Déjà Vu All Over Again

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Much as I ached for the millions who were inconvenienced, even harmed, by the recent shutdown of the federal government, it's time to confess: The shutdown bored me, because I'd seen it all before at the 2012 United Methodist General Conference.

Think about it. The U.S. government was shut down – or at least slowed down as some would have it – for 16 days by a minority group in Congress that didn't like the Affordable Health Care Act. Not only did the minority not like it, they were willing to endanger the U.S. economy and the nation's financial standing to try to undo a law that had been approved by Congress, signed by the president and unofficially ratified by voters with the president's 2012 re-election.

What's more galling to many citizens is that Congress languished without reasonable negotiation right up until the eleventh hour before the United States would default on its financial obligations.  I wouldn't be surprised if online dictionaries have replaced their definitions of  "dysfunctional" with photos of the U. S. Capitol building, the seat of Congress.

This same level of dysfunction describes what we observed at the 2012 General Conference. The comparisons are not subtle, for the online guide to the 2012 session includes this analogy: "As in the U.S. Congress, the bulk of General Conference business is conducted in legislative committees, which receive petitions, debate them and determine whether to approve, amend, combine or disapprove them for recommendation to the full body of General Conference."

The comparison is both apt and disquieting. On at least two occasions in my memory of the 2012 session, a minority of delegates attempted to bring back a restructuring plan that had already been deemed unconstitutional by the Judicial Council, the United Methodist equivalent of the U. S. Supreme Court. On another matter, General Conference delegates refused a compromise put forth by two prominent pastors, the Revs. Michael Slaughter and Adam Hamilton, which would have added to the Book of Discipline a humble acknowledgement that United Methodists are divided over the acceptance of homosexual practice. In a response to that action, the Rev. A. W. Martin noted a key phrase from their compromise: “we can commit to disagree with compassion, grace, and love, while continuing to seek to understand the concerns of the other.”

Heck, General Conference barely came to majority approval on a non-binding theological statement that God's grace is available to all people. Imagine what John Wesley, originator of our doctrine, would say about the people called Methodist when we can't agree on the grace of God!

What's so ironic about this comparison and the disquiet it elicits is that the official mission statement of The United Methodist Church is "To make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world." How can a church whose legislative assembly's performance so closely mirrors the polarized intractability of a political congress hope to transform anything, let alone anyone?

As of this writing, news reports say that Americans may have to endure another round of congressional shenanigans in January 2014 when current funding legislation runs out. In contrast, United Methodists may have about 18 months before the 2016 General Conference scheduled for Portland, Ore., but that's a short time given the way the church works. Some annual conferences, such as my own North Texas Conference, are considering electing their 2016 delegates in 2014 to give them more time to go over issues. Will that help, or will it merely give more time to solidify unyielding stances?

One of my clergy friends, the Rev. Eric Folkerth, posted a discussion question on Facebook: "What have we learned from the government shutdown?" From the perspective of many rank-and-file citizens, the lessons from Congress are: Who's looking to score partisan power, and who's looking out for our common good? The same two lessons apply to the 2016 General Conference. Can our annual conferences, which are the bodies that elect General Conference delegates, choose representatives that will look out for our common good? Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Cynthia B. Astle has been a professional journalist for more than 40 years, and has spent the past 27 years reporting on The United Methodist Church.