Mid-Atlantic Conference

Relationship, Theology, and Accountability: A Statement on Church, College, and Theology by the Council of Mid-Atlantic Conference

The Mid-Atlantic Conference has been requested to submit its counsel to the National Board of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, USA, regarding recent discussions between the denomination and its college concerning the theological stance and teachings of Dr. John Sanders of the Huntington College faculty.

This statement has been created through an intentional process that involved the following steps:

Information regarding the history of this discussion was shared by Rev. Patrick Jones, a conference superintendent and member of the denomination's Education Leadership Team, at the Mid-Year Council of the conference in November 2001. At that point, both ministers and laypersons were invited to an informal discussion to be held in February 2002.
Those who agreed to participate in the informal discussion were given two books by Dr. Sanders (The God Who Risks and What About Those Who Have Never Heard?) to read prior to the discussion. These were paid for by conference funds. The intent was that any discussion be based upon knowledge, not conjecture. A number of participants read additional materials.
The informal discussion was held the entire morning of February 16, 2002, at King Street Church and was moderated by Pat Jones. About two dozen ministers and laypersons participated. The meeting was characterized by spiritual maturity and civility. Although differences were discovered among the participants on certain issues, several areas of consensus were uncovered.
The Ministerial Licensing and Ordination Commission had also been requested to submit a statement regarding its stance on these issues to the denomination's Commission on Ministry. Rev. Todd Fetters, chair of that commission, presented such a statement to the Mid-Atlantic Conference Council on March 1, 2002. That statement addressed only the narrow question of how the MLO Commission would respond to ministerial candidates who espoused ideas similar to those of Dr. Sanders.
The Mid-Atlantic Conference authorized the superintendents to create a document that would utilize the statement of the MLO Commission within a broader context. Dr. Anthony Blair, senior superintendent, prepared a draft of this document, which was modified and approved by the other three superintendents and then presented to the Council members for their ratification. This document is thus presented to the Commission on Ministry and the National Board as the official stance of the Mid-Atlantic Conference.

The Mid-Atlantic Conference perceives that there are not one, but several, issues raised by the discussions surrounding Dr. Sanders. They involve the relationship of the denomination and the college, the principle of academic freedom, the United Brethren heritage of theological pluralism within evangelical parameters, the credentialing of ministers, and even the hermeneutical framework within which Scripture is interpreted. Some of these discussions are new in the United Brethren context, and we have therefore labored to find a precedent upon which our arguments should be built or to define boundaries within which we should operate. Others reflect concerns of an ongoing nature and as such are areas in which United Brethren have struggled to remain "united" and "brethren" despite real differences.

All of these are complicated issues, and cannot be adequately addressed within a statement such as this. Therefore, this document does not seek to provide a comprehensive response, but merely to summarize areas in which we see agreement, others in which we are concerned, and still others in which we have the opportunity to affirm one another despite our various stances. We offer them in a spirit of charity and with a great desire for unity of purpose if not unity of thought. We seek not to tear down, but to build upon; not to condemn but to correct; and not to antagonize but to reconcile.

We therefore affirm the following:

We affirm our support for Huntington College. We are loyal enthusiasts of what is for many of us our alma mater. We entrust to the college our students, our money, and our reputation, and we pray fervently for her because her mission is difficult. We desire nothing less than a continuing relationship that is beneficial to both church and college.
We affirm the principle of academic freedom. We recognize that in any learning environment one must have the opportunity to explore new avenues for research and to advance new ideas. This exploration is a reflection of God's creativity. We perceive all aspects of God's truth as areas for critical thinking and theological reflection.
We affirm the quality of teaching provided by Dr. Sanders. We hear and understand that he is loved by his students and supported by his peers, that he challenges students to think, that he is dynamic and personable inside and outside of the classroom, and that he seeks not to indoctrinate but to teach. We believe we understand and appreciate the motives that underlay his theological exploration.
We affirm the United Brethren Confession of Faith. We value its boldness and its brevity. We appreciate that it is a statement of essential truths that provide the basis for our unity and leaves non-essentials to the private judgment of our brethren. We delight in its presentation of Jesus Christ as the sole mediator of salvation. We confess both the sovereignty and the providence of God.
We affirm the United Brethren heritage of toleration within the boundaries of this confession. We rejoice that we who differ on many issues of belief and behavior are united in our love for our God, our passion for His Kingdom, our delight in His Word, and our membership in His church.

We also confess our concern for the following:

We are concerned that the relationship between college and church has been strained, both by this discussion and by the perception that the college has chosen to broaden its constituency by distancing itself from the denomination. While we delight in the college's success, we also entrust it with the education of United Brethren clergy and laypersons, and therefore need to develop and maintain a strong partnership in the accomplishment of our mutual mission.
We are therefore concerned that the college did not more actively invite the participation by the church in decisions that are crucial to the church's investment in the college, namely, the disciplines of systematic, biblical, and practical theology. We are disappointed that this dialogue is taking place after the fact, when it has great potential to cause injury to all parties, rather than at the moment of decision, when such problems may have been avoided.
We are concerned that the biblical hermeneutic employed by Dr. Sanders is at times suspect or inconsistent. Whether we agree or disagree with his teachings, we value a hermeneutic that views the text as foundational, rather than one that proof-texts the Scriptures in an attempt to provide new answers to ancient philosophical questions.
We are concerned that we have become the subjects in what Dr. Sanders terms a "theological experiment." (This term was applied by Dr. Sanders particularly to Open Theism.) While we value academic freedom, we recognize that with freedom comes responsibility, particularly the responsibility to safeguard the constituencies who have guaranteed this freedom. And, while we value theological speculation, we are alarmed that the environment for such speculation is the institution that prepares our young men and women for service in and for the church. We are concerned that the implications of this experimentation have not been carefully considered by all parties.
We are concerned that some of our brethren have not approached this issue by Dr. Sanders with charity befitting those who bear the name "United." We are further concerned that some have declared their intentions to impose in their conferences a more narrow understanding of doctrine than that of our Confession of Faith. We fear that this act will negate our heritage, will undermine our Confession, and will maim our unity as a church.

Given this statement of affirmation and concerns, we therefore recommend the following:

We recommend that the Education Leadership Team of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ work closely and intentionally with the President and the Board of Trustees of Huntington College to develop a strategy whereby the relationship between church and college may be affirmed, renewed, and strengthened, and that this team report on this plan to the National Board of the denomination in 2003.
We recommend that, in order to eliminate a potential conflict of interest and to deliver the President of Huntington College from any appearance of impropriety, that the United Brethren Discipline be revised at the National Conference to prohibit or discourage the President from serving as Director of Education for the denomination.
We recommend that Dr. Sanders continue to teach at Huntington College in the courses for which he was originally hired as understood by the President (namely philosophy).
We recommend that an evangelical theologian of more orthodox leanings be hired by the college at the earliest possible convenience. We further recommend that the participation of the denomination in the hiring of faculty in disciplines of greatest concern to the church be welcome and invited in the future.
We recommend that all credentialing bodies of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ respect our heritage, our Confession of Faith, and our commitment to unity in the examination of all ministerial candidates.

We have expressed affirmations, concerns, and recommendations. Yet we are not a third party observing from a distance. We are members of this church; we are affected by its actions, and we affect others with our actions. We must not merely pontificate; we must also act.

We therefore pledge ourselves to the following:

The Commission on Ministerial Licensing and Ordination for the Mid-Atlantic Conference understands and accepts the fact that the Church of the United Brethren in Christ is diverse in its theological perspectives. The commission recognizes that our Confession of Faith allows for such diversity. Charged with the responsibility of reviewing potential pastors, the commission recognizes its obligation to ensure a candidate's compliance with our Confession of Faith and Discipline, and will do so through continued careful examination.
The leaders and representatives of the Mid-Atlantic Conference pledge our best efforts to strengthen the relationship between college and denomination, to model a spirit of respect to those who disagree, and to promote the unity of purpose that is our hallmark as United Brethren.
As a conference, we pledge ourselves to celebrate those who seek truth, to hold accountable those who lead others astray from that truth, to rejoice in the discovery of deeper truths, and to love the truth that we find. God is our truth, and all truth is to be found in Him.

"One Lord, one faith, one baptism."

March 2002