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Show The Salt Lake Tribune RELIGION Saturday, September 26, 1998 2 A re | & You nD | MICTORA GLoPD? | |Neew pomanic! ei a ~ Methodists Forced to Grapple With Growing Schism Possible optionsto cope with differencesof opinion includeofficial split or creating subgroups — but there’s a lot at stake BYRICHARD N. OSTLING THE ASSOCIATED PRESS NEW YORK — Taking a hard look at his own United Methodist Church (UMC), the Rev. Lyle Schaller dares to utter the s-word. “Schism” is the future course that he hears being widely discussed among Methodists, says Schaller, 75, a respected ob- ond to the Southern Baptist Convention in size and scope, with 36,000 local congregations, and 8.5 mil- schism that would accommodate factions —s=~ lion members. However, that huge membership has long beeneroding. build the church around them. There might be units for Koreans or speakers. The ‘ecioes The United Methodists, Schaller writes, are “in- creasingly polarized” over the Bible, issues of sexual morality that stem from biblical interpretation, the doctrine of Christ, religious authority, music, mis- sex couple. In August, an appeals court decided he If the Methodists split up, consider what is at legislation. Many in the middle hope fora live-andlet-live compromise. stake. For starters, $3.7 billion in annual contributions. Among America’s Protestant bodies, the UMC is the most representative in terms of racial makeup and nationwide geographic spread, and among the most energetic in attacking socialills. It ranks sec- cal feuding would be overcome by on “shared ideolo- sions, multiculturalism and organizational minutiae. serverof religious trends. And he raises the specter ina place where it will be noticed, the official magazine for Methodist ministers. Schaller, who lives in Naperville, Ill, is the sort of guru ministers listen to. During a 38-year career as a parish consultant, he has made in-personvisits to at least 4.000 congregations to help them cope with division, lethargy and other woes. Few writers have such hands-on experience with the things that rile and unravel churches. Schaller’s own preference is a sort of halfway Contrasting views on homosexuality collided this year when a church court acquitted a Nebraska minister who conducted a blessing ceremony for a same- acted improperly. Liberals insist that the denomination should accept gay and lesbian behavior fully. Bible-quoting conservatives simply cannotlive in a denomination where toleration is practiced, and so far they have won the battles over denominational Oneoption is full-fledged schism, in which dis- gruntled Methodist congregations would leave, with or without their buildings, and form a new denomi- nation of Bishops, ‘says he is hesitant about Schaller’s idea of reorganizing Methodism around ethnic and inter- See Still, he acknowledged schism was a possibility. Schaller would like to see carefully crafted posals for wil next churchwide general “the chances of that happening are very remote,”he ‘Says. Theresult, he expects,is that the United Method- ist Church will simply delay the inevitable day when it is forced to confront a growing internal crisis. Arkansas Baptist Association Tells Clinton Critics to Butt Out Supporting churches’ autonomy,group says outsiders haveno rightto call for discipline ofthe president by his home congregation admission of an inappropriate rela- discipline. Southern Baptists will be watching the Immanuel Baptist itude that President Clinton has conhis sin.” not have a right to call on President Clinton's churchto discipline him. tionship with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky. The resolution was passed unanimously bythe Little Rock association's ters the courage to makeclear its own cal partisanship which seeks destruc- Baptists upon Immanuel Baptist that no one outside that congregation The association's resolution put the tion rather than justice” and encouraged the president and Congress to board “‘on record as standing in firm “seek truth and justice” in upcoming one of her own, we support our sister congregation and her pastor, Dr. Rex Horne, in allowing them to conduct their ministry as they see fit under the direction of God's Holy Spirit,” the ing to coerce Immanuel Baptist to do support of our cherished doctrine of the autonomy of the local church.” The resolution did not specifically deliberations. “Let us all deal redemptively with one another . . . out of compassion RELIGION NEWSSERVICE A Baptist associationin Little Rock, Ark., has declared that outsiders do Churchin Little Rock to see if it musconvictions.” executive board. “We further affirm “In response to thecalls of Southern hasthe right, nor theprivilege, of try- Church of Little Rock to ‘discipline’ otherwise,”it concluded. Mohler’s comments were first published Aug. 24 by Religion News Ser- ~ vice, and later supported by other resolution reads. Thestatement, issued Sept. 15, followed a call by R. Albert MohlerJr., president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., for Clinton’s longtime home church to hold him accountable for his recent Baptist leaders. “How can PresidentClinton claim to be a Southern ist and persist in this public display of serial sin?” he asked. “Only because the congregation which holds his membership hasfailed to exercise any semblance of church mention Clinton's name nor did it address the board's view of church disci- The declaration condemned “politi- rather than anger, a desire to do good rather than evil, to promote healing pline. rather than continue to wound; so that In a related matter, the Hillcrest Ministers Association of Little Rock when history looks back at this momentin time, may it be said that we all did that which is good in the eyes of recently issued “A Call for Healing.” “We deplore the personal behavior of President Clinton,” the statement reads. “However, we express our grat- our God and Creator.” ‘Thecall was signed by five ministers of the Catholic and Protestant faiths. Women’s Bibles Increasingly Popular @ Continued from C-1 Bibles for guidance on subjects ranging from anorexia to spousal abuse. In The Woman’s Study Bible, a section on homemaking accompanies Proverbs 31:10-31 abouta virtuous wife. The book also offers maps of the Queen of Sheba’s territory and Mary's travels, charts on flowers, gemstones and herbs in the Bible, and even a family tree of the Old Testament’s Ruth. “The Word speaks foritself, and it’s written for men and women, but on the other hand, there are special applicationsforall of us,” said DorothyPat- terson, general editor of The Woman's Study Bible, Tyeeeee 1908 Wiley Miller / dist. by The Washington Fost Writers Group E-mail: wiley@wileytoons.com ‘www.wileytoons.com which includes inspirational quotations by women BULLETIN BOARD such as actress Dale Evans. Still, some have voiced concern that marketing and could these Bibles’ basic message. Even Patterson, who teaches women's studies at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, N.C., acknowledged, “We have gone over- Compiled by Amelia Platt board with this. “Tt’s one thing to have a focused Bible on a large BAPTIST The Second Baptist Church will host “A Night on the Nile,” fund-raiser to support the building of a new church in Ogden’s innercity, today, 6 p.m., at the Ogden Marriott Hotel, 237 Martin Luther King Jr. St. (24th Street), Ogden. Cost is $50 per person, and attendees are asked to dress in African attire or best dress. For more information,call 547-5041. : CATHOLLIC QO Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church pre- sents ‘Magna's's Traditional Spaghetti Dinner. Sunday, 1 to 7 p.m.,at the parish hall, 2840 s 9000 West, Magna. Tickets can be purchased at the dinner, $6.50 for adults and $3.50 for children younger than 12. For more information, call 250-6349. Qo MISCELLANEOUS South Valley Community Church presents a % ent of the population that would,for example, have a different understanding of some things,” she said. “But when you come down to just everything but an Elvis Bible, you're getting little bit ridiculous.” A publisher could “slant things,” said Catherine Clark Kroeger, co-editor of the Study Bible for Wo- ‘men and adjunct associate professorof classical and ministry studies at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, Mass. “Tf you work only with onekind of study Bible and do all of your reading through that filter, you'll come out with ‘only that perspective,” she said. partly because women,often prohibited from participating in certain church activities, are “hungry to find meaning in their lives.” Her book's introduction onan written the vast majority of commentaries, guides and other Bible-study aids through the years. “What was needed was something with women’s insights,” she It's no surprise women’s Bibles are popular: Eighty-five percent of all Bible buyers are women, according to Thomas Nelson Publishers. said. It follows then that there are women’s Bibles aimed at feminists and conservatives. In Kroeger's Study Bible for Women, the editors used ““brothers and sisters” instead of just “brothers” when the translators believed both sexes were being addressed. In writing about the book of Titus, Kroeger sug- million copies. Kroeger believes women’s Bibles are popular eaten of biblical truth.” Kroeger also took on the sensitive issue of such Such Bibles should be studyaids and not a reader's only Bible, she and others said. Behrens continued to refer to her “‘plain Bible” even while she was using a devotional Bible when her children were young. Zondervan said the New International Version of its Women’s Devotional Bible has sold more than 2 women submitting to their husbands. People should not submit to those “whose behavior or communication is wrong,” she advised. Patterson's book advises batteredwomen — ways to help battered women: Provide shel- prayer, group therapy and “straightforward unconditionally andsacral . abuse of any kind. . as they would . This would certainly preclude In the Women’s Devotional Bible, which has a pink cover, all devotionals woe written by women, from singer Debby Boone to Mother Teresa. In the book's first devotion, author Ruth Tucker writes, “There I am in the first chapter of the Bible — a woman — ee from animals, distinguished from my male counterpart, and literally created in the image of God. Certainly womanhood was no afterthought with God.” Fun Fair” to celebrate the beginning of fall, Sunday, 12:30 p.m., at the Copperview Community Center, 8446 S. Harrison (East of I15 at the 90th South exit). There will be games, sped and food. For more information,call 7677, The Salt Lake Christian Center presents “Shake the Nations,” an interdenominational youth convention with “Shaded Red” in concert, Oct. 2-3, at the Doubletree Hotel, 255 S. West Temple, Salt Lake City. For more information,call Chase at 268-2178. W The Religion of the Light and Sounc of God presents a regional seminar “Listening to God,” today, 8:30 a.m, to 8 p.m., at the Salt Lake Airport Hilton, 5151 Wiley Post Way, in MormonChurch Will Build First Temple in Michigan ‘THE ASSOCIATED PRESS DETROIT — Come next summer, Mormons in southeastern Michigan The Charch of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has received approval to start building the state's first Mormon temple. It will be located in Bloomfield Hills, a wealthy Detroit suburb. Groundbreaking is set for October, PRESBYTERIAN which will feature an immense baptismalpool, balanced on the backs of 12 il peat , 8:30 and 11 a.m., at the church, 1580 E. VineSt, Salt Lake City. For more informa- tion,call 942-1218. @ The Wasatch Presbyterian Churchis sponsoring an election series class running each Sunday through Oct. 25, 9:30 to 10:30 am., at ‘the church, 1626 S. 1700 East, Salt Lake City. For more information,call 262-4526 y Scott Romney rontoto visit a temple. and the marble buildingis to open next summer,the Detroit Free Press re} ‘The Cottonwood Presbyterian Church pre- “This is fabulous for us. It will make it so much easier to develop our spirituality right here in Michigan.” won't have to travel to Chicago or To- the Salt Lake International Center, Salt Lake City. For more information, call LaVon at 2953280. a x Charles Bennett/The Associated Press Chicago bookstore owner Denise Sedivey leafs through the ‘Women’s DevotionalBible.” ed Friday. For three days, the public will be allowed to tour the temple, stone oxen. ‘The temple will then be dedicated. After that, only certified church mem- bers will be allowed inside. Detroit attorney Scott Romney, whose family has been involved ag on church for five generations, “This is fabulous forus. Tt will ake‘i so much easier to develop our spiritu- ality right here in Michigan.” A temple is one of the most sacred in Mormonfaith. It's where Detroit member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Mormons carry out their most distinc- tive rituals. In one ceremony, members believe they can seal their marriages eternally so that couples can live together as Although Mormons have lived in Michigan since the 1830s, it was not ‘until 1952 that theSalt Lake City an husbands and wives in heaven. In another rite, members believe ‘That's the equivalent of a diocese or ‘that they can have themselves baptized on behalf of the spirits of people who auto executive who later served as died unbaptized. The goal of these ritualsis to have families reunited in paradise. At the close of World War Il, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints had fewer than 1 million members in the United States. Today, there are 4.8 million American Mormons, making it the nation’s sixth-largest Christian denomination. y synod in other churches. Scott Rom- ney’s father, George Romney — an governor — was the stake's first presi- dent. Michigan now has eight stakes, 52 wards and 41 branches. Wards are larger parishes; branches are smaller parishes. The new, 10/000- ‘oot temple said Thomas Ml, presi iteutake, Tt will be paid for through national church funds. y 3 New Small Temples Planned for Southeast |
