United Methodist Insight Special | November 21, 2023
Concerned clergy and laity of the New York Annual Conference issued a strong "call for accountability and action" Nov. 21 following a consultant's report on anti-racism activity that they claim is being quashed.
New York Conference Logo
Courtesy art from New York Annual Conference website.
The Rev. Paul Fleck, one of the signers of "A Call for Accountability and Action," told United Methodist Insight in an email that the signers fear the consultant's report will be suppressed by conference leadership. Mr. Fleck noted that the report was purchased with $70,000 in conference funds allocated for anti-racism work.
Mr. Fleck also said the ad hoc group that prepared the statement plans to issue an executive summary of the consultant's report shortly.
The statement contends that after an anti-racism task force met for 18 months, "many resources were put into conversations about racism, but at the end of the day, there is little material difference in the lives of Black and Brown United Methodists in the NYAC and, in fact, many are even more jaded than before."
Signers of the statement include the New York chapters of Black Methodists for Church Renewal and Methodist Federation for Social Action, and an advocacy group, NYAC Methodists in New Directions (MIND).
Just before the Thanksgiving holiday, United Methodist Insight requested a response to the statement from New York Conference leadership. A response may be delayed because of the holiday. Bishop Thomas Bickerton, outgoing president of the Council of Bishops, leads the New York Conference.
The statement has been posted online and is available for additional persons to sign. The statement reads:
A Call for Accountability and Action
Three years ago, the NYAC Black Methodists for Church Renewal (BMCR) chapter issued an open letter outlining essential steps toward dismantling racism in the New York Annual Conference (NYAC) of the United Methodist Church. NYAC officials declined to engage the BMCR recommendations directly, but instead started a Bishop’s Anti-Racism Task Force.
This task force met for nearly eighteen months, during which time its members, many Black and Brown United Methodists, invested emotional, spiritual, and physical energy into moving the NYAC toward a truly anti-racist future. Unfortunately, at the end of a year and a half of work, the task force simply replicated a pattern that Black and Brown members of this annual conference find all too familiar: many resources were put into conversations about racism, but at the end of the day, there is little material difference in the lives of Black and Brown United Methodists in the NYAC and, in fact, many are even more jaded than before. While this task force paid some bills and made repairs to some parsonages of Black churches, it ultimately did nothing to address the racist structure that keeps Black and Brown churches underfunded and their pastors underpaid.
Perhaps the most obvious example of the misuse of time and resources in the name of “anti-racism” in the NYAC is the fact that, in response to the task force’s ask for an outside party to evaluate the annual conference, the NYAC hired a consultant called Thought Partner Solutions, at the cost of $70,000. The consulting firm proceeded to review annual conference documents and policies; survey, interview, and run focus groups of cabinet and conference staff, key conference laity, and representatives of the task force, BMCR, and the Conference Commission on Religion and Race (CCORR); and conduct site visits to observe the culture of the conference center. In May of 2023, the consulting firm presented their evaluation to the task force and annual conference leadership. However, after these many efforts, including countless hours of time given by members of the annual conference and $70,000 of annual conference funds, New York Annual Conference leadership disregarded the report and declined to engage in dialogue with the consultants. Meanwhile, racist systems and practices continue to harm the people and ministry of the New York Annual Conference.
WE NEED ACCOUNTABILITY AND ACTION:
We call upon our annual conference to do better. As a first step, we call for transparency. The congregations of the Annual Conference paid for this consulting firm and must be able to read the report and hold conference leadership accountable to making the changes needed to dismantle racism in our Annual Conference.
As outlined in the BMCR letter of three years ago, urgent changes include:
1. Equitable Compensation and Accommodations for Black and Brown Pastors.
2. A Reparations Formula for apportionment payments to balance the inequity that Black churches have suffered due to generations of economic injustice including redlining, white flight, and denominational inequities.
3. Mandatory anti-racism training for all for all who serve on the Board of Ordained Ministry, the Board of Trustees, The City Society, the Council on Finance and Administration, Conference Staff, the Cabinet and leaders in churches under a cross racial appointment.
4. Cross Cultural/Cross Racial Readiness - The officers and leaders of congregations receiving a Cross Racial appointment must complete anti-racism training through CCORR and develop a plan for building a racial equity environment in the congregation. A task force must be established, including cabinet members and CCORR officials, to break down any culture of racial hostility and halt any racist incidents toward Black and Brown pastors.
5. A pipeline of future Black and Brown Clergy focusing on those under the age of 40. This includes mentoring, scholarships, vocational discernment and internship opportunities for promising candidates.
Finally, we call on our annual conference leadership to end the practice of using the time and funds of Black and Brown United Methodists to perform antiracist conversation and evaluation. Black leadership in this annual conference offered an evaluation and material asks three years ago (for free). We do not need more years of conversation. We need action today.
Signed,
NYAC Methodists in New Directions
Methodist Federation for Social Action - New York Chapter
Black Methodists for Church Renewal - New York Chapter
Rev. Doug Cunningham
Rev. Wesley Daniel
Rev. Vicki Flippin
Rev. Sheila Beckford
Rev. Paul Fleck
Tiffany French-Goffe
Rev. Lea Matthews
Deaconess Monica Bartley
Ann Craig
Deaconess Megan Hale
Rev. Ed Horne
Rev. George McClain
Home Missioner Bob Pezzolesi
Marisa Villarreal
Deaconess Gail Douglas-Boykin
Rev. Martha E. Vink
Rev. Narcisse (Cherie) Philips
Lisa Miles-Boyce
Rev. Dr. Marva Usher-Kerr
Daisy Tavarez
Rev. Karina Feliz
Deaconess Rebecca Asedillo
Rev. Jonathan Cintrón
Rev. Emily B. Hall
Erika Panzarino
Rev. Hermon L. Darden
Rev. Dr. K Karpen
Rev. Jenna Johnson
Gillian Prince
Rev. Marjorie Nunes
Rev. Morais G. Quissico
Rev. Limina Grace Harmon
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Cynthia B. Astle serves as Editor of United Methodist Insight, which she founded in 2011 to be a media channel amplifying news and views for and about marginalized and under-served United Methodists.