As a member of the Baltimore-Washington Conference it was very difficult to serve without benefiting from the outstanding faculty at Wesley Theological Seminary. I'm certain WTS has given the BWC the majority of its graduates as itinerant clergy. One of the faculty members that would always be a gift to hear, experience and learn of is that of Dr. Bruce C. Birch. He is clearly and deeply loved by his students and colleagues in academia. While, I've never been a student in his class, I hold equally great respect and appreciation for his ministry to the global church.
This is why, I'd like to humbly ask him to reconsider his withdrawal of "non-US " delegations. For the following reasons:
B. Kevin Smalls
The Rev. Dr. B. Kevin Smalls
1. We are not a society or a secular government. We are the church. We don't get to walk away from folk because of their theological locations. We still have to show up and serve. It would be an extreme disservice to the global church to silence your voice or to withhold it to so many who still need it. Preach and teach at all costs!
2. I am nervous about the emerging rhetoric surrounding the "non-US" delegations. Quite frankly, to single out "non-US delegations" is in and of itself, I believe, the kind of division that we are seeking to escape. The real revolution is not in withdrawing, but going harder on the waves of love. For God so loved the world...
3. Also, may I remind us, that many of our non-US delegations have been evangelized by our US missional expeditions. Much of what we saw at General Conference from the non-US delegations was a theology espoused by the product of their religious education from periods of colonialism and dominant white culture that infiltrated their land.
If you must withdraw, might I add, that you first do so with the SEJ, SCJ, and possibly a few other delegations that are US. There are groups still around wanting to remind us that so-called progressive behavior must be in check or else we're out of this house. None of the non-US delegations have organized under the premise of an orthodox United Methodism. That happened here, on this soil, borrowed from the Native Americans (excuse my sarcasm). In fact, the very reason we are arguing over any of this was because of one single motion from a gentleman who by the way, was not from a non-US delegation, but from one of our Texas conferences.
Your letter overlooks the contribution of some historical southern norms, if not their creation of supremacist thought on Biblical interpretation, political agendas and social constructs that ensure their dominance. This notion of superiority has bled onto this divisive issue that pains us so deeply. Slapping the hand of and scolding the non-US delegations in and of itself, is from a place of privilege that slips in, almost unnoticed, this entire dialogue from time to time.
Can we find another way to overcome the temptation to isolate and punish? Can we revisit one of our Wesleyan questions of examination? "Will you visit from house to house?" Are we able to re-envision the world as our parish? If so, then we better get going...for there is a Word from the Lord and we still have a story to tell the nations!
These thoughts are in no way intended to insult or condemn anyone. I want us to come together around that table that is just in the distance on which we share broken bread and raised cup.
The Rev. Dr. B. Kevin Smalls serves as pastor of Hope United Methodist Church in Southfield, MI. This post is republished with permission from his Facebook page.