, we have with The United Methodist UMAction Church: unfaithfulness and far- PAID Society (GBCS) initially endorsed and then withdrew withdrawn our support of this bill due to language added by the left partisan politics by too many The Institute on Religion & Democracy Briefing its support from the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA), General Conference.” high church officials. We don’t 1023 15th Street NW, Suite 601 Permit # 382 Twhich is legislation before the U.S. Congress that would prohibit Bales noted that the United Methodist Social Principles now enjoy bringing you bad news, Washington, DC 20005-2601 Dulles, VA but we must tell the truth. any abortion restrictions by states and establish a “fundamental support “parental, guardian or trusted adult notification in cases 202.682.4131 right” to abortion. of minors seeking abortions,” and FOCA would overturn state The good news is the growing www.TheIRD.org GBCS also removed its name from a controversial “Interfaith notification laws. The 2008 General Conference declared that movement to restore Scriptural faithfulness in our church. More [email protected] Call to Action on Reproductive Health” organized by the United Methodists “respect the sacredness of life and well-being and more United Methodists African Church Leader Opposes Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice (RCRC), which of the mother and the unborn child” and supported “parental, are working together for reform included an “open letter” to President Obama urging expanded guardian, or other responsible adult notification and consent and renewal. “Global Segregation Plan” for government support for “comprehensive sex education, abor- before abortions can be performed on girls who have not yet Don’t leave! Our great Methodist United Methodists tion services and contraceptive information and options.” reached the age of legal adulthood.” heritage is too valuable to be Winter 2009 GBCS is a member of RCRC, which lobbies against any restric- The RCRC was originally founded in the United Methodist abandoned. Join with us to tions on abortion. The United Methodist General Conference Building in 1973, with GBCS support, to defend unrestricted help The United Methodist peaking to the West African Central Conference in December, Liberian District Church return to its Wesleyan Inside: in 2008 narrowly failed to withdraw United Methodism from abortion rights. roots as a growing, evangelical, Superintendent Jerry Kulah warned against the impact on African United Methodists RCRC, but did approve other legislation that restricted church Christian church living Christ’s ACTION: Thank GBCS official Linda Bailes for if The United Methodist Church creates a new U.S. only regional conference. Methodist Theologian Explains United agencies’ ability to promote abortion rights. According to Great Commission: “Go and S“Because of our biblical perspective and continued growth, the liberals within the Church Methodism’s Decline .............. .2 removing GBCS’s endorsement from the pro-FOCA make disciples of all nations.” GBCS official Linda Bales, “after further examination of the see their African brothers and sisters as a threat to the control of the Church,” observed letter to President Obama. Email: ‘LBales@UMC- (Matthew 28:19) Methodist Building Hosts Anti-Israel ramifications of this [FOCA] bill and considering the most GBCS.ORG; Address: 100 Maryland Ave., NE, Kulah in his speech to the delegates from Liberia, Sierre Leone, Ivory Coast and Nigeria. Exhibit ......................... .2 recent statement on abortion approved at our 2008 General Washington, DC 20002. “Just as about 140 years ago, white Methodists in America saw black people as a threat to the control of the Church. Certainly, this divisive spirit should not be encouraged amongst UM Bishop Denounces Film Expose of Radical Islam .................... .3 brothers and sisters who claim allegiance to Jesus Christ.” The 2008 General Conference approved a plan that would create a separate, U.S. only Bishop Davis Led United Methodism’s regional conference to address U.S.-only issues, separate from the international General Largest Conference ............... .4 Be sure to visit www.TheIRD.org to sign up for E-mail updates! EDITOR AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Conference. This plan, in the form of constitutional amendments, requires approval of Do you receive Mark Mark Tooley Homosexual Groups Supporting two thirds of all the votes at all the local annual conferences this Spring. Liberals in the Membership Amendment .......... .4 CHAIRMAN VICE CHAIRMAN church are increasingly frustrated by the growing number of African delegates at General David M. Stanley Helen Rhea Stumbo Help us Reach a Million Homes! Tooley’s weekly Conference, which is preventing acceptance of same-sex unions and homosexual clergy. United Methodist Lobby Signs Then Withdraws from Abortion Letter ...... .5 STEERING COMMITTEE Many liberals hope that a U.S. only regional conference, divorced from African influence, Yes, I (we) want to help UMAction inform one million United Methodists and UMAction Gerald Anderson Jane Bonner William Bonner could potentially overturn United Methodism’s traditional standards on sexual morality. their families about the urgent need for church reform and faithfulness. Janice Crouse J. Robert Ladd Thomas Oden At the 2008 General Conference, Africans were 20 percent of the delegates. In 2012, Enclosed it my tax-deductible gift of: YOUR OPINION, Bob Parrott Leo Scholl William Smallwood they will number about 30 percent, as U.S. churches continue to decline while African $50 $75 $100 Other $ _____ E-Newsletter? Jean Leu Stanley John Stumbo PLEASE! churches grow. If not, just sign on to www.TheIRD.org and register ADVISORY BOARD “If this regional Conference idea is pursued and sustained, we are most likely to have _____ Please send UMAction Briefing to the United Methodists on the George Anderson Karl Baumgardner Karen Booth How should United Methodists to receive this timely and informative email on latest enclosed list of names and addresses. a fractured church,” Kulah warned. “We might not have a common Discipline and a Officials React to the New Barack happenings affecting the United Methodist Church. Riley Case John Dowlin Ira Gallaway H.T. Maclin Joy Moore Quentin Nesbitt unified way of doing the business of the United Methodist Church. Regional Conferences _____ Please send UMAction Briefing to the names I have marked in the Obama Administration? enclosed church directory. Mark and his team are con- Edmund Robb, III T. Terrell Sessums Faye Short doing their own things could keep going their separate ways until new denominations stantly traveling the country Glen Spann Donald Wildmon eventually evolve.” My Name: ________________________________________________________ n Support and reporting on the latest IRD PRESIDENT UMACTION STAFF Kulah urged that the regional conference plan, which primarily emerged from U.S. happenings within the United James W. Tonkowich Jerald Walz Rebekah Sharpe bishops, be further studied by a team that includes Africans. “Leaders from the American Address: _________________________________________________________ Methodist church. UMC cannot plan for us in isolation and tell us what is best for us,” Kulah said. “The Oppose period of colonization and paternalism is over for the people and Church in Africa. Any City, State, Zip: ___________________________________________________ n Stay in the know! decision regarding the future of the Church must involve leaders of the Church in Africa E-mail Address: ___________________________________________________ Prayerfully from its conception stage to the time it becomes a finished product.” n Register Today! avoid partisan ACTION: Please urge your pastor and lay member to your Annual Liberian District Superintendent Jerry Kulah, Clip and mail to: UMAction c/o IRD www.TheIRD.org Conference this Spring to oppose the constitutional amendments Speaking at the 2007 UM Reform and Re- 1023 15th Street NW, Suite 601 BM0901 commitments newal Conference. (IRD/Rebekah Sharpe) Washington, DC 20005-2620 that would creating a new U.S.-only regional conference. If you are receiving duplicates of UMAction Briefing, please send us your address labels. 6 UMAction Briefing ❖ Winter 2009 UMAction Briefing ❖ Winter 2009 UMAction Briefing ❖ Winter 2008 Methodist Theologian Explains United Methodism’s Decline UM Bishop Denounces Film Expose of Radical Islam Bishop Davis Led United Methodism’s Largest Conference ddressing the United Methodist Congress on “I’m worried when we ‘improve’ on Jesus,” Abraham said. ible with the deplorable DVD entitled ‘Obsession: nder the leadership of public square, or in the marketplace.” Evangelism in Nashville on January 6, Irish Modern United Methodism tried to speak in the language of Radical Islam’s War Against the West,’ and its Bishop Lindsey Davis over The Bishop warned against this effort to Methodist Billy Abraham of Perkins School of the “university common room, the couch, and the country disingenuous distribution in the midst
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