May 22, 1998
THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
P.O. BOX 9802501 WEST SACRAMENTO. CALIFORNIA 95798
Offices AT 1276 HALYARD DRIVE. W. SACRAMENTO, 95691 TEL:(916) 374-1500 FAX: (916) 372-5544 May21. 1998 To: From: Following, find the Ministry Staff's response. Please
distribute this statement to those Evangelical Renewal Fellowship members who were present on May 20.
To the Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, Grace and Peace to you from God through Jesus Christ our Savior and Redeemer' This is our response to your
request of a written statement, which addresses the five agenda items prepared by the Evangelical Renewal Fellowship's representatives for our May 20) 1998 consultation. As we work together to fulfill the mission of The United Methodist
Church, to make disciples of' Jesus Christ, we celebrate and give thanks that the grace of Jesus Christ unites The diversity of The United Methodist Church is broad enough to include WI of the viewpoints
represented around the table of our consultation Therefore, we believe a process of separation is unnecessary. Separation has never been required, nor is it now, in order to engage in the varied
ministries that different local churches seek to fi4filI. A strong commitment to inclusion and tolerance welcomes a full range of congregational identities and forms of ministry Throughout our history, United
Methodists have prayed and confessed Our sin, struggled and felt misunderstood, debated and failed to listen, argued and experienced judgment as we wrestled to
discern the will of God. With fear and hope, in pain and love, we have questioned the future of the United Methodist Church. This is our heritage It has not, and does not, require separation.
Any form of separation creates division. We cannot support division of the denomination, the annual conference, or the local church. Nor can we support the creation of a separate district based
on theological differences. United Methodists honor the decision of any Jay or clergy person to transfer or terminate their own United Methodist membership. The Book of Discipline provides the options and procedures.
Any United Methodist member or body is free to petition the General Conference on any topic directly or through the Annual Conference Session. While the Ministry Staff would not stand in the
way of the submission of any petition, the Ministry Staff will not join in a coordinated effort to prepare legislation for creating a separate missionary or provisional conference. Bishop Talbert addressed the issue of holy unions and the Council of Bishops' statement in his
pastoral letter dated May 14, 1998.
Given our tradition of respecting divergent opinions, punitive action will not be taken against any pastor in the free and creative exchange of ideas, beliefs and perspectives It is expected that
members of local churches will have the same freedom and not fear reprisal Advocacy of behavior destructive of the connectional system is not appropriate. It was helpful for us to hear your personal stories and histories. It is important to remember that
hearing and understanding is not the same as agreeing. In our consultation many issues were raised apart from those addressed in your agenda items and the above responses. The issues
raised and differences noted call for discussion between parties beyond LAP and the Ministry Staff We believe the covenant among elders and the meaning of membership in the Annual Conference
(both clergy and lay) are topics that need to be addressed in other settings We stand ready to be in continuing conversation with you as we seek the unity Christ desires for us all Your colleagues in ministry, The Ministry Staff Melvin Talbert, Bishop,
John Foster
May 21, 1998
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