Mark Calhoun

Ecumenical Advocacy Days ~ 2

It has been a very busy couple of days at Ecumenical Advocacy Days. On Saturday, I sat in on several great sessions:

• Meeting the needs of poor working and unemployed families

  •  Interesting statistics here...including, but not limited to the reality that In February there were 27 million people not working as compared to 16 million in 2007, and the reality that people who are working for minimum wage now are actually working for less pay than their counterparts in 1997. 30% of US workers do not get health Benefits and 50% do not get pension benefits, things that were the norm for some in the 70's. Sounds like places like Costco and In and Out Burger are providing wages above or equal to the minimum wage and offer a few benefits. Let Justice Roll is aiming for a $10 / hr minimum wage by 2010.

• Lunch with 100 other United Methodist... this was 'interesting'... interesting in the way that an institutionalized denomination deals with things like Justice and advocacy.
• Media Advocacy - We talked about all kinds of ways to use media outlets for advocacy.
• The last session of the day, for me, was a screening of documentary 'Scarred Lands and Wounded Lives'. If you enjoy creation in any way, or breath... get a copy of this DVD... better yet, buy four copies, keep one for yourself, send one to your local high school, and send two to DC... one for each of your state senators. I had an opportunity to sit next to Lincoln Day for the screening...

Sunday began with a plenary session, 'Confronting Climate Change and Global Poverty - Seeking Sustainability and Justice' by Kenyan Professor Eunice Kamaara... great quote from her, 'we don't share in pity, we share in compassion.' Following the plenary, I took in a session called Advocacy 201 and learned exactly how to participate in a Capitol Hill Visit.... scary, very scary, but I think I can handle especially representing Polson and the Mission Valley on the issue of Climate Change and how it impacts Vulnerable communities such as low-income and American Indian Communities. My lunch session was with five others from Montana who will be traveling with me to Capitol Hill tomorrow. This session gave us an opportunity to plan our Strategy. The final session of the day was initiated by our Franciscan Brothers and Sisters who led us in worship, and was drawn to a close with a Q and A session with a handful of Congressional staffers.

I also found some time in the afternoon to head over to the National Cathedral... quite a structure. I suppose that the monthly utility bill could feed quite a few hungry people across the country. While today was filled with all sorts of good information, my mind was constantly distracted by the way all of this impacts a community like Polson, Flathead Lake, the reservation and place like Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks... and especially the farmers and ranchers in our area... the implications are huge...I all also spent a good portion of the day thinking about what it means to be an advocate... Main Entry: 1ad·vo·cate 
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English advocat, from Anglo-French, from Latin advocatus, from past participle of advocare to summon, from ad- + vocare to call, from voc-, vox voice — more at voice
Date: 14th century
1: one that pleads the cause of another ; specifically : one that pleads the cause of another before a tribunal or judicial court
2: one that defends or maintains a cause or proposal
3: one that supports or promotes the interests of another

I remember one time in seminary reading a book containing stories of someone who had a fairly good take on what it means to be an advocate... "And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?  And he answered them, 'Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.' " Perhaps tomorrow is our opportunity to speak for those who can't.

Ecumenical Advocacy Days ~ 1

Today marked the beginning of the the 7th annual Ecumenical Advocacy Days in Washington DC. EAD 09' is a gathering designd to explore ways to bring about a world with 'Enough for All Creation.' The Gathering is designed to create space to learn about the connections between climate change, migration and poverty in the U.S. and around the world. Folks are coming together with other faith-based advocates and activists from across the United States to discuss the abundance of our world and how it can be allocated in a way that is fair and just for all creation.

Opening worship included a number of musical offerings from the St. Camillus Multicultural Choir and a message from Rev. Sean McDonagh, SSC... a Columban Missionary Peace.

DC - Justice and Advocacy Commission Meeting

This week I am in Washington DC for a meeting, followed by a conference. Back in November of 2007, I was elected, by the GCCUIC arm of the United Methodist Denomination, to serve for the next four years as a representative to the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA. In particular, I serve on the Justice and Advocacy Commission and within that I am on the International Affairs and Peace committee. Our commission meets once or twice a year to deal with fairly specific issues of Justice and Advocacy from an ecumenicalperspective. It seems to me that we are still in the process of getting ourselves organized under the direction of new leadership (both at the commission level and at the national level), but we did have a productive gathering and many encouraging things were shared. Opening remarks included some questions from the General Secretary of the NCC, Michael Kinnamon.

• What is the Christian Understanding of War in an age terrorism (extended perhaps to Violence)?
• What is the Christian Understanding of the economy  in an age of scarcity?
• What is the Christian Understanding of Creation in a time of environmental concerns?
• What is the Christian Understanding of Racial and Gender Justice in an age of [continued discrimination]?
• What is the Christian understanding of Community in an age of fragmentation?

In addition to these questions, our International Affairs and Peace Committee dealt with a few letters and requests in a breakout session.

• Violence in the Philippines - the abduction and killing of religious leaders
• Lifting the ban on travel to Cuba in order to advocate for the churches and citizens there.

During the second day of our meeting we were invited to sit in on a panel discussion that was focused on transforming the No Child Left Behind legislation... lots of folks unhappy about the current state of NCLB, but very optimistic at the prospects that a new administration brings...

While the meeting was very productive, I am still left wondering what the face of ecumenism looks like in a postmodern, post-institutional, post everything environment. It seems to me that the rhythm is shifting and I am wondering if the ecumenical movement can shift with it. I am convinced that ecumenism and justice and advocacy look very different in a postmodern context and are no longer a reflection of the characteristics that gave shape to the cultural context in which they were formed. I think in our current context, things like Justice and Advocacy, Ecumenism, and interfaith realations cannot be taght, learned, propogated, forced, or encouraged... I think they are built into this context's DNA. I believe these things to be embodied in our identity and rythym of life...

NCCC-USA GA Day 3 part 1

Just a quick note prior to boarding the bus for the Big Apple. I have to admit I am a bit anxious and excited about this little day trip to New York City... my first trip to the city. Today we will be traveling to St. Vartan Armenian Cathedral for a business session, installation worship, and a banquet. As of a few minutes ago we have a new President, General Secretary, and communion representatives for the next four years. My nomination onto the Justice and advocacy commission was voted on and approved.... I am excited to see what the future holds regarding my ecumenical involvement on a national level.

NCCC-USA GA Day 2 part 2

Up until now, we have tended to a pile of business, which primarily included a number of reports. The afternoon saw much of the same with reports from the Commission on Faith and Order, the finance committee, and the Justice and Advocacy Commission. The heart of the Faith and Order presentation dealt with the meeting in Oberlin that I was blessed to have attended. We saw a great video presentation that served as an incredible overview of the entire event. There seems to big a big push on behalf of the NCC as well as the Faith and Order Commission (and perhaps the other commissions)to include, and involve, "young adults" within local, national, and global ecumenical work. Young adults, as defined by this body, include persons under the age of thirty. While the desire to include young adults is quite vocal, the praxis of such a thing seems to be a bit implicit and underdeveloped. For our denomination, I assume this has something to do with the momentum of the machine and the elements of hierarchy that sometimes plague our institutional nature. There seems to be an openness to throwing the young folks a bone, but follow-through seems to be a bit lacking. Perhaps that will improve over time.

When I was in Oberlin this past summer I heard to complaints from the young theologians about two specific topics... 1) Why don't we ever have communion together as an entire body? I suppose that the short answer to that question is that, if we did that there would be no need to gather as ecumenists... 2) Why are we not voting on any statements/positions, resolutions, or accomplishing anything. Actually, we accomplished quite a bit as far as ecumenical dialog goes, but we were a bit short in the development of profound ecumenical positions or resolutions, which, by nature was actually appropriate for that specific setting.

Having said all of that about Oberlin, I would say that the General Assembly was quite a different beast. Today we voted on and passed a resolution dealing with the Armenian Genocide, which I hope to post later in the conference. This was an amazing statement, crafted by the Armenians, that our national government is unwilling make. Sad....

A second report from the Justice and Advocacy Commission addressed several things that they have been working on, and provided us with a well developed, "Social Creed fro the 21st Century." Hopefully I can post that in the next few days... this is a remarkable creed that is holistic in nature and provides a great framework for ecumenical and ecclesial life.

NCCC-USA GA Day 2 part 1

Day 2.... big day... It all began with a glorious continental breakfast in the company of the Young-Adult Stewards and Dr. Michael Kinnamon whose books I have engaged in several courses at Saint Paul. Dr. Kinnamon, if elected this week, will be the next General Secretary of the National Council of Churches. Following breakfast, we were off to the next plenary session which opened with worship from the African Methodist Episcopal Church and a Bible study on 2 Corinthians 5:1-9 led by Dr. Elizabeth Tapia. Following a report from the Governing Board and the Church World Service (Crop Walk folks) Board of Directors, we heard an amazing report from the Special Commission on the Just Rebuilding of the Gulf Coast. The report served to update the assembly on the ecumenical commitment to staying committed to the rebuilding effort continuing in the Gulf Coast Region. It's times like these that I am reminded of the mass amounts of rebuilding that is still needed in the area. As representatives, of the NCC, to the world we were challenged to continue and support the rebuilding effort in our communions and local churches. More later....

NCCC-USA GA Day 1 part 2

... today primarily consisted of me trying to figure out how the heck I got here, what the heck I was doing here, and how I could contribute on behalf of the Mothership (The United Methodist Communion). My day started at noon with an orientation lunch for first time participants.... I love saying my day started at noon.... actually I was up early poking around the hotel and the assembly area. Following lunch we had our first plenary session... this was a time of greeting from the current president, and included opening worship (by the Evangelical Lutheran Church), a Bible study (in which the dude attacked my boy Nehemiah), and various other opening procedures. After appointing a committee of reference and a parliamentarian, they seated the proxies (me and about 30 others from various communions) and we were on our way.

Following a break, we began our 2nd plenary by listening to reports from CWS director and the NCC acting general secretary. As well, we heard our first committee reports which included a report from the nominations committee. As it turns out, I have been nominated to the Justice and Advocacy Commission for the next quadrennium, 2008-2011. If elected, I will be one of three from the UMC.

Day one ended with two activities... one formal and one informal. Formally we met as a denomination for our member communion dinner, which afforded us an opportunity introduce ourselves, meet and greet one another, and tend to a bit of denominational business. After a group photo, some of us blazed off for a more informal gathering in the Hotel Lounge. For me, the open times serve as great time to meet other folks and learn, more intimately, about the various communions represented at the assembly. Tonight a few other Methodists and I hung out with some Episcopalians and an Armenian....

NCCC-USA GA Day 1 part 1

So.... here I am serving as a Proxy Delegate to the General Assembly of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA. Founded in 1950, the NCCCUSA is an ecumenical body that is made up of 35 member communions (denominations) and strives to pursue and foster Christian Unity....

"The National Council of Churches is a community of Christian communions, which, in response to the gospel as revealed in the Scriptures, confess Jesus Christ, the incarnate Word of God, as Savior and Lord. These communions covenant with one another to manifest ever more fully the unity of the Church. Relying upon the transforming power of the Holy Spirit, the communions come together as the Council in common mission, serving in all creation to the glory of God."

The purpose of the Council is to be a community through which churches can make visible their unity given in Christ, and can live responsibly in witness and [mission].

The General Assembly meets once a year as the NCC's highest policy-making body. In this instance, nearly 300 representatives have gathered to do the work of this ecumenical body.

Representation is based on the membership of each respective communion, so, as United Methodists, we get 28 delegates to the General assembly, and have a number of representatives on the various committees and commissions. Due to our local church membership we represent the largest delegation to the Council. I am here as a proxy delegate.... that means that after I was "seated," I was empowered to vote on behalf of the person that I am representing. For this General Assembly I am representing Ms. Sandra Ferguson.

As well as gathering as the General Assembly of the NCC, this is also the annual gathering  of Church World Service. More later.....

Ecumenical Eve...#2

Well.... here I am again on the eve of another Ecumenical gathering. This time it is off to Woodbridge New Jersey for the General Assembly of the National Council of Churches. My trip up and over to NJ was somewhat uneventful in nature, but I did get to see a friend from Wichita/Boston in the Atlanta airport, which is kind of a random and weird thing. I'd say its the first time I have come across a familiar face, in an airport, while traveling. I enjoy traveling and flying and watching people, so the trip has been good, so far, from that perspective.On both flights I had the opportunity to sit by 'non-talkers,' which isn't really a problem, but I do like a little relational, in flight, chit chat. The first seat mate was an interesting chap... as I got to my row, the exit row (extra leg room), he began talking to his buddy across the aisle in sort a a third person rhetorical dialog... they went back and forth playing off one another..." 'I'm just here to fly, I'll just fall asleep, so don't talk to me.'...'I don't really like to talk on planes, so i don't really want anyone talking to me'...'just leave me alone, and let me be'.... OK already, I get the point... I really wanted to say... "so, where are you from? Tell me about your family? What do you know about Jesus?" but I refrained. The retired dude behind me had us all covered... "So Honey, (to the young woman beside him) is this home for you?" It was a great hour long conversation to overhear about business, politics and hunting...

I was greeted at the Newark airport by these words... "You need Taxi? You come, I take you." As my bag was snatched out of my hand and away we went. As we approached a big ol' grey Lincoln, that did not look like a cab, I was, at least, able to find out how much the fare would be to Woodbridge, which did match the posted rate at the nearby cab station rate chart. As we sped away, a sign inside the airpot came to my mind, "Be careful not to get into unmarked, unkown cars." Great... I'm thinking... what have I done? Urgently, I began looking around the car for a sign that I was actaully in some form of public transportation.Behold there they were... two licenses posted in the front window.. I was good to go and we were on our way...

Enough about travel, except to say that I enjoy new places and meeting new people. As for the conference, I have been invited by the United Methodist denomination as a Proxy Delegate to this General assembly... I am not sure exactly what that means, but I am eagerly looking forward to learning more at tomorrow's orientation gathering.

Oberlin Day 5

I’m a tad late on the day five post, but this was the last day of the Oberlin outing and included a lack of sleep, a little breakfast, and a short session prior to the trip home with my friends on American Airlines. Today’s agenda included three training workshops…Faith and Order & State/Local Ecumenical Ministries, Faith and Order & Higher Education, and Faith and Order, Bilateral Dialogues, and Churches Uniting in Christ. While all three sounded extremely interesting I felt compelled to take in the Faith and Order & Higher Education workshop. This particular workshop was broken down into two tracks…1) A Panel Discussion: Teaching Ecumenism and Ecumenical Method and 2) a sampling of an Inter-seminary Seminar that was held in the Philadelphia area. The teaching and method track was led, and moderated by, Keelan Downton and included Lorelei Fuchs, Jeffrey Gros, and Rodney L. Petersen. Each of the panelists had an opportunity to share on the topic and then respond to a few question. From my perspective, one of the key issues facing Faith and Order is spreading the word… and that has to happen on multiple levels. It was interesting to see a sampling of innovative ways that this occurs in academic environments… not to mention spending some quality small group time with Keelan, Lorelei, Jeff and Rodney. The second part of the session was led by a group of students and a professor that shared the experience of and inter-seminary seminar centering on ecumenism. To me this seems like an incredible model, especially in areas where there are multiple seminaries. In this instance the students were selected and invited to participate in the seminar. Each time they gathered, I think 7-8 times throughout a semester, one or two students shared a 15 (?) page paper on the topic of ecumenism and the others prepared and shared responses and questions that served as the basis for group discussion. Actually, I was excited to be a part of this session and especially to see, first hand the ins and outs of the inter-seminary seminar. This seems like an extremely fruitful model that would work well in the Kansas City area where I attend seminary. I know that Saint Paul has engaged in some inter-seminary stuff, but I think it has mostly been with only one seminary at a time and not centered on the topic of ecumenism. My advanced Praxis seminar was on ecumenical theology, which was extremely helpful, but it seems like an inter-seminary seminar on ecumenism would be a helpful addition to our curriculum. We had a few protestant denominations represented in our class, but it would be nice to extend the level of participation to other seminaries and traditions. This workshop got me thinking a bit about the class I took and perhaps a couple of additions. For one, maybe a required text could be a local phone book… in the sense that a few times during the semester each student would pick a couple of traditions outside of their own, invite a representative to lunch for a dialogue, and then post their experience on a forum board discussing the theological implications of the dialogue as well as areas of resonance, dissonance, non-sonance. In addition, though I haven’t completely read the text they gave us at the conference, it seems like “Ancient Faith and American-Born Churches” would be a great addition for a sound domestic perspective on the ecumenical movement. I think a final addition to any course on ecumenical theology would be to offer some of the papers presented at the Oberlin conference. It seems to me that each student could select one or two papers of interest and then reflect theologically on the basis of resonance, dissonance, non-sonance.

Two more NCCCUSA articles .... here and here