UMR Communications is offering the latest headlines
in the RSS format.
|
'Multi-faith' universities shouldn't be funded by UMC
Feb 23, 2010
I've just read the latest (Feb. 19) edition of the Reporter. The reportage is adequate. The information, however, often leaves this Christian and Methodist deeply saddened about what it reveals about our denomination in light of our Savior's teachings. Here's just one example of the latest reason: the story headlined "UMC freezes funds for two seminaries."
The story relates the decision by the University Senate of the United Methodist Church to cut off two Methodist (at least in name) seminaries from money provided by the United Methodist Church's Ministerial Education Fund. Claremont School of Theology in Southern California and United Theological Seminar in Dayton, Ohio are reportedly both being questioned as to whether they meet criteria to be affiliated with the United Methodist Church.
As one who donates a tenth of her salary to the United Methodist Church, I want to vote a hearty "NO!" to the funding of any more seminaries who don't have the ability to meet the most basic financial reporting requirements and sound funding policies of any small business. We are using the widow's mite to fund the most ridiculous and anti-scriptural teachings under the guise of "pluralism" and "ecumenicalism." Enough; it's time to stop the madness!
For brevity's sake, I won't go into the specific issues with United Theological Seminar, but let's at least look at what the trustees of Claremont have planned to do with United Methodist funding--the $800,000 they expected to received from MEF this year. Their plan is to "convert the campus into a multi-faith university."
According to the article, The Claremont University Project is a 10-year plan to add new schools on the campus that will train Jewish and Muslim clerics, and includes an "interfaith center" opening this fall which will teach classes on "social justice, grassroots organizing and global sustainability." I doubt seriously if the Methodists who created and have supported this college for generations, including its founder, anticipated that its current directors would now decide that being Methodist just wasn't enough to draw in the crowds; that what it really needed was to be "jazzed up" with Jewish and Muslim clerics and buzzwords like "grassroots organizing and global sustainability."
In the words of Claremont President Jerry Campbell, as quoted in the article, we witness the disdain of a Methodist college president for religion, particularly his own. He said, "Eventually, I suspect we will have a cluster of seminaries, each with its own specialty, but in an environment that emphasizes mutual understanding and makes religion the parent of peace rather than the parent of conflict." Jesus Christ is the Parent of Peace! That's all; no other way. And if college presidents don't believe that, they have no reason to draw their large salary from the pool contributed by Methodists like me.
Now, I'm sure the Claremont board of trustees will say that $800,000 doesn't even cover their lawn care, maintenance and electric costs of the college, so why should they be controlled by United Methodist doctrine? This may be true, but Methodists have for more than 100 years sustained them, bought their bricks and mortar, and even paid for their lightbulbs, so if they want to abandon their roots, we want back the money we've invested in them over time. Either that, or turn over their buildings for Christ-centered teaching and Methodist missions. I'm sure that in California there are plenty of sound Methodist programs that would find excellent uses for these facilities that would adhere much more closely to the directives of Jesus Christ and the guiding principles of John Wesley's faith.
Here is something that should grieve ALL our souls. This past year, the United Methodist Church's General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM), which oversees college campus ministry, voted in our Texas Conference to no longer fund Wesley Centers on junior college and community college campuses. Because of funding shortages, those dollars were removed from viable campus ministry programs at community colleges where the vast majority of our nation's poorest students get their higher education, and directed only to four-year university campuses.
Here's my recommendation to the GBHEM, take that $800,000 they're dangling over the Claremont trustees' heads as they insist they should "consult fully" with the denomination on their intentions, and along with the proceeds the United Methodist Church could make by selling the nice piece of real estate it owns as part of the Claremont College campus, give it to the community college Wesley Foundations. I'd rather see Methodist funds being spent on drawing in college students to Christ than in funding the education of Muslim clerics.
Sincerely,
Jan Bailey McCauley
Tyler, Texas
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
