Journeying Toward a USA National Conference
BY THE USA APOSTOLIC TEAM
Timely resolution of pressing issues in various nations is necessary for the restoring work of the gospel to move forward with all of its potential. Therefore, let the proper World Church officers act in their callings—as already provided in church law—to create and interpret church policies to meet the needs of the church in different nations in harmony with the principles contained in this counsel.
Where possible and appropriate, convene national or field conferences to provide opportunities for broader dialogue, understanding, and consent. In those gatherings, let the spirit of love, justice, and truth prevail.—Doctrine and Covenants 164:7c–d
As a global Community of Christ, we share a common mission to proclaim Jesus Christ and promote communities of joy, hope, love, and peace. We share a common identity and message that includes a common set of Enduring Principles and belief statements.
We share a common story of God’s restoring presence in our lives and in the world. The USA Apostolic Team affirms it is “in the midst of the difficult questions and struggles of life” (Doctrine and Covenants 163:2a) that we are called to mission. Our mission defines us and guides us in deliberating on the significant issues we face on our journey as a people of faith.
Various USA mission centers filed resolutions to the 2010 World Conference on two subjects. The first was the ordination of people involved in same-gender relationships. The second was on same-gender marriages and unions.
As a result, the USA Apostolic Team concluded these two issues need timely attention to allow the “restoring work of the gospel to move forward with all of its potential” in the USA.
The sense of the USA Apostolic Team is that the church in the USA needs to journey together, considering where God is leading us in response to these two issues. We invite the church in the USA to join in scripture study, prayer, reasoning together, listening to our stories, and reflecting on our tradition.
To allow plenty of time for this, our plan is to call a national conference in Independence, Missouri. It will open by 7 p.m., Wednesday, July 18, 2012, and it will close by noon July 22. Specific registration fees will be set by October 2011. The fees and offerings will cover the expense.
May 25, 2011 update: Dates for USA National Conference are set for April 19–21, 2013
Until the conference, the church in the USA will join in a participative process to discover God’s will about these issues for the church’s mission in the USA.
Following this experience, the USA Apostolic Team will review the existing policies and create new policies, if needed, based on the journey together. With the approval of the Council of Twelve and the First Presidency, these policies would replace current policies. This would be done only if a change is needed to reflect the consensus of the church in the USA on how to address ordination of people involved in same-gender relationships and same-gender marriages or unions.
As instructed in Doctrine and Covenants 164, the USA conference will provide opportunities for broader dialogue, understanding, and consensus-building toward a common resolution on these two issues. The specific methods for faithfully achieving this experience will be determined as the USA Apostolic Team collects feedback from the USA fields and researches various consensus-building models.
In preparation for the USA conference, the USA Apostolic Team will provide individual, small-group, and large-group opportunities, starting this year. These opportunities will provide various ways for us to listen to God and share in discerning God’s will.
Our desire is to provide opportunities such as:
- Reflection ideas for use in individual spiritual formation.
- Information distribution at USA mission center conferences.
- Group-study ideas for use at reunion and other gatherings.
- Regional opportunities for sharing and discerning together.
- Surveys or other collection tools for gathering input and feedback.
Community of Christ in the USA, as in all nations where the church is in mission, is called to live as a prophetic people “characterized by uncommon devotion to the compassion and peace of God revealed in Jesus Christ” (Doctrine and Covenants 163:11a).
We are challenged to discover the “power of community in Christ expressed locally in distinctive fashions while upholding a unity of vision, foundational beliefs, and mission throughout the world” (Doctrine and Covenants 163:11a).
Our testimony is that God continues to call us into mission even when we have different opinions on issues that could divide us. In our communities, many who are hurting and broken need to hear the restoring message of the gospel.
We must generously share the peace of Jesus Christ, even while we struggle together on pressing issues. Our response to mission is accelerated and strengthened as we continue to discover together how God is shaping us as signal communities and sending us into the world as prophetic people.
Cultural Agenda
Q: What role does culture play in planning this conference?
A: Doctrine and Covenants 164 provides opportunity for national conferences to join in decision-making about issues related to moral behavior and relationships that cannot be addressed at World Conference because of starkly different cultural perspectives and national laws.
Topics
Q: Many people are interested in how to quicken the mission of the church in the USA. Can the USA National Conference focus on such topics, or is the agenda limited to the pressing issues identified by the Council of Twelve and First Presidency?
A: The amendment to the bylaws approved at the 2010 World Conference limits the focus at national conferences to items identified by the Council of Twelve, approved by the First Presidency, and announced to the church in advance.
At a USA gathering during the 2010 World Conference, 1,100 individuals and 400 groups responded to a survey, “Help Shape USA National Conference.” Only 5 percent listed pressing topics as something other than same-gender issues.
Sex and Ordination
Q: Doesn’t the church already have a policy about ordaining homosexuals?
A: In 1982, the Standing High Council wrote a document. From that document, the First Presidency created a policy that does not allow ordination of anyone (heterosexual or homosexual) involved in sexual relationships outside marriage.
The First Presidency has stated the policy of not ordaining people involved in sexual relationships outside marriage will continue until there is consent within a nation or field to recommend a new policy. The Council of Twelve and the First Presidency must approve the new policy.
Sin
Q: Does the church make any statements on the nature of sin?
A: Yes, the church’s belief statement provides the following explanation: “God created us to be agents of love and goodness. Yet we misuse our agency individually and collectively. We take the gifts of creation and of self and turn them against God’s purposes with tragic results. Sin is the universal condition of separation and alienation from God and one another. We are in need of divine grace that alone reconciles us with God and one another” (www.CofChrist.org/ourfaith/faith-beliefs.asp).
Outcome
Q: Has church leadership already determined the outcome on issues of same-gender marriage and ordaining people in same-gender relationships?
A: No, church leadership is committed to discernment leading to the USA National Conference. This process will include spiritual practices, dialogue, scripture reflection, and study of credible resources that provide multiple perspectives on human sexuality and healthy, faithful, and committed relationships.
The USA Apostolic Team invites the church in the USA into this discernment process with no predetermined agenda or outcome. This does not infer that individual apostles do not have perspectives on the issues. It does, however, signal our trust in God, the impress of the Holy Spirit, and the collective wisdom of the US body to discern the mind and will of God on these issues.
To this end, church leadership commits to personal prayer and discernment. As the leaders open themselves to God’s direction they will refrain from sharing personal perspectives to cultivate open and safe environments for all people to engage in dialogue and reflection. As the process unfolds and we arrive at the USA National Conference, the USA Apostolic Team may have opportunity to share personal perspectives with delegates as part of conferring together.
Time
Q: The time allotted for the USA National Conference is short. Why is it over an extended weekend?
A: Seventy-eight percent of those surveyed at the USA gathering at the 2010 World Conference favored holding the USA National Conference over an extended weekend.
SPECTACULAR Connection
Q: Why were the dates of the USA National Conference connected with the dates of SPECTACULAR 2012 (July 22–28)?
A: We want the USA National Conference to reflect the diversity in our congregations and mission centers. To do so, recommendations will be made to mission centers on how members can elect delegates who better represent their congregations, such as priesthood, youth, male, and female, etc. We hope this will increase the opportunity for youth and young adults to participate.
Connecting the two events consolidates them into one trip to the Midwest for those attending both. That results in cost savings.
Type of Conference
Q: Will the USA National Conference be a delegate or member conference?
A: To ensure equitable representation, the USA National Conference will be a delegate conference.
To have more people discerning and conferring, we are considering the best number of delegates to allow the maximum participation within the facility and budgetary realities. The minimum number of delegates will be 1,500, similar to the number of USA delegates at World Conference. Delegates and alternates will be elected at their fall 2011 mission center conferences to allow time for preparation.
Participation
Q: Will people really be heard? Does a participant’s presence matter?
A: Yes, participation is important in events leading to the USA National Conference, as well as during the conference. The USA National Conference will provide opportunities for broader dialogue, understanding, and consent on recommendations.
The recommendations and insights brought forward by the USA National Conference will guide the Council of Twelve and First Presidency in reviewing existing policies and creating new policies, if needed.
Delegates
Q: Is it important that delegations to the USA National Conference fill to capacity?
A: Yes. It also is critical the USA church—delegates as well as all members—participate in the process to prepare for the USA National Conference.
Q: How do we ensure diversity of thought in planning the journey toward the USA National Conference?
A: Our plan is to have mission centers elect two members to participate in focus-team efforts to review and provide feedback throughout the process. These members would reflect the diversity in the mission centers.
Pre-Conference Participation
Q: What is the expectation for participation in events leading to the USA National Conference?
A: It is our hope the USA church will continue to give primary attention to “the mission of Jesus Christ (which) matters most for the journey ahead” (Doctrine and Covenants 164:9f adapted).
When there are opportunities to engage in study, prayer, sharing, or other experiences as we discern together in preparation for the USA National Conference, it is our hope all members will sense their roles and responsibilities as part of the body’s faithful response.
The credibility of the process and our ability to exercise the prophetic voice of the people faithfully will depend on all of our individual choices to participate with open hearts and minds.
The USA Apostolic Team
Linda Booth, Southern USA Mission Field
Stassi Cramm, North Central USA/Canada Mission Field
Ron Harmon, North East USA Mission Field
Rick Maupin, Caribbean/Mexico/South Central USA Mission Field
Scott Murphy, Western USA Mission Field
Herald, August 2010, p.12.