Conversation with Oklahoma Regional Minister Pamela Holt

2023 General Assembly in Louisville, Kentucky is just around the corner. This event is always a lot of fun as we reunite with Disciples in the US and Canada. And, this event will have some important workshops that you will want to attend. If you are a voting delegate from your congregation or the region or as clergy, it is important that you know what you are voting for on behalf of the denomination. Business items are presented in Resolutions and Reports.

Business items can be found on https://ga.disciples.org/business/. Our goal is to help you see the Resolutions that are being presented at General Assembly and that we have time to discuss them prior to going, especially GA 2343 “The Design”. There are several opportunities to learn more:

1. Read and study the Resolutions yourself on the General Assembly website here.
2. Participate in the General Church Town Hall Meetings to learn about Resolution GA-2343 Amendments to the Design of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) that will be voted on as General Assembly. Click here to register for one these dates:
   • Wednesday, May 31st, 1pm CT
   • Tuesday, June 13, 10 am CT
   • Tuesday, June 13, 4 pm CT
3. Participate in a Zoom conversation with Regional Minister Pamela Holt on one of the following three dates. We will talk about the resolutions and prepare any questions we might have so that these questions can be presented at the business session of the Assembly.

• June 5, 1-2pm  Join Zoom
• June 14, 1-2 pm  Join Zoom
• June 15, 6-7pm  Join Zoom

These conversations are for clergy and congregational delegates. Because we do not have access to all of our Oklahoma congregational delegates, we are asking that you share this information with your congregational delegates and encourage them to participate.

Questions?

After attending these conversations if you have further questions, please direct them to Moderator Belva Brown Jordan at [email protected]

GA-2337 Resolution RECOGNITION OF A TRUTH AND HEALING COUNCIL TO HONOR OUR COVENANTAL RELATIONSHIP WITH INDIGENOUS PEOPLES AND TO DISCERN WAYS OF REPARATIONS FOR A PATH TO RECONCILIATION

GA-2338 Resolution CONCERNING FOOD WASTE, FOOD INSECURITY, AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

GA-2339 Resolution COMPELLED TO WITNESS: ANSWERING THE CRY OF OUR PALESTINIAN SIBLINGS

GA-2340 Resolution BUILDING ON OUR CHURCH’S COMMITMENT TO FAITH-BASED INVESTING

GA-2341 Resolution CALLING THE CHURCH TO OPPOSE CHRISTIAN NATIONALISM

GA-2342 Resolution DISSOLUTION OF THE PASTORAL COMMISSION OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH (DISCIPLES OF CHRIST) IN THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA

GA-2343 Resolution AMENDMENTS TO THE DESIGN OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH (DISCIPLES OF CHRIST)

GA-2338

CONCERNING FOOD WASTE, FOOD INSECURITY, AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

(Sense-of-the-Assembly)

WHEREAS, the stories of Creation in Genesis teach us that all of Creation is good, that food is provided for all living things, and that human beings are put in the Garden to till and keep it; and

WHEREAS, Earth is a delicate ecosystem that requires the balance and sacrifice of all living creatures to sustain life, yet human actions have tipped the balance to rapidly accelerate climate change to the point of creating unhealthy and unsustainable living conditions for all creatures, including humans; and

WHEREAS, the story of “the least of these” in Matthew 25 teaches us to feed all who are hungry in the same way that we would readily feed Jesus; and

WHEREAS, climate change negatively affects agriculture and fisheries by decreasing food harvests causing greater food insecurity and loss of food worker livelihoods;^[1] and

WHEREAS, climate impacts on food systems are projected to increase occurrences of

malnutrition and diet-related mortality;^[2] and

WHEREAS, thirty to forty percent of all food produced in the United States is wasted,^[3]

accounts for about a quarter of the trash sent to landfills,^[4] and generates the same amount of greenhouse gas emissions as 32.6 million cars;^[5] and

WHEREAS, beef produces more than five times the amount of greenhouse gas emissions per serving as poultry and more than sixty times that of potatoes and carrots;^[6] and

WHEREAS, many cities in the United States have demonstrated the ability to dramatically decrease greenhouse gas emissions in landfills by providing city-wide composting programs;^[7]

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the General Assembly of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada, meeting in Louisville, Kentucky, July 29 – August 1, 2023 urges all Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) congregations, organizations, ministries, and institutions to take seriously our responsibility to care for all Creation and “the least of these” by reducing our production of greenhouse gases and food waste that contribute to climate change and create unjust, unhealthy, and unsustainable living conditions for all creatures, including humans; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the General Assembly urges all Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) congregations, organizations, ministries, and institutions to take seriously our responsibility to care for all Creation and “the least of these” by advocating for public policies and/or personal actions that create just, healthy, and sustainable life on Earth; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the General Assembly urges congregations of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) to educate our members about food waste, greenhouse gases, composting, and environmental justice; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the General Assembly urges congregations of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) to take steps toward sustainable living such as:

• Compost food scraps and coffee grounds rather than throwing them away;
• Create a plan to share leftover food following church dinners;
• Encourage potluck dinners using plant-based foods;
• Serve water from refillable pitchers;
• Eliminate the purchase of disposable plates, cups, utensils, napkins, and tablecloths;
• Create a culture of dishwashing as a spiritual practice and time of fellowship;
• Convert church lawns into community vegetable gardens;
• Provide space for local farmers’ markets and food distribution centers;
• Utilize established resources provided by Green Chalice; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the General Assembly urges members of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) to take personal steps toward sustainable living such as:

• Compost food scraps and coffee grounds rather than throwing them away;
• Purchase and prepare only the amount of food needed;
• Manage food storage by eating foods before they are no longer edible;
• Bring home leftovers from restaurant meals;
• Replace one beef meal per week with poultry, fish, legumes, vegetables, or pasta;
• Utilize established resources provided by Green Chalice; and

FINALLY, BE IT RESOLVED that the General Assembly urges congregations of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) to work faithfully with local governments to create affordable composting programs in our neighborhoods.

Fireside Christian Church, Aurora, Colorado

BACKGROUND

Climate change affects all of us, but especially the poorest and most vulnerable.  The task of reversing it – or even slowing it down – is overwhelming.  Such a task requires the church’s prophetic voice to till and keep the garden and its faithful action to care for the least of these.

Methane, a greenhouse gas emitted in landfills as food decomposes, is 80 times more powerful than carbon dioxide when it comes to trapping heat in the Earth’s atmosphere.

Remarkably, rich countries in North America and Europe waste as much food as sub-Saharan Africa produces,^[8] a clear example of squandering the Earth’s resources without regard for those who are hungry.

Eliminating food waste by producing less, preparing just what is needed, and composting food scraps instead of throwing them in the landfill is a relatively easy way to make a big difference.

Working with local governments to create affordable composting programs is a faithful response to our role as stewards who till and keep the garden.

Our actions make a difference.^[9]  By taking care of the Garden, we care for the least of these.

_____________________________________________________________________

The General Board recommends that the General Assembly ADOPT GA-2338. (Discussion Time: 12 minutes)

^[1] Nina Krebs, “Fact Sheet – Food and Water,” October 2022, https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg2/downloads/outreach/IPCC_AR6_WGII_FactSheet_FoodAndWater.pdf.

^[2] Nina Krebs, “Fact Sheet – Food and Water.”

^[3] “8 Facts About How Food Waste and Global Hunger Are Connected,” World Food Program USA, accessed January 4, 2023, https://www.wfpusa.org/articles/8-facts-to-know-about-food-waste-and-hunger/.

^[4] Megan Marples, “Composting Has Some Benefit to the Environment, If Done Right. Here’s How,” CNN, last modified September 14, 2022, https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/14/world/composting-benefits-methane-environment-scn/index.html.

^[5] “Fight Climate Change by Preventing Food Waste,” World Wildlife Fund, accessed January 4, 2023, https://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/fight-climate-change-by-preventing-food-waste.

^[6] “Carbon Footprint Factsheet,” Center for Sustainable Systems, accessed January 4, 2023, https://css.umich.edu/publications/factsheets/sustainability-indicators/carbon-footprint-factsheet.

^[7] “How To Reduce Your City’s Climate Footprint? The Answer May Be In Your Trash Can,” accessed January 4, 2023, https://nextcity.org/urbanist-news/how-to-reduce-city-climate-footprint-zero-waste.

^[8] “8 Facts About How Food Waste and Global Hunger Are Connected.”

^[9] “UN Says Ozone Layer Slowly Healing, Hole to Mend by 2066,” NBC News, last modified January 9, 2023, https://www.nbcnews.com/science/environment/un-says-ozone-layer-slowly-healing-hole-mend-2066-rcna64927.

GA-2339

COMPELLED TO WITNESS: ANSWERING THE CRY OF OUR PALESTINIAN SIBLINGS

(Sense-of-the-Assembly)

WHEREAS the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada sent its first missionary to Palestine in 1851 and, through more than a dozen Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) mission partners in Israel and Palestine, Disciples have worked alongside the people there with appointed mission workers and financial support; and

WHEREAS the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) has a history of commitment to racial, economic and social justice; and has spoken clearly and participated actively in movements for civil rights and anti-racism in the US and Canada and for human rights and the just resolution of conflict around the world; and between 1973 and 2019, our General Assembly has articulated clear positions in support of justice and peace for Palestinians and Israelis^[1]; and

WHEREAS the establishment of the State of Israel led to the 75-year displacement and dispossession of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from their homes and property—amounting to a modern-day form of settler colonialism and creating a refugee population that now numbers more than 7 million^[2]; and the State of Israel has imposed a harsh 56-years-long occupation of East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza Strip; and

WHEREAS globally recognized human rights organizations—including B’Tselem-The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, Human Rights Watch, and Amnesty International—and the United Nations’ Special Rapporteur have issued detailed reports^[3] describing the State of Israel’s apartheid system; and

WHEREAS in February 2022, Disciples leaders issued a Pastoral Letter, Compelled to Witness: Affirming Justice, Rights, and Accountability in Promoting Peace in Israel/Palestine^[4], naming actions and circumstances that have led to the deterioration of hope for a just peace in Israel/Palestine, and finding that “Israeli policies and practices that discriminate against Palestinians—Christian and Muslims alike—are consistent with the international legal definition of the crime of apartheid as defined in the International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid (ICSPCA, 1973)^[5] and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (2002)”^[6]; and

WHEREAS a just and lasting peace between Israel and Palestine must be grounded in the message of Scripture, both in the Hebrew prophets^[7] and the life and teachings of Jesus, as well as international law and globally recognized human rights conventions; and

WHEREAS in December 2009, our mission partner Kairos Palestine issued A Moment of Truth: A word of faith, hope, and love from the heart of Palestinian Suffering^[8], a profoundly theological document grounded in the Biblical texts, which declares:

…We believe that our land has a universal mission. In this universality, the meaning of the promises, of the land, of the election, of the people of God open up to include all of humanity, starting from all the peoples of this land. In light of the teachings of the Holy Bible, the promise of the land has never been a political programme, but rather the prelude to complete universal salvation. It was the initiation of the fulfilment of the Kingdom of God on earth (KP 2.3); and

WHEREAS Cry for Hope: A Call for Decisive Action^[9], issued in July 2020 by Palestinian Christian leaders and theologians, states that “the very being of the church, the integrity of the Christian faith, and the credibility of the Gospel is at stake,” and “support for the oppression of the Palestinian people, whether passive or active, through silence, word or deed, is a sin”; and

WHEREAS in 2022, Kairos Palestine published A Dossier on Israeli Apartheid: A Pressing Call to Churches Around the World^[10], a resource that: points to the conditions necessary to establish the crime of apartheid; offers a Biblical/theological reflection that describes the sin of apartheid; reminds readers that “The church has named and resisted the sin and injustice of apartheid in the past”; and repeats the Palestinians’ cry, “Are you able to help us get our freedom back, for this is the only way you can help the two peoples attain justice, peace, security and love?”;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the General Assembly of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada, meeting in Louisville, Kentucky, July 29-August 1, 2023:

• Embraces an understanding that the Bible’s narrative—beginning with creation and extending through the calling of the Israelites, the prophets’ witness, the ministry of Jesus, the witness of the apostles, and Revelation’s vision of a new heaven and a new earth and the Tree of Life, the leaves of which are for the healing of the nations—speaks of God’s blessing extending to “all the families of the earth (Genesis 12.3)”; and
• Believes that all people living in Palestine and Israel are created in the image of God deserving of equal dignity and their human rights; and
• Affirms the 2022 Disciples leadership Pastoral Letter, Compelled to Witness: Affirming Justice, Rights, and Accountability in Promoting Peace in Israel/Palestine; and
• Asserts that the continued oppression of the Palestinian people is a matter of theological urgency and represents a sin in violation of the message of the Biblical prophets and the Gospel, and that all efforts to defend or legitimate the oppression of the Palestinian people represent a fundamental denial of the Gospel; and
• Rejects any theology or ideology including Christian Zionism, supercessionism, antisemitism or anti-Islam bias that would privilege or exclude any one nation, race, culture, or religion; and
• Condemns speech and acts of antisemitism, and rejects the notion that criticism of policies of the State of Israel is inherently antisemitic; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the General Assembly:

• Affirms that many of the laws, policies and practices of the State of Israel meet the definition of apartheid as defined in international law, documented in the reports cited above, and described as such by some of our mission partners over the past two decades, and affirmed in our Disciples leaders’ pastoral letter, Compelled to Witness; and
• Affirms that all peoples have the right to self-determination and to their aspirations for full and equal citizenship in the shaping of their corporate religious, cultural, and political life, and that a just resolution of conflicting claims is only achieved through the equal protection of civil and human rights, the fair and just sharing of land and resources, and peaceful negotiation based on international law and UN resolutions; and
• Calls for an end to Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories consistent with international law and UN resolutions; and
• Affirms the rights of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes if they so choose or to be compensated for their loss of property, consistent with UN General Assembly resolution 194; and
• Insists on the U.S. constitutional right to freedom of speech and assembly to protest the laws, policies and practices of the State of Israel and to support the rights of Palestinians, including the use of economic measures by individuals, institutions, corporations and religious bodies that advocate for lasting peace with justice^[11]; and

FINALLY, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that congregations, regions, general units and related institutions and organizations of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) be encouraged to:

• Listen to the voices of Palestinians, with special attention to statements such as Kairos Palestine: A Moment of Truth (2009) and Cry for Hope (2020), and;
• Participate in travel opportunities that expose pilgrims to the Palestinian community; and
• Make use of resources from Global Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the United Church of Christ^[12]; and
• Use this resolution to guide their support for the aspirations of our denominational partners in the region and in our advocacy with the governments of the United States and Canada consistent with the call in Compelled to Witness.

Heart of the Rockies Christian Church, Fort Collins, CO

Division of Overseas Ministries

United Christian Church, California, PA

Disciples Peace Fellowship

Tapestry Church, Bargersville, IN

Harbor Christian Church, Newport Beach, CA

BACKGROUND

Justice is turned back,

and righteousness stands at a distance;

for truth stumbles in the public square,

and uprightness cannot enter,

Truth is lacking…

The LORD saw it, and it displeased him

that there was no justice.

He saw that there was no one,

and was appalled that there was no one to intervene…”

Isaiah 59:14-16

This resolution is a response to the cries of our Palestinian mission partners and the February 2022 Pastoral Letter— Compelled to Witness: Affirming Justice, Rights, and Accountability in Promoting Peace in Israel/Palestine^[13]—issued by our denomination’s three church officers authorized to speak on behalf of the Disciples. At its March 31, 2022 meeting, the Board of Directors of the Division of Overseas Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) affirmed and endorsed the “Compelled to Witness” pastoral letter, and urged robust education, advocacy, and engagement of the matters raised in the letter, through Global Ministries.

The resolution affirms the Disciples’ past stands for justice and, referencing reports from globally recognized human rights organizations, calls on the General Assembly to declare that, through its laws, policies and practices governing the lives of Palestinians, Israel has established an apartheid system which is a contradiction to the message of the Hebrew prophets and the life and teachings of Jesus as well as international law and globally recognized human rights conventions.

Further, the resolution explicitly condemns speech and acts of antisemitism, rejects any interpretations of Scripture that use the Bible to elevate the rights of one people, Jews, over another, Palestinians, and calls on the three manifestations of our church to use this resolution to guide their support for the aspirations of our denomination’s mission partners in the region and in our advocacy with the governments of the United States and Canada consistent with these principles.

Most recently, our mission partner Kairos Palestine published A Dossier on Israeli Apartheid: A Pressing Call to Churches Around the World^[14]. The dossier clearly defines apartheid according to international law and offers a Biblical/theological reflection describing the sin of apartheid. Also included are summaries of and links to reports from widely recognized human rights organizations citing Israeli apartheid, and statements made by churches, faith groups, and international leaders (including prominent Israeli Jews).

_____________________________________________________________________

The General Board recommends that the General Assembly ADOPT GA-2339. (Discussion Time: 12 minutes)

^[1] Disciples General Assembly resolutions related the Middle East: https://www.globalministries.org/mee_resolutions/

^[2] https://www.anera.org/blog/who-are-palestinian-refugees/

^[3] B’Tselem, https://www.btselem.org/publications/fulltext/202101_this_is_apartheid; Human Rights Watch, https://www.hrw.org/report/2021/04/27/threshold-crossed/israeli-authorities-and-crimes-apartheid-and-persecution; Amnesty International, https://www.amnesty.org/en/documents/mde15/5141/2022/en/; United Nations Special Rapporteur, https://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/report-special-rapporteur-situation-human-rights-20

^[4] https://www.globalministries.org/compelled-to-witness/

^[5] According to the International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid (ICPCA, 1973), the international legal definition of apartheid is, “inhuman acts committed for the purpose of establishing and maintaining domination by one racial group of persons over any other racial group of persons and systematically oppressing them.”  [https://www.un.org/en/genocideprevention/documents/atrocity-crimes/Doc.10_International%20Convention%20on%20the%20Suppression%20and%20Punishment%20of%20the%20Crime%20of%20Apartheid.pdf ] The United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (1965) defines “racial discrimination” as “any distinction, exclusion, restriction or preference based on race, colour, descent, or national or ethnic origin which has the purpose or effect of nullifying or impairing the recognition, enjoyment or exercise, on an equal footing, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural or any other field of public life.” [https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/Documents/ProfessionalInterest/cerd.pdf]

^[6] Article 7 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC, 2002) defines the crime of apartheid as “inhumane acts … committed in the context of an institutionalised regime of systematic oppression and domination by one racial group over any other racial group or groups and committed with the intention of maintaining that regime.” [https://www.icc-cpi.int/sites/default/files/RS-Eng.pdf]

^[7] E.g. Isaiah 61:1-2; Isaiah 5:8; Micah 6:8; Amos 5:23; Hosea 2:21; Luke 4:18-19,

^[8] https://www.kairospalestine.ps/index.php/about-kairos/kairos-palestine-document

^[9] https://www.cryforhope.org/media/attachments/2020/06/30/cry-for-hope-english.pdf

^[10] https://www.kairospalestine.ps/index.php/resources/publication/a-dossier-on-israeli-apartheid-a-pressing-call-to-churches-around-the-world

^[11] https://www.globalministries.org/employing_economic_measures/

^[12] https://www.globalministries.org/resource/mee_resources_index/

^[13] https://www.globalministries.org/compelled-to-witness/

^[14] https://www.kairospalestine.ps/index.php/resources/publication/a-dossier-on-israeli-apartheid-a-pressing-call-to-churches-around-the-world

GA-2340

BUILDING ON OUR CHURCH’S COMMITMENT TO FAITH-BASED INVESTING

(Sense-of-the-Assembly)

WHEREAS, our biblical, theological, and historical heritage calls us to responsibility in all areas of our lives, including the management of money; and

WHEREAS, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada calls for ministries of the church to engage in a theology of justice, kindness and walking humbly with our God; and

WHEREAS, the Christian Church Foundation, Disciples Church Extension Fund, and the Pension Fund of the Christian Church (our “Financial Ministries”) are stewards with a fiduciary and covenantal responsibility to manage resources responsibly; and

WHEREAS, all expressions of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)—congregations, regions, general ministries, and affiliated organizations—have covenantal responsibility to manage their resources responsibly; and

WHEREAS, the General Assembly of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada meeting in Indianapolis, Indiana, July 7-12, 2017, affirmed, by Resolution GA-1720, its shared accountability in addressing environmental, social and governance issues; and

WHEREAS, faith-based investing¹ is a critical tool in furthering the transformational ministry of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ); and

WHEREAS, the discipline of faith-based investing continues to evolve and mature; and

WHEREAS, social and environmental issues, injustices, exploitations, and degradations in the world continue to proliferate, resulting in social, economic, health and political disparities and inequities, and war; and

WHEREAS, our Financial Ministries, in Indianapolis, Indiana, July 7-12, 2017, by Resolution GA-1720, reaffirmed their commitment to be engaged with the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR²), an association of faith-based and values-driven institutional investors dedicated to direct engagement with corporations to effect positive change; and further, in Des Moines, Iowa, provided an educational program for the 2019 General Assembly addressing responsible investing policies and practices in support of the church’s total mission; and

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the General Assembly of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada meeting in Louisville, Kentucky, July 29- August 1, 2023, affirms its shared accountability in addressing environmental, social and governance issues through the faith-based investments of our financial resources; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) reaffirms its support of our Financial Ministries who invest in public markets, and their engagement with ecumenical partners through the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility (ICCR ²); and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that our Financial Ministries explore and study through dialogue with other General Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) ways to respond to global and domestic partners’ concerns about investments; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Office of General Minister and President create space annually for reports by and discussions with our Financial Ministries concerning their utilization of faith-based investing strategies including, but not limited to, responsible investing polices, board resolutions, analytical tools, strategies, practices, costs, qualitative and quantitative impact reports, and performance data in alignment with the evolving discipline of responsible investment and in alignment with the Church’s total mission; and

FINALLY, BE IT RESOLVED that the Church’s Financial Ministries be asked to prepare educational resources—for example, study guides, sample faith-based investing policies and resolutions, strategies and suggested tools to measure performance and impacts—to assist our congregations, regions, general ministries, higher education institutions, and members in their investing.

Disciples Home Missions
Disciples LGBTQ+ Alliance

BACKGROUND

¹ Faith-based investing is an investment strategy which considers both financial return and the values of the church. Faith-based investing includes, but is not limited to, informed assessments of values, risks and returns utilizing human rights, environmental, social and governance screens, and direct proxy voting, among other tools.

²ICCR (www.iccr.org) was founded in 1971 and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) was a founding member. ICCR is not an investment manager or advisor, but rather a coalition of 275 faith-based institutional investors. By partnering with other faith-based investors we gain a broader and deeper source of information about corporate and societal issues, and can achieve greater impact.

_____________________________________________________________________

The General Board recommends that the General Assembly ADOPT GA-2340. (Discussion Time: 12 minutes)

GA-2341

CALLING THE CHURCH TO OPPOSE CHRISTIAN NATIONALISM

(Sense-of-the-Assembly)

WHEREAS Christian Nationalism is a cultural framework that fuses a radically exclusionary form of Christian supremacist identity with the political and civic participation of a nation’s citizens through the appropriation of Christian language and imagery to amass political power; and

WHEREAS Christian Nationalism, while present in varying degrees throughout modern history, has taken on more aggressive and overt form in contemporary United States and Canadian public life; and

WHEREAS Christian Nationalism promotes, with violent rhetoric and authoritarian approaches to civic life and public policy, an extremist ideology of social hierarchy, including white supremacy, antisemitism (and other forms of religious bigotry), xenophobia, persecution and scapegoating of LGBTQ+ persons, misogyny, and ableism; and

WHEREAS Christian Nationalism appropriates the name of Jesus Christ and the language and imagery of scripture to promote this ideology, in direct contradiction to the gospel Jesus preached, a liberative and loving gospel that the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) cherishes (Luke 4:16-21); and

WHEREAS Christian Nationalism in practice denies the imago Dei in every human being (Genesis 1:26-27) as it seeks to diminish, control, subjugate, and even erase persons and points of view that do not concur with or conform to its ideology; and

WHEREAS Christian Nationalism  misrepresents our faith to our neighbors,  thereby, turning people away from the life-giving love of God, by identifying Christianity with hate, social hierarchy, fear of the “other,” and violence; and

WHEREAS Christian Nationalism runs counter to the very heart of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) identity by promoting division and stratification of the human family to the detriment of the unity and equality that our baptisms beget (Galatians 3:28) and the Lord’s Table celebrates (1 Corinthians 11:17-34); and

WHEREAS Christian Nationalism is currently making significant inroads as an effective political ideology, seizing power in civic life from hyper-local expressions of government to the halls of national policy-making institutions, as evidenced in a dramatic rise in book-banning, LGBTQ+ erasure in public life, revisionist histories and curricula that refuse to reckon with systemic and individual racism, and many other institutionalized forms of bigotry and bullying:

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) denounces Christian Nationalism in all its forms as a distortion of the Christian faith, and commits to opposing it wherever it appears, for the sake of the gospel and the good of the human family; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Church in all its expressions commit to educating ourselves and our constituencies about the societal and spiritual dangers of Christian Nationalism, how to talk about Christian Nationalism theologically, and how to counter it in both ecclesial and public life; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the general and regional expressions of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada will work to equip congregations and pastors with information and resources to faithfully oppose Christian Nationalism; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Church in all its expressions will continue to prayerfully discern, confess, and repent of our own complicity with Christian Nationalism; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Church calls on its leaders and members to take every possible opportunity to speak out and act boldly against Christian Nationalism, ensuring that the love of God known to us in Jesus Christ may not be distorted by this ugly and false appropriation of our faith, but proclaimed with generosity and grace to all peoples, from our doorsteps to the ends of the earth.

Brentwood Christian Church, Springfield, MO
Central Christian Church, Great Falls, MT
Christ Church Uniting, Kailua, HI
Douglass Boulevard Christian Church, Louisville, KY
Downey Avenue Christian Church, Indianapolis, IN
First Christian Church, Fullerton, CA
First Christian Church, Portland, OR
First Christian Church, San Bernardino, CA
Galileo Christian Church, Ft. Worth, TX
Lake Washington Christian Church, Kirkland, WA
Palm Lake Christian Church, St. Petersburg, FL
Vista La Mesa Christian Church, La Mesa, CA
Welcome Table Christian Church, Arlington, TX
Yale Avenue Christian Church, Tulsa, OK

BACKGROUND

Christian Nationalism is a cultural framework that fuses a radically exclusionary form of Christian identity with the public political and civic participation of a nation’s citizens. Christian Nationalism contends that government and public policy at every level of civic life (from national government to state and provincial legislatures to hyper-local boards, such as school boards, library boards, city councils, and the like) should reflect values identified with an extremely restrictive Christian ideology that upholds nativism, white supremacy, xenophobia, and heteropatriarchy. Christian Nationalism asserts that this form of Christianity should be privileged in public life over other belief systems, and that power belongs in the hands of persons who are white, natural-born citizens.

In most cases, individuals and institutions that subscribe to Christian Nationalism do not call themselves “nationalists” (although some public figures have begun defiantly claiming the identity as it gains political traction). The Christian Nationalist ideology is most often asserted in the public square as “patriotism” or “pride in (or love for) my country.” But Christian Nationalism is quite distinct from true patriotism.

Patriotism entails love and appreciation for one’s homeland and certain features of its existence, including the highest ideals of its founders and the shared possibilities for its good future; and produces humble gratitude for one’s citizenship, honesty about the nation’s shortcomings, a commitment to work for the common good of fellow citizens, and a spirit of generous sharing of the gifts afforded by one’s citizenship.

Christian Nationalism, by contrast, privileges certain citizens over others; imagines one’s homeland to be under constant threat of “takeover” by those who do not share the privileged identity; and produces protectionist rhetoric, policy, and even violence in service of establishing social hierarchies and safeguarding privilege.

Patriotism operates from and engenders love for one’s nation and neighbors; Christian Nationalism operates out of fear and actively seeks diminishment unto disappearance of the “other.”

As Christian Nationalism has gained a foothold in the governments, policies, and political discourse at every level of public life in the United States, and its influence is growing in Canada, many organizations have formed or have expanded their work to combat its toxic influence in public life and its ugly distortion of Christian faith, identity, and theology. Organizations that are leading this work include:

• Faithful America, an ecumenical association “organizing the faithful to challenge Christian nationalism and white supremacy and to renew the church’s prophetic role in building a more free and just society.”  https://www.faithfulamerica.org

• Christians Against Christian Nationalism, a project of the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty. https://www.christiansagainstchristiannationalism.org

• Public Religion Research Institute, a nonpartisan organization dedicated to conducting independent research at the intersection of religion, culture, and public policy, which has made Christian Nationalism a focus of recent reporting. https://www.prri.org

• Word and Way, a publication dedicated to consideration of Christian witness in U.S. American civic life, with Disciples pastor Beau Underwood ias a contributing editor and Disciples pastor Robert Cornwall is a regular book reviewer. https://wordandway.org

• Christian Nationalism has been the topic of any number of books by theologians, sociologists, journalists, political theorists, and historians with the aim of disclosing and opposing its toxic influence on both public civic life and Christian public witness. Among the most recent and helpful books are these:

• Andrew Whitehead and Samuel Perry (sociologists of religion), Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States, 2022.

• Pamela Cooper-White (professor of pastoral care), The Psychology of Christian Nationalism: Why People are Drawn In and How to Talk Across the Divide, 2022.

• Angela Denker (Lutheran pastor and journalist), Red State Christians: A Journey into White Christian Nationalism and the Wreckage it Leaves Behind, 2022.

• Philip Gorski and Samuel Perry (sociologists of religion), The Flag and the Cross: White Christian Nationalism and the Threat to American Democracy, 2022.

• Paul Miller (Christian scholar and political theorist), The Religion of American Greatness: What’s Wrong with Christian Nationalism, 2022. (Especially helpful on the difference between nationalism and patriotism.)

• Anthea Butler (historian of U.S. American and African-American Christianity), White Evangelical Racism: The Politics of Morality in America, 2021.

Christian Nationalism is the topic of any number of articles, reports, discussion guides, and podcasts, such as these:

• Andrew Whitehead’s articles from Time:

• https://time.com/6052051/anti-democratic-threat-christian-nationalism/

• Diana Butler Bass’ 3-part series, articles with discussion questions for small groups: https://dianabutlerbass.substack.com/p/understanding-christian-nationalism?utm_source=substack&utm_campaign=post_embed&utm_medium=email

• Word and Way podcast episode featuring Lutheran pastor & journalist Angela Denker: https://wordandway.org/2022/09/14/angela-denker-on-white-christian-nationalism/

• “Christian Nationalism 101” from Word & Way: https://wordandway.org/2022/09/15/christian-nationalism-101/

• “White Nation Under God,” five podcast/video episodes from pastor and public historian Jemar Tisby: https://jemartisby.substack.com/p/wnug-ep-5-how-i-escaped-the-web-of

• “Canadian Christian nationalism not Christian, it’s not Canadian, or patriotic either,by Michael Coren https://www.thestar.com/amp/opinion/contributors/2022/08/17/canadian-christian-nationalism-not-christian-its-not-canadian-or-patriotic-either.html

These resources (and so many more) are essential to unmask the principles of Christian Nationalism as profoundly not Christian and profoundly dangerous to the health, well-being, and common good of the human family in the United States and Canada.

_____________________________________________________________________

The General Board recommends that the General Assembly ADOPT GA-2341. (Discussion Time: 24 minutes)

GA-2342

DISSOLUTION OF THE PASTORAL COMMISSION OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH
(DISCIPLES OF CHRIST) IN THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA

(Operational, Policy, and Organizational)

WHEREAS In 1992, when the Central Pastoral Office for Hispanic Ministries was established, the Pastoral Commission was formed as the entity that serves as the liaison between the Obra Hispana and the General Board of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada to accompany, advise and affirm programming and the operational budget of the Central Pastoral Office for Hispanic Ministries; and

WHEREAS at the joint meeting of the Hispanic Board of Directors and the Pastoral Commission on December 9-11, 2021, it was unanimously approved to carry out the appropriate processes for the dissolution of the Pastoral Commission, thus understanding that as Hispanic people we have the capacity and the right to carry out and manage the ministries and affairs of the Central Pastoral Office for Hispanic Ministries and the National Hispanic and Bilingual Fellowship, and the dissolution of the Pastoral Commission is an act of justice and reconciliation, as we are an Anti-racist and Pro-reconciling Church; and

WHEREAS the Confraternidad Nacional Hispana y Bilingüe (National Hispanic and Bilingual Fellowship) has a covenant relationship with the various expressions of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada; and

WHEREAS we are an integral part of the body and the Design of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada; and

WHEREAS we understand that the Junta Directiva Hispana (Hispanic Board of Directors) can be a direct liaison to the General Board of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada without the need for additional members named by the Administrative Committee and the College of Regional Ministers; and

WHEREAS we have functioned as a Pastoral Commission, according to Article V of the National Hispanic and Bilingual Fellowship’s By-laws, and we understand our purpose, processes, and responsibilities; now,

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Pastoral Commission for Hispanic Ministries is dissolved and the Hispanic Board of Directors:

• serves as the liaison between the Obra Hispana and the General Board of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ);
• defines the mission and establishes the policies of the Central Pastoral Office for Hispanic Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada;
• affirms the programs and operational budget of the Central Pastoral Office for Hispanic Ministries;
• nominates the National Pastor for the Central Pastoral Office for Hispanic Ministries;
• reserves the right to invite members from the various expressions of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), including but not limited to the College of Regional Ministers, to be part of the Hispanic Board of Directors and to work together for the good of the Obra Hispana.

FINALLY, BE IT RESOLVED that the Assembly of the National Hispanic and Bilingual Fellowship, having ratified and affirmed this action on July 22, 2022 at its Biennial Assembly in Fort Worth, Texas, calls on the General Assembly to affirm the dissolution of the Pastoral Commission and the establishment of the Hispanic Board of Directors as the formal decision-making body and liaison between the Obra Hispana and the General Board.

National Hispanic and Bilingual Fellowship (the Obra Hispana)

_____________________________________________________________________

The General Board recommends that the General Assembly ADOPT GA-3242. (Discussion Time: 12 minutes)

GA-2343

AMENDMENTS TO THE DESIGN
OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH (DISCIPLES OF CHRIST)

(Operational, Policy and Organizational)

WHEREAS, the Standing Rules of the General Board of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada require that the Governance Committee of the General Board “. . . shall review The Design and other governance documents for suggested changes and modifications;”¹ and,

WHEREAS, the Governance Committee, having discerned a need for the Church to reexamine our understanding of God’s covenant with us and Disciples’ covenant with one another considering unprecedented challenges facing the whole Church; and,

WHEREAS the whole Church has been given important work to do: we are called by God to make disciples of Jesus Christ, equip disciples to work from their spiritual gifts, coordinate that work more effectively, and be faithful stewards of our resources; and,

WHEREAS, we are committed to being a “movement for wholeness in a fragmented world,” even as the landscape of the church is changing; and,

WHEREAS, we want all expressions of the church to be more connected to each other and to have more of a voice in the present and future of the church; and,

WHEREAS, participation in General Assembly every two years prior to the pandemic of 2020 was declining; and,

WHEREAS, during the pandemic the Church developed digital competencies we did not have which now make it possible to have more conversations, more often, about issues and opportunities vital to the mission and ministry of the whole Church; and,

WHEREAS, the pandemic also helped us more fully recognize and appreciate the importance of gathering regularly in person; and,

WHEREAS, the Governance Committee, having produced and propagated resources for the Church in all its expressions, offered multiple opportunities for curated conversations that have informed the work of identifying and making recommendations for the work of the Church to be even more closely aligned with our renewed appreciation for covenant-keeping;^[1]

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that changes in the language of the Design of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada as indicated in the following PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE LANGUAGE OF THE DESIGN OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH (DISCIPLES OF CHRIST) IN THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA be adopted by this General Assembly of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada meeting in Louisville, Kentucky July 29 – August 1, 2023; and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the approved changes in the language of the Design of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada be implemented following the conclusion of the 2025 General Assembly of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada; and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that an Implementation Team be appointed by the duly elected Moderator of the General Assembly and affirmed by the Administrative Committee to report its progress to the General Board at its next regularly scheduled meeting regarding a plan for implementing adopted changes, including recommendations for sufficient funding and staffing ; and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, to facilitate the implementation of these Design changes adopted in this resolution that the following proviso is adopted: if the current General Minister and President is reelected to serve a second term, the term shall be for an 8-year term instead of the 6-year term identified in the Design, with the 8-year term concluding at the end of the 2031 in-person General Assembly; and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the General Board and its committees shall have the authority to meet digitally as needed until the Design changes adopted in this resolution come into effect; and

FINALLY, BE IT RESOLVED that the General Board shall have authority to act on behalf of the General Assembly as needed to implement the changes adopted in this resolution.

General Board of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

BACKGROUND

The Journey 

The proposal presented in this resolution is the result of several years of work by the Governance Committee of the General Board, in what became known as the Covenant Project. When Governance Committee of the General Board met in retreat in the fall of 2019, they committed to the work of aligning the Design of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) with God’s design for the church, and to claim the power and potential of covenant. To that end, the committee took two important steps: the first was the development of the Covenant Conversations Curriculum, a small group resource for congregations to explore their identity as covenantal partners in the wider church. The second was a process of a review of the Design, with an aim to explore how the church’s structures and practices might shift to better serve the church, with two main areas of focus. The first area of evaluation was the General Assembly, which refers to not just a gathering but the governing body of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada. The second area of evaluation was centered around the General Board.

In the fall of 2020, The Governance Committee presented to the Administrative Committee a framework of possible changes to The Design. Those changes were also reviewed by groups of church leaders including the General Cabinet and the College of Regional Ministers. In April 2021, a refined framework was presented to the General Board for review and comment.

One year later, at the 2022 General Board meeting, the Governance Committee again presented a further refined framework and proposed changes for the Board to engage in discernment, dialogue, and prayer.

In the summer and fall of 2022, clergy, congregations and leadership across the church were invited to attend a series of digital and in person town hall-style listening sessions. Hundreds of Disciples participated in dozens of these sessions and their feedback helped to affirm the work of the Governance Committee and fine-tune the recommendations for the proposed changes.

In our aspirations of and commitment to being a movement for wholeness, conversations and questions around this topic (particularly the role and make up of the General Board) is not new. Resolutions came to the General Assembly in 1997 and 2005 and were close to passing but ultimately failed. Conversations around Mission First! that the General Assembly adopted in 2015 had a board restructure component that helped inform and empower the Governance Committee of the General Board to move forward in imagining a structure that serves and enhances the mission, purpose, and identity of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada. While these changes were not implemented, they laid the groundwork for the work before us now.

Proposed Changes 

The proposed changes call for the General Assembly to meet more often during a three-year cycle. Every three years, there will be a hybrid meeting, with opportunities for participation in person and online; in the other two years of the cycle, the Assembly will meet in online-only gatherings. This change will allow more people to participate in the General Assembly and engage in a variety of ways. Under the new General Assembly model, congregations will appoint three representatives to serve three-year terms. Representatives to the General Assembly will shift the focus of their work from primarily voting on resolutions to engaging in dialogue, discernment, and prayer with increased frequency. With more regular meetings and dialogue, representatives will provide feedback from their congregational and Regional circles about the priorities of the church to the General Board. The new model, along with different meeting formats, will increase the number of voices from across the church who will be engaged in this work, particularly including those who have not always had access to decision-making structures. Congregational representatives will serve three-year staggered terms, with one representative being new each year. This model provides continuity of participation in the General Assembly meetings while developing new leaders.

The proposal also calls for changes to the General Board. Currently, the General Board consists of representatives chosen from each of the general and regional ministries, the executive leaders of each of those ministries, at-large members selected by the General Nominating Committee, ecumenical representatives and representatives from colleges and universities, along with the elected officers of the General Assembly. In the new model, the General Board will become a working board that meets more often than once a year. Members will serve on one of three committees: Mission, Finance, and Executive. Committees will meet and work together on an ongoing, regular basis. The General Board will be reduced in size. Rather than the board having representatives from regions and general ministries, board members would be mostly at-large and selected by the General Nominating Committee for essential skills and experience, while also reflecting the diversity of the church.

The General Board will receive missional priorities from the congregational representatives who are gathering for dialogue and discernment through more frequent General Assemblies. The General Board will also act on behalf of the church in making statements of social witness following the church’s engagement at General Assemblies, establishing mission priorities, acting on policies and procedures as needed, maintaining 501(c)3 status, recommending changes to The Design and approving regional boundary changes. Stewardship will become a core responsibility of the General Board, which would regularly evaluate, revise and improve the church-wide funding system.

The Way Ahead

If adopted, the proposed changes to the Design of the Christian Church (Disciples of

Christ) in the United States and Canada will be implemented following the conclusion of

the 2025 General Assembly.

The General Assembly Committee (informally known as the Time and Place

Committee), will begin planning for an in-person Assembly to be held in 2028.

The Moderator of the General Assembly will appoint an Implementation Team which

will begin their work as soon as possible.^[2]

Purpose

The Implementation Team will work to assist the General Board to put into effect the changes proposed in GA-2343.

Accountability

The Implementation Team is accountable to the Administrative Committee of the General Board. The Implementation Team members and members of any special task groups may or may not be members of the General Board.

Membership

The Implementation Team will include a minimum of seven individuals recruited for the skills they bring to complete the work described above, with a commitment to the wide diversity of the church. Composition of the team will be communicated to the General Board and the wider church.

The Implementation Team will have authority to enlist the help of individuals to serve on a short-term basis or in longer-term task groups, taking advantage of the covenant-commitment, talent, and wisdom from the wider church.

Scope of Work

The Implementation Team will collaborate closely with the Governance Committee of the General Board which is responsible for recommending revisions to the Special Rules of the General Assembly and the Standing Rules of the General Board to accommodate the changes necessary after the approval of GA-2343. The Implementation Team will meet as necessary to do its work prior to the General Assembly in 2025, consulting with the regional ministers, general ministry leaders, and other church leaders for input and collaboration.

The Implementation Team will work closely with the Office of the General Minister and President and other leaders to develop a plan for implementing the proposed changes, including recommendations for sufficient funding and staffing resources. The Implementation Team will report regularly to the Administrative Committee and the General Board, which will have the authority to make decisions on behalf of the General Assembly as needed to begin implementing the changes.

The Governance Committee will continue working, in close collaboration with the Implementation Team, to revise governing documents, such as the Standing Rules for the General Board, as appropriate to implement the changes.^[3]

_____________________________________________________________________

The General Board recommends that the General Assembly ADOPT GA-2343. (Discussion Time: 48 minutes)

^[1] For more information about the work of the Governance Committee, including a list of Frequently Asked Questions, visit www.disciples.org/covenant-project.

^[2] The Standing Rules of the General Board 10.1, 10.2, and 10.6

^[3] The Standing Rules of the General Board 6.2.5.

For the above resolution and proposed Design changes please reference the pdf file linked below.