New York United Methodists Publicize Racism Report

by

January 9, 2024

Special to United Methodist Insight

Clergy and lay leaders gathered January 8 to discuss the report of Thought Partner Solutions (TPS), a consulting firm hired by conference officials in May 2022 to assess the state of race relations in the New York Annual Conference and offer a path toward racial equity. Bishop Thomas Bickerton was invited to the gathering but didn't attend,

The January 8 gathering is part of a campaign that began with “A Call for Accountability and Action,” an open letter released Nov. 21, 2023, calling on the annual conference leadership to release the TPS report. When the bishop’s office refused to do so, concerned pastors invited those who signed the open letter to the gathering. The group now calls itself Accountability in Action.

TPS consultants surveyed staff, cabinet members, lay leaders, and conference committee representatives including Black Methodists for Church Renewal and the conference Committee on Religion and Race, reviewed policies, ran focus groups, and submitted their initial verbal and video reports to the task force on May 26, 2023. During this meeting, the TPS consultants said that one of the limitations of completing the report was Bishop Bickerton was too “busy” to meet with them.

The consultants said the bishop, who also serves as president of the Council of Bishops, canceled many meetings and ignored their request to reschedule. A meeting was scheduled on June 13, 2023, to complete the presentation; instead, the Anti-Racism Task Force members received an email, with the TPS written report attached, stating that the meeting was canceled, and the report would not be released to the New York Annual Conference (NYAC).

The TPS report speaks of a “toxic culture within NYAC.” It also emphasizes the importance of “acknowledging and accounting for the harm and trauma inflicted on Black people across the conference.” 

Speakers at the January 8 gathering recounted events over the past three years, including an open letter from Black Methodists for Church Renewal in June 2020, which called on the bishop to take specific steps toward racial equity. Instead, Bishop Bickerton started his own group and disbanded an already-functioning task force because of unfavorable results.  The “Bishop’s Anti-Racism Task Force” took minimal action over the past three years except to hire the consultant, leading some task force members to remark that they suspected that the task force was disbanded because the TPS report was unfavorable to Bishop Bickerton and NYAC leadership.

Anti-racism need affirmed

Those gathered January 8 affirmed the need for an anti-racism action group independent of the bishop and cabinet and made up of members appointed by BMCR and the Conference Committee on Religion and Race. The ad hoc group stressed the independent task force should be composed of New York United Methodists committed to anti-racism work and should have authority over anti-racism work and expenditures of funds set aside to do the work.

The gathering discussed the following points from the TPS report (with page numbers indicated) and participants were provided with copies of the entire report. 

The group shared selected highlights from the TPS Report, based on a copyright disclaimer in the report allowing it to be shared to third parties. A copy of the report was provided to United Methodist Insight for fact verification.

The ad hoc group singled out the following items which are reported here verbatim from the report:

Consultants hired and collected data from: (p. 3)

  • Document Analysis: A line-by-line analysis of official and unofficial documents was conducted to identify bias in organizational processes and communications. Key documents reviewed included the 2021 Commission on Equitable Compensation Report, Anti-Racism Plan 2020-2021, GCOR Onsite Review Report (1999), and UMC Racial Reckoning Covenant, among others. 
  • Organizational Engagement & Inclusion Survey: A survey was administered to 37 individuals from the Cabinet and Conference Staff, measuring their connection to work Be READI! ™ Audit Report 4 team, and the organization. The survey achieved a response rate of 81% (29 participants) and the results are reported on the Scorecard. 
  • Interviews: One-on-one interviews were conducted with the Bishop, Cabinet members, and representatives from Pathways Task Force, BMCR, CCORR, and Lay Leadership. These interviews provided insights into their perceptions of institutional support for Be READI™. 
  • Exploratory Conversations / Focus Groups: Virtual focus groups were conducted, allowing Conference Staff and Clergy at NYAC to engage in structured conversations about their perceptions of institutional support for Be READI™. These 60-minute sessions provided valuable insights. 
  • Site Visits: Observations were carried out during site visits to White Plains, immersing the audit team in the organizational culture, processes, and dynamics. These visits also provided an opportunity for the team to answer questions and engage with different constituencies.

Scorecard (based on cabinet and staff survey) - p. 6

Concerning Scores:

  • Culture of Engagement. A score of 40/100 suggests room for improvement in fostering an engaged culture within NYAC. Low Engagement Levels: A score of 40 indicates that many of your employees and cabinet members may not feel engaged in or connected to their work, resulting in decreased productivity, lower job satisfaction, and higher turnover rates.

Managing Execution - A score of 36/100 indicates significant challenges in effectively Managing

  • Execution within your organization. These are basics of effective management (p. 10-11)
  • “Less than the 5th Percentile” (starting p. 13)
  • "Laity needs are the top priority at NYAC."
  • “We are good at bringing conflict into the open so it can be discussed and resolved.” 
  • “Information and knowledge are shared openly within NYAC.”

A Few Key Findings (p. 25)

Communication Challenges: Communication within the organization is identified as an area of concern, characterized by inadequate information flow, unclear messaging, and limited opportunities for open dialogue. This can lead to misunderstandings, decreased collaboration, and reduced engagement. 

Intent not matching intentions and results: This observation suggests a discrepancy between the intended goals and the actual outcomes within NYAC. It emphasizes the need to bridge this gap and ensure that actions and results align with the organization's stated intentions. 

Lack of Commitment to Change: The observation highlights a need for more commitment to change within NYAC. It suggests that stated intentions must align with the actual results and outcomes. Addressing this issue requires fostering a culture of accountability, where tangible actions and follow-through support commitments to change. 

Lack of Effective Leadership: The observation implies a perception of a lack of effective leadership within NYAC. It indicates the need for strong, visionary, and inclusive leadership that can guide the organization toward positive change and address the identified concerns. 

Lack of Sincere Validation of Institutional Racism: The observation suggests a perceived lack of sincere validation regarding institutional racism within NYAC. Acknowledging and addressing institutional racism is essential for creating a more equitable and inclusive organization.

Lack of Trust: We noticed a need for more trust between varying individuals and groups within NYAC. Building trust is crucial for effective communication, collaboration, and positive organizational relationships. It indicates a need to address trust issues and create a culture of transparency, openness, and accountability. 

Supremacist Power: This power rests on relative rank and the privilege of being at the top. It reflects a supremacist way of thinking—an acceptance of relationships of domination and submission. Our observation indicates the presence of power dynamics that favor certain groups or individuals within NYAC. It suggests examining and challenging these dynamics to create a more inclusive and equitable environment where power is shared and distributed more fairly. 

Toxicity in the Culture: This observation highlights a toxic culture within NYAC. A toxic culture can hinder collaboration, innovation, and overall organizational health. Addressing toxicity requires creating a culture of respect, psychological safety, and inclusivity.

A Few Key Recommendations (p. 27)

Accountability and Healing for Black People: The recommendation emphasizes acknowledging and accounting for the harm and trauma inflicted on Black people across the conference. This includes removing roadblocks to racial reconciliation and ensuring accountability for past actions perpetuating white supremacist ideology. 

Alignment of Intention and Actions: The recommendation emphasizes the importance of aligning intentions with actions. It calls for ensuring that the organization's stated purposes are reflected in tangible, measurable actions and outcomes.

Constructive Conflict: The recommendation suggests promoting formative conflict resolution strategies within NYAC. This supports healthy communication, collaboration, and the resolution of conflicts in a productive manner. 

Culture of Accountability: The recommendation emphasizes establishing a culture of accountability within NYAC. This involves holding individuals and the organization responsible for their actions, commitments, and progress toward equity and inclusion.

Grassroots Activism: The recommendation recognizes the importance of grassroots activism in driving meaningful change. Grassroots efforts across the region can mobilize individuals and communities, raise awareness, and advocate for systemic transformation. 

Transform Power Dynamics: The recommendation calls for examining and transforming power dynamics across the conference to dismantle white supremacy ideology and racial inequities. This involves addressing power imbalances between Bishop’s office, the Cabinet, conference staff, clergy, and Laity, promoting more equitable and inclusive decision-making processes. 

United Methodist Insight forwarded a copy of this article to Bishop Bickerton's office requesting a response. The bishop declined to respond directly to this article via email. A letter to New York pastors and lay leaders dated Jan. 17 responding to the racism report was sent to Insight from a member of the Accountability in Action group and is published verbatim here.

The ad hoc group's organizers said they intend to continue publicizing the TPS report and to bring up the issue at the 2024 session of the New York Annual Conference.

Doug Cunningham is a member of the Accountability in Action group that is advocating release of the report on racism in the New York Annual Conference.