As Christian women, the place to begin anything is the place of prayer.  These two scriptures remind us that the success of any plans depend upon God's approval of them and His anointing upon them.  We do not need to do anything in haste--and we do not want to do anything in anger or frustration.  We must wait upon God to discern His heart, to be sure our motives are pure, and to discover the right course of action. 

In this packet you will find "A Call to Prayer & Fasting."  It is anticipated that many individuals and groups of United Methodist Women will use this resource to form a prayer group, focused upon praying for the reform and accountability of The Women's Division of The General Board of Global Ministries of The United Methodist Church. 

The invitation is for an initial prayer and fasting campaign to begin in January 2002 (either January 1, or on the day of your January UMW meeting), and to continue through Easter Sunday, March 31, 2002.

This time of prayer will not preclude the study of issues and the outlining of concerns.  It will not prevent action being taken during this focused timeframe--rather, it will assure that prayer goes before and surrounds what is done. 

As you pray and formulate what God would have you do, it is important that you remember that you need not be on the "offensive" or the "defensive."  Maintain the high ground of calling the Women's Division to compliance with the theological standards of the church and the biblical witness.  Ask that the Division refrain from a partisan political or social position on issues about which Christian opinion may differ.  It is right that your theological perspective be fairly represented and not excluded or disdained.  It is right for you to question programs and policies with which you strongly disagree. 

Information:

RENEW as a network of the whole cannot mount a "campaign."  It is only our place to issue a call for reform and accountability.  The women of the United Methodist Church, including those who network with RENEW, are the only ones who can take action.  United Methodist Women come under the direct leadership of the Women's Division and fund all programs of the Division, therefore, they hold the key to accountability.

The information included in the White Paper, which is a part of this packet, is well-documented and useful in providing support for mounting a campaign for reform.  RENEW has other documents and information that may be helpful, and we would welcome the opportunity to share that information with you, or to assist you in finding answers to specific questions you may have.

Who to Contact -- Who to Inform

Many individuals and UMW groups have written to the Women's Division over the years to express their concerns about particular program resources, policies or spending patterns of the Division.  Many have indicated that the answers they have received have not been satisfactory, and that they have seen no change in the direction of the Division.  The White Paper, including in this packet, documents the position of the Women's Division on six critical issues and shows that there is a long track record on those issues over the years, despite requests for accountability and for sensitivity to differing viewpoints held by United Methodist Women.

Because of this, it would seem that a grassroots call for reform will have to be forthcoming in order for change to take place. 

Once a prayer group has been established and research and study have taken place, it will be important to find ways to articulate your concerns to the right persons.  Your UMW group, or other UMW circles within your church, will need to be fully informed, and have involvement in your decisions.  It is important to respect the perspectives of all of the women of your church.  There may be those who do not want to question the Women's Division policies, even after receiving information expressing a need. They are, of course, free to continue to support the Division as they are accustomed. However, those who feel strongly that there are concerns that must be addressed should have the right to move forward to call for reform and accountability.  Any differences should not separate the bond of Christian fellowship.  Mutual respect is imperative.

Of course, you as an individual, or a small group of women who feel strongly about the issues addressed in this call for reform, may need to move forward and take the steps you discern to be appropriate to express your concerns in writing or by personal contacts. 

It is important to solicit support and to honor the spiritual leadership of your church by informing your pastor of any actions you as an individual, or as a UMW group, plan to take.  It would be in order to send a letter to your district superintendent and possibly your bishop outlining your concerns and planned action.  Your entire church family will likely want to provide moral and prayer support.

If you are acquainted with other United Methodist Women or with UMW groups in UM Churches in your area, you may want to share the information you have with them, inviting them to begin to pray with you and to be a part of a wider effort for reform beyond that expressed by yourself or by your UMW group. 

District UMW officers are the closest elected leaders of the organization of United Methodist Women.   As such, these Christian women are usually very concerned about the women in their district who are members of local UMW units.  Therefore, a good first step is to contact the District UMW president, or committee, and share your concerns with them.  In the next section, one good model for doing this is provided.  The most important thing is that you show appreciation for the service your elected (unpaid) officers have given in behalf of the women of the district, and that you present the issues you want to question in a clear, respectful way.

Your district officer(s) may want to bring in the Conference UMW president or another representative of the Women's Division when meeting with you.  If you do not feel ready for this, be sure you define, in advance, the terms of the first meeting.  If it is suggested that others come also, ask that a more expanded meeting be held after the initial meeting with the district president or district officers. 

Remember, your purpose in meeting with your district officer(s) is to show your care for them and to express your concerns about the direction of the Women's Division and to enlist their support for a campaign for reform. 

You will also want to inform your Conference UMW president of your concerns and solicit the support of the conference team for reform of the Women's Division.  You may want to send an initial letter, or request a meeting after you have contacted your district UMW president or whole district team.  Again, show appreciation for the work of the Conference UMW committee in behalf of United Methodist Women.  Express your concerns clearly and respectfully.  Solicit understanding and support.

It would be appropriate to send Joyce Sohl, Deputy General Secretary of the Women's Division, a letter outlining the items you have identified as grievous to you.  Express the kind of change you would like to see and let her know of your commitment to a long-term campaign for reform, if that is necessary.  (Women's Division address: 475 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10115.)

In all encounters with district, conference or Women's Division representatives, ask for specific responses to your clearly identified, documented concerns.  Don't accept non-answers, or diversions from the issues at hand.  Respectfully, but firmly, request change.

Ideas:

One possibility is to have a "Coffee, Care and Concern" event for communicating with your district and conference UMW officers.

As an individual, or as a group, you could invite your District UMW president, or the entire district UMW committee, to come for coffee and dessert and conversation.  You may want to meet at the church, in a home or at a local restaurant, depending upon the number meeting and circumstances of your meeting (individual vs. a group, etc.).  When issuing your invitation, explain the purpose for the meeting so those participating will know what to expect. 

Plan sincere ways to express "care" for your district officer(s), or conference officer(s) when meeting with them.  Let them know that you appreciate their commitment of time and energy to the district or conference position they hold.  You may want to give them a gift of appreciation, or recount specific events they have sponsored that you appreciated and benefited from. 

Then, share your concerns about questionable activities on the part of the Women's Division.  Have documented, printed information available to share for officers to take with them for further study.  Your officers may not even be aware of the things that are troubling to you.  They are not to be blamed, or made to feel that they are not doing their job well, or that they have failed to address your concerns.  The real concern in this case is the Women's Division and the decisions made by staff and directors.  This has to do with specific partisan actions taken by the Division on numerous occasions.  It has to do with resources developed for United Methodist Women that reflect a liberal theological bias.  It has to do with a failure to exercise spiritual oversight for the organization.  And, it has to do with the Division's autonomy and lack of accountability that has shown itself to be unresponsive to those who differ in perspective and who ask valid questions. 

Close your time together with prayer and with a pledge to follow up with other calls, letters or visits in order to determine how you can work together for desired results.

Conclusion:

If, after prayer and study, you are truly committed to an effort to bring reform to the Women's Division, you need to know that change will not take place immediately.  The change in our mission priority and in our program content has been gradual and intentional.  It will take a gradual, intentional effort to reclaim the organization.  Writing one letter, or holding one meeting will not correct the problem. 

Perhaps we can view ourselves as we would if we were stockholders in a company.  If that company had deviated from its original purpose, had lost the vision that once made it successful or had lowered the quality of its product, we would do all we could to help correct the situation and get back on track.

How much more should we do this for a major ministry arm of our church?  The investments we are concerned about are the lives of women, children and men who are influenced by how we interpret our purpose, by the essence of our vision and by the content of our resources.  The bottom line is lives and souls influenced by what we teach and do. 

Individual members of a UMW group studying Re-Imagining material will not go unaffected by the deviate theology of this movement.  Closed sessions for teen and college-age women is inappropriate and in violation of The Book of Discipline.  Resources produced with UMW funding that label as extremist those who hold to the basic moral teachings of Scripture, or that question Biblical authority, or that call for a syncretism with other non-Christian religions and deny the unique role of Jesus Christ as Savior of the world, are destructive and do not represent the teachings that define the very essence of Christian faith.  The promotion by the Division of partisan political and social positions in the name of United Methodist Women should not go unchallenged or unchanged.

This is the right timing for change.  The weight of the actions taken by the Women's Division over the past decade has built to a level that accountability and reform are essential. We must discern the heart of God for United Methodist Women, then, be willing to do what He sets in our hearts to do for the sake of our own spiritual wholeness and that of the lives touched by the organization of United Methodist Women.

"Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed." (Proverbs 16:3)