Do you accept the freedom and power God gives you to resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves? I do. – The Baptismal Covenant I of The United Methodist Church.
Special to United Methodist Insight
It was December 1999, under the heavy rains of Kinshasa that I would walk to the Source de Vie United Methodist Church for confirmation class, preparing to take my membership vows on the first Sunday of the year 2000. In the small classrooms next to the parsonage, we would engage in deep and informative discussions about our faith and church. I greatly value the lessons learned there and how it has shaped my faith.
Albert Longe
Albert Otshudi Longe
It is always a joy to spend some hours with youth in their confirmation class or new members preparing to take their membership vows and adult baptism preparations. I am always intrigued by the section on the renunciation of sin and profession of faith in our baptism and confirmation liturgy. It clearly notes God has given us the power to resist evil, injustice and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves. In an ever-evolving world, this means that evil is packaged differently until it is clearly condemned and becomes unfashionable to those who may be attracted to it. As Christians and United Methodists, we are committed to resisting it, regardless of how attractive it may appear to be.
We know of many things that are evil and at times overlook certain things that are culturally and politically correct yet evil. Expanding the notion of manifest destiny is contrary to the understanding of scripture that teaches equality of human beings and the right to self-determination. When one assumes a sacred obligation to impose their beliefs and practices on others, it is evil. That assumption led to the killings and displacement of Native Americans, slavery, colonization and now, neocolonialism that we often avoid talking about. The most shocking thing is when some in our denomination consider this an acceptable practice worth sustaining for decades for their selfish ends. Neocolonialism is evil, regardless of how it is packaged and where it occurs.
Keeping in mind our baptismal and membership vow to resist evil in whatever form it presents itself, when I look at some of the practices that have become routine in our denomination through some caucuses I am disheartened. I have to confess that the sins of racism, colonialism and neocolonialism unfortunately hover around our denomination through some unofficial caucuses. It is very painful because it seeks to take advantage of people foreign to the polarization of American society, coming to General Conference to be the church, people that come not to a political gathering but to a church event to fellowship and engage one another on how best to move God’s ministry forward.
Some would recognize that days leading to General Conference are the most uncomfortable for many of the African delegates. There is a sustained practice of seeking to hold people “hostage” or “slaves” to a conservative mentality, denying them an opportunity to express themselves fully and respectfully assume their role as delegate to General Conference.
Some may remember the scenario of cellphones at the 2008 General Conference. Cellphones were given to African delegates to enable communication that would tell the delegates how to vote on a particular legislation. Such an unchristian practice was denounced by many and the people who distributed the phones are known. When we thought it was the end, in 2012 there was a caucus meeting of delegates in Atlanta for Africans before they could get to Tampa. While at GC we discovered that papers were distributed with petitions submitted by some groups and how to vote on those. The most shocking thing for me was that petitions that had been submitted by Africans or had reference to Africa had no voting guide, showing the lack of interest that the groups had on the life of the church in Africa. It was clear they were only interested in the plans they brought forward. Some had so-called translators, mainly to tell people a particular information that would influence one’s understanding instead of articulating the message as expressed.
In 2016, the same group brought delegates to General Conference early at a retreat center in the hope to influence their votes through deception. These are the same groups that have sought to export radical divisions in the church to Africa and Asia, and created the Africa Initiative as an excuse not to be seen directly interfering or influencing processes.
Last year, we noticed an Africa Initiative gathering, themed prayer and teachings on legislative process when in reality it was a gathering to strategize around this coming General Conference. The presence of leaders of some U.S. groups can attest to this strategy. When we think that people would repent of their old devious ways and trust God’s leadership in our democratic process to engage in Holy conversations at General Conference, the opposite happens.
Through a coalition that includes Good News, Africa Initiative and others, our friends have put together a gathering for many African and some Filipino delegates at Lake Williamson, Ill., Feb. 19-21. This gathering’s sponsors will push for their plan to dissolve the UMC, labelled an “exit path;” Good News’ 2004 document attests to the scheme, along with the Traditionalist Plan.
Oh, what about having someone attend annual conferences in Africa so delegates would be made to stand in front and declare how they will vote at GC? Isn’t it evil to assume that one holds exclusive knowledge of what’s right and should ensure strict application by others whom he or she considers to be of little knowledge?
Why do we denounce this? Because it is the furtherance of neocolonialism, the view that some people need to be told how to vote because they do are ignorant. Last year, at a time when across the denomination people have been engaging conversations to understand the legislations and its implications to the church, one of the leaders of the Africa Initiative said that African delegates do not need information, they already have made up their mind. So what has changed such that a gathering such as the Lake Williamson assembly becomes necessary? If indeed, we are all coming with an open heart and goodwill to engage on the future of our denomination, why should there be need to tell people how to vote?
How can this not be neocolonialism when the gathering always focuses on African and Filipino delegates and not delegates from the United States? Why is it that only African delegates that need to “acclimate” themselves to legislation through a caucus group? Don’t we trust them with the ability to see a way forward for our church? If our friends organizing the gathering really value our African delegates, they would have found a better way to engage in respectful conversations and not engage in practices that undermine the dignity and value of our delegates.
But why would some find this practice attracting? Because evil is at times well-coated to be attractive and achieve results through deceptive means. And this case, the assumption is that pretending to find commonality of views, even with real intent hidden, may get them some votes.
As the report of the Commission on A Way Forward was released, with all submitted petitions, the leadership of the church in Africa articulated the view that the church in Africa will not support any plan to dissolve the United Methodist Church. This sent waves to those who put forward legislation to dissolve the United Methodist Church, now calling it an Exit Plan, are doing the best to gather the support of the African church in order so as to make the church environment so hostile that will expel the minority party and the United Methodist Church will cease to exist, as per the document authored by Good News in 2004.
Now that we know the real intent of these organizations, I am inviting United Methodists to recall our baptismal and membership vow, to resist evil. And I invite our African delegates to open their eyes and not let themselves be deceived by those who seek to destroy the church. Colonialism and neo-colonialism aren’t new realities in our world; we deplore these as evil practices that denies the fullness of life as designed by God. It sustains elements of racism and inequality and when we see this happening in the church, we lament.
In Africa we have learned to live together, despite the forces of tribalism and nepotism, disagreements on practices and understanding. As Christians we are called to model life that is Christ-like and denounce evil in whatever form it presents itself. May we repent of this continued perpetuation of neocolonialism in our denomination and seek a better way to relate to one another.
Certified Lay Minister Albert Otshudi Longe is a native of the Democratic Republic of Congo who currently lives in the United States.