Photo by Hannah Adair Bonner
Houston Rally for Ferguson
Racial tensions are one issue that United Methodist educators want to address.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Members of the National Association of Schools and Colleges of The United Methodist Church (NASCUMC) have gone on record as being concerned about the issues dividing The United Methodist Church and pledged to "commit to give leadership on behalf of social justice and human dignity by developing new patterns and practices of communication and by attending to questions of justice within our own institutions.”
NASCUMC is the organization of the chief executive officers of educational institutions related to The United Methodist Church in the United States. It is funded entirely by membership dues and sponsors.
Members attending this meeting, after more than a year of discussion and study, unanimously approved the “Heralding Our Commitment to Justice and Dignity” Resolution, which expresses NASCUMC's concern for the violence and pain in the contemporary church and in the larger society.
"We have witnessed, and we continue to witness, a world of racially charged violence, the suicides of young people condemned for their sexual orientation or gender identity, escalation in human trafficking and domestic abuse, rancorous political debate, and polarization within the church."
– From 'Heralding Our Commitment to Justice and Dignity' Resolution
Throughout 2015 and 2016, participating institutions will conduct campus conversations about issues related to human dignity that are polarizing within their communities. The resolution specifically recognizes that members of NASCUMC "do not interpret societal issues with one mind" and calls upon institutions to create environments that encourage the free exchange of ideas and honor honest differences.
The NASCUMC resolution builds on a covenant made by NASCUMC, the Council of Bishops, and the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM) in 2000, in which they committed to, each in their own way, "emphasize through teachings and example the worth and dignity of each person."
The Resolution was written by NASCUMC's Mission Committee, affirmed by the Board of Directors, and presented to the assembled members at its semiannual meeting.
"The NASCUMC Mission Committee collaborated on the statement, which reflects the spirit of the Social Principles of The United Methodist Church, and the commitments to action that it affirms. Concerned with deep ruptures in the church and the larger society, we identified a common goal that our institutions can affirm with courage and step up to implement, each in our distinctive way," said Mary Elizabeth Moore, dean of Boston University’s School of Theology.
"The Committee and the membership of NASCUMC identified the unique roles of educational institutions in addressing the torn fabric of human society. The decision to issue a statement, combined with two action commitments, was an important step for NASCUMC," Moore continued.
"I am proud that this statement affirms our commitment to social justice and encourages active intellectual exchanges about important issues, reflecting our mission as educational institutions affiliated with the church," said Rosalind Fuse-Hall, president of Bennett College.
Haywood L. Strickland, Wiley College president and president of NASCUMC, emphasized that member institutions are already doing this kind of work and that the resolution calls on members to leverage the United Methodist connection to augment ongoing initiatives.
Strickland suggested that the recent "Day of Dialogue on Social Justice Issues Related to Race," in which classes were cancelled so that DePauw University's 2,200 students could participate in thoughtful discussions about an important issue is exemplary, as is one of Kansas Wesleyan University's most popular courses in which students engage myriad issues of social justice in their context.
"We are called to do the right thing for the right reasons, and these conversations are an opportunity to be prophetic and take a bold stand," said David C. Joyce, president of Brevard College.
Jake B. Schrum, president of Emory and Henry College, summed up the importance of this step in this ongoing commitment, saying, "those of us who work for United Methodist-related schools, colleges, and universities have an obligation to model a life that is honorable.”
He continued, “Our students watch everything we do, and they build a framework of what should be valued by observing our actions. So when we sign a statement that encourages conversations about issues that divide our denomination as well as society we are modeling the desire for important dialogue in our denomination. These conversations are the hallmark of great liberal arts institutions."