March 28, 2015
Dear Friends,
This past week has been a challenging time for members of our church and citizens of our state. The enacting of the RFRA legislation that so many believe to be unnecessary, confusing, and hurtful has caused people across our nation to question the hospitality and welcome they might find in the state we love. As a consequence the leadership of our church has deemed it wise for our church to reconsider Indianapolis as the site of our 2017 General Assembly.
General Minister and President Sharon Watkins and General Assembly Moderator Glen Miles consulted with me this week and I concurred with the decision to communicate our concerns to Governor Mike Pence. This action was consistent with the position our church took at our last General Assembly when we declared that "all are welcome at the Table" and "all means all."
Now that the bill has been signed the General Board of our church, meeting in Kansas City from April 11-14, will make a decision about the Assembly's location. Our Moderator, Monique Spells, is a voting member of the General Board and will assist in making that decision.
If the Assembly is moved in 2017 it does not mean it would never return. Over our long history we have gathered in Indianapolis eight times, most recently in 1989 and 2009, and I am confident we will do so again. In the meantime our charge is to make our congregations and our state as welcoming and hospitable as we can. I have four suggestions on how you might do that:
- Work with your congregation to reflect on ways your church expresses hospitality. You may wish to use General Assembly resolution 1337 as well as the Welcome Statements from First Christian Church, Bloomington and Allisonville Christian Church. All three documents are linked below. By no means should you vilify persons who hold positions that differ from your own, but rather show to them the hospitality that all deserve.
- Work ecumenically with other congregations in your community to bear a common witness. Already I have heard from my counterparts in the United Methodist Church, the Episcopal Church, the Presbyterian Church, the United Church of Christ, the Evangelical Lutheran Church, the African Methodist Episcopal Church, and the Jewish community in Indiana who are eager to do this with me.
- Work with businesses in your community, most particularly those led by Disciples, to communicate a sense of welcome. Businesses can register their openness and receive a door sticker at www.openforservice.org
- Work with political leaders in your community to enact or strengthen local ordinances that protect citizens from discrimination. Such laws are already in place in about 10 cities and three counties across our state.
As we begin Holy Week together I pray that once again we are equipped by God's Spirit to join in the exhilaration of Palm Sunday parades, find community around Maundy Thursday tables, ponder the gravity of Good Friday, and wait with expectation for the promise of the resurrection we know will come. May God renew our congregations, our church, and our state we call home. Blessings, 
Richard L. Spleth Regional Minister Attachments: GA 1327 Becoming a People of Grace and Welcome to All Welcome Statement--First Christian Church, Bloomington, IN Welcome Statement--Allisonville Christian Church, Indianapolis |
