Letter To The Editor By
The NIC Delegation Chair, Vice-Chair And Secretary, July 18
In the July 18 edition of the Northern
Illinois United Methodist Report, Volume 150 Number 10 a Letter to the
Editor was published on the first page. It was from:
- The Rev. Myron McCoy (delegation
chair), President, St. Paul School of Theology, Kansas City, MO.
- Harriet McCabe (delegation
vice-chair), Grace UMC, Naperville
- Roger Curless (delegation secretary),
Wesley UMC, Aurora
The letter is titled: "Diversity of
General/Jurisdictional Conference delegation characterizes Northern
Illinois Conference".
In this letter, the writers request that any
web sites or publications that published the United Methodist Reporter
article "Diverse delegation dedicated to inclusiveness.", June 20, to
replace that article with "an affirmation of the diversity that is
Northern Illinois."
The authors noted that this description of
their "inclusiveness" as a delegation "may very well be a hindrance to
attempts by the Northern Illinois Conference delegation to reach out to
other delegations ...". They noted that they are a diverse group:
- Of the 28 individuals elected, 16 have
served in delegations in the past and 12 are brand new to the process.
- All six districts across the
Conference are represented.
- There at 16 women and 12 men in the
delegation with 8 lay women, 6 lay men, 8 clergy women and 6 clergy men.
- Within the delegation are
representatives for youth and young adults along with a wide range of
ages.
- We come from large, middle-sized and
smaller congregations.
- We come from urban, suburban and rural
congregations.
- Two current and two former District
Superintendents are part of the delegation. The order of Deacon is
represented.
- we may be one of the most racially and
ethnically diverse delegations with African-American; Hispanic; Asian
(Korean and Filipino) and white members.
They continue that, "The diversity of the
delegation reflects so much of what characterizes the Northern Illinois
Conference. Affirming that diversity was important to the Annual
Conference."
Reports on the Northern Illinois Annual
Conference by the
United Methodist News Service and the
Northern
Illinois Conference reported the following about this delegation:
"The Northern Illinois Conference (NIC) is
sending a delegation to General Conference, the United Methodist
Church’s top lawmaking body, that will be working to make the United
Methodist Church open to all people, including homosexuals, and will be
resisting a push from conservative groups to make the denomination a
“creedal” church."
<<back
|
