Love Your Neighbor Coalition to Offer Hospitality, Human Rights Focus for General Conference

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A United Methodist Insight Exclusive

While many parts of The United Methodist Church see the coming General Conference focused on the "3 R's" – regionalization, Revised Social Principles, and removal of LGBTQ+ bans – the Love Your Neighbor Coalition is bringing attention to two "H's" – hospitality and human rights.

The Love Your Neighbor Coalition, or LYNC as it's known, is a collaboration of 15 social justice, racial and ethnic caucuses that previously worked separately in General Conference politics, said the Rev. Neal Christie. That previous action changed at the 2012 General Conference in Tampa, Fla., when LYNC members coordinated their public witness and legislative advocacy together. The coordinated action drew attention from Central Conference delegates who became curious about how the U.S. caucuses worked, he said.

Dr. Christie serves as LYNC's public spokesman as the coalition's co-convener with Mittie Quinn, a member of Dumbarton UMC In Washington, D.C. who is a longtime social justice activist. Dr. Christie was associate general secretary of the General Board of Church and Society from 1996-2022, including staff lead on the Revised Social Principles, before moving to Baltimore-Washington conference staff. He recently was named executive director of the Federation of Indian American Christians of North America, an advocacy organization started by Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants to address religious persecution and human right in India.

The United Methodist Love Your Neighbor Coalition includes:

"Our caucuses represent a broad swath of the church," Dr. Christie said. "We may not agree on everything, but we want a place at the table for everyone."

Two goals for General Conference

LYNC's specific plans for the postponed 2020 General Conference happening April 23-May 3 in Charlotte, N.C., are two-fold: provide "global hospitality" to everyone attending the conference and supporting one another's legislative proposals, said Dr. Christie. He said the coalition will track 17 resolutions concerned with different human rights aspects such as reproductive rights, fossil-fuel divestment, strengthening local-church "green teams" for creation care, justice for Palestinians, and disability issues such as sanctuary access, among other concerns. In most cases, the caucuses took care to craft their petitions from non-US-centric perspectives, he said.

"This is why we want regionalization; it's a more engaged way of being church engaged in society," Dr. Christie said. "Petitions need to be 'both and' in multiple regions."

More than monitoring legislation, LYNC hopes to model new ways of collaboration for a denomination stressed by disaffiliations yet striving to be a fully equitable worldwide church in the 21st century, Dr. Christie said.

"I think people presume we're just tracking out legislation," Dr. Christie told United Methodist Insight in a telephone interview. "We are tracking legislation that matters to our coalition members, but we also will be very present at General Conference. By being very present I mean LYNC is positioned to connect caucuses with each other, connect delegates with caucus members who are directly impacted by a justice issue, to build relationships that last well beyond the last day of General Conference."

For example, LYNC members are not of like mind about how to implement the UMC's hottest hot-button issue, the removal of "harmful language" about LGBTQ+ inclusion. Nonetheless, "every caucus in the coalition absolutely agrees that the church must end the harm it is doing to God’s children," Dr. Christie said. Only the Queer Clergy Caucus has submitted legislation specifically on human sexuality, but LYNC backs the Revised Social Principles, which don't include the anti-homosexuality language of the current Social Principles.

"LYNC advocates for a just, inclusive, and grace-filled church," he added. "We are committed to supporting the priorities of every caucus even when priorities differ."

"We're for full inclusion but we recognize we have to keep discussing the issues," Dr. Christie said. "We make sure that each caucus knows what other caucuses care about. There are difference perspectives in every racial-ethnic caucus, as well as in other caucuses. Even when there are differences, they stand together."

Demonstrate cooperation, conversation

Dr. Christie said LYNC members hope that after the UMC's divisive season of disaffiliations, the coalition can demonstrate cooperation and encourage delegates and observers to keep in conversation with one another. He said he thinks the "intersectionality" of LYNC may be unique in The United Methodist Church. 

"The Asian American caucus is introducing resolutions on anti-Asian hate, and on the human rights situation in India for Christians, and the Hispanic caucus is introducing a resolution on a comprehensive plan for Latin America," Dr. Christie said. "How many other coalitions represent these issues alongside Palestine, fossil fuels, full inclusion, and removal of the harmful language? It really is a significant gift to the church."

"I think the caucuses are the one place this cooperation can actually happen," he continued. "The caucuses, unlike general agencies' boards of directors, are not based on who is elected to represent a jurisdiction in an agency or board. Caucus members come directly from the grassroots, and they are accountable to the grassroots movements in our church."

Dr. Christie said he believes this networking model is the future for justice ministries in the UMC, given budget challenges and the need to regionalize ministry. For example, the United Methodist Africa Forum isn't a LYNC member, but the coalition still supports the work it has among African United Methodists, he noted.

"The caucuses don't agree on everything, but we take seriously one others' concern," Dr. Christie said. "We hope our witness will get people asking questions, like 'Isn't it interesting that the Native American Indian Caucus cares about the issues of the Association of Ministers with Disabilities? Why do they both care about the war in Gaza and Palestinians, like United Methodists for Kairos Response?'"

Dr. Christie cited another issue that concerns United Methodists for Kairos Response and the United Methodist Creation Justice Movement: getting The United Methodist Church to divest from its financial holdings in fossil-fuel companies and the banks that support them.

"The UMC has rules about sustainability and socially responsible investments like other churches that have divested from fossil fuels," Dr. Christie said. "Why are we holdouts? We have a seat at the table with other companies that produce energy alternatives, so we can strengthen those companies. Our investments can strengthen those companies and we're still supporting a free marketplace."

Commonalities instead of differences

Beyond General Conference, LYNC strives to model commonalities rather than differences, Dr. Christie said.

"The benefit of LYNC is that we have uneasy conversations," Dr. Christie said. "We look for commonalities, but we don't paste over differences. For example, the Native American Caucus shares experiences of oppression that can be hard for other caucuses to hear, but we continue to honor our Black and brown brothers and sisters."

Recently, the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry reached out to Dr. Christie to recommend speakers for a symposium on Indigenous concerns for colleges and universities. The December 2023 symposium brought up more of those "uneasy, uncomfortable" concerns that center indigenous peoples' stories and lives today, but Dr. Christie said he thinks the gathering was a gift from LYNC to the church at large.

"I don't know where else in the church we have these kinds of gatherings," the LYNC co-convener said. "General agencies have mandates they must follow, but we ought to be paying attention to what the caucuses are doing. We know the current level of bureaucracy isn't sustainable, and annual conferences want something different."

Ultimately the Love Your Neighbor Coalition seeks to bring more understanding of caucuses' concerns to local United Methodist churches and conferences. One way they plan to model this outreach is through volunteers to witness to caucus members' legislative concerns at General Conference. Interested persons can sign up online.

"LYNC brings people together who wouldn't ordinarily talk with each other," Dr. Christie said. "These are people who are directly impacted by issues and so they find others who share their interests. I like people who are different, but we care about each other. I think the caucuses are about that."

Cynthia B. Astle serves as Editor of United Methodist Insight, an online media channel she founded in 2011 to amplify news and views for marginalized and under-served United Methodists. She has reported on all levels of The United Methodist Church since 1988. Please email Insight for permission to reproduce this content elsewhere.