SAN FRANCISCO – The California-Nevada Annual Conference (CNAC) of The United Methodist Church (UMC), along with its Presiding Bishop Minerva G. Carcaño, has filed a lawsuit against GLIDE that seeks to gain control over the organization and its assets.
We are disappointed by the Bishop’s decision to pursue a court battle, but we are not surprised. Bishop Carcaño’s attempts over the past year to reform GLIDE’s church into a more religiously conservative organization have been met with resistance across the GLIDE community. Despite our repeated requests to resolve our differences through constructive dialogue, Bishop Carcaño and the CNAC have decided to battle us in court. This undermines a decades-long partnership between GLIDE and the CNAC and is counter to the interests of the people we serve, our congregants and the City of San Francisco.
“We are deeply concerned that the CNAC and Bishop Carcaño are willing to jeopardize the important work we do in what appears to be an attempted hostile takeover,” Karen Hanrahan, Chief Executive of the GLIDE Foundation, said. “GLIDE has, and will always be, about serving the underserved and bridging gaps, not widening them.”
For over fifty years, GLIDE has helped address the most critical needs of San Francisco and shape our city’s values. Now, at a time when our city faces the worsening crises of homelessness, poverty, addiction and hunger, GLIDE is expanding our efforts to further meet these challenges, provide more help to more people and serve as an even greater resource for our community. The Bishop and CNAC's actions are a threat to these efforts and to the critical safety net that GLIDE provides to San Francisco and its most vulnerable citizens.
The suit asks the court to uphold the Bishop’s claim that all of Glide Foundation's real and personal property belongs to the CNAC. It also alleges that GLIDE is in violation of founder Lizzie Glide's original intent, and in the past, Bishop Carcaño has claimed that our willingness to welcome people of all faiths and religions to our Sunday Celebration service made it no longer Methodist.
“My great-great-grandmother Lizzie Glide felt a strong call to serve others with compassion when she founded GLIDE almost 90 years ago,” GLIDE Trustee Mary Glide said. “As a Methodist, I believe Lizzie would be proud of the inclusive, loving work we’re doing today, and saddened by the actions of the CNAC.”
Over the past year, GLIDE’s Board of Trustees has taken important steps to protect the organization, our diverse community, and the intent of our donors. We will continue to take strong steps to secure and protect the resources that serve our mission and to avoid entanglement with the financial challenges and divisions within the CNAC. We remain committed to GLIDE’s mission and values of unconditional love and radical inclusivity, which is at the root of our conflict with Bishop Carcaño, and we will continue to forge ahead in our efforts to fight for justice, to serve those in need and to inspire our community.
To fund the defense of this lawsuit, GLIDE has established a special legal fund. This will ensure that donations to our programs and services are protected and directed as they were intended - to serve those most in need.
About GLIDE
GLIDE is a social justice movement, social service provider and spiritual community dedicated to strengthening communities and transforming lives. Located in San Francisco’s culturally vibrant but poverty-stricken Tenderloin neighborhood, GLIDE addresses the needs of, and advocates for, the most vulnerable and marginalized individuals and families among us. Building on the 50-year legacy of Co-Founders Rev. Cecil Williams and Janice Mirikitani, GLIDE challenges inequities and stands with the poor, people of color, LGBTQ persons, and others facing oppression, isolation and stigma, while offering a holistic, integrated model of programs and services to address the complex needs of the community. Today, under the leadership of President and CEO Karen Hanrahan, GLIDE continues to deepen its impact and extend its reach to thousands of people in need.Through comprehensive services, fearless advocacy and spiritual connection, GLIDE remains a powerful beacon of hope for a healthier, more just and inclusive city.