Title: Common personnel policy proposed to help dismantle racism
Date: February 4, 2000
Disciples News Service Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
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INDIANAPOLIS (DNS) A step toward transforming the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) into an "anti-racist, pro-reconciling" institution gained momentum with a proposal aimed at facilitating the hiring of racial ethnic minorities in churchwide "policy making" positions.
The Administrative Committee, meeting here Jan. 28-Feb. 1, returned the proposal to the Standing Committee on Renewal and Structural Reform for further work. The General Board, meeting here July 22-25, will vote whether to recommend it to regions, general units and other institutions of the Disciples of Christ.
At issue is a need to open top positions in the church to all persons within the denomination, said Ted Waggoner, Rochester, Ind., in a presentation to the committee. He is a member of the Standing Committee on Renewal and Structural Reform.
The proposal essentially lays the groundwork for a common executive search policy that Disciples general units and regional bodies are asked to "incorporate into their policies and practices." At present, there is no uniform procedure.
Some major provisions include ensuring that racial ethnic persons comprise half of all search committees; requiring open searches for vacant posts; and utilizing an independent application screening process.
Among the concerns cited by Administrative Committee members is the need for similar guidelines in congregations; insufficient numbers of minorities to round out search teams; and means of holding entities accountable.
This is not a call to a quota system, but a call to reflection, Waggoner said. He called the proposal an invitation to help move the denomination past symbolic change and an attempt to hold each other to some accountability.
The administrative body also endorsed a request to expand the OGMP executive staff and heard a presentation from General Minister and President Richard L. Hamm calling the church to prepare today for life 20 years ahead.
Hamm proposed calling an additional associate general minister and vice president sometime this spring. His or her duties will include representing the GMP in various congregational, regional and general settings, serving as chief of the OGMP staff, and staffing committees and commissions related to the office.
By 2020 the U.S. population will become larger and more ethnically diverse and more than half of United States residents will be 45 and older. Age distribution within the Disciples of Christ will mirror the rest of the country, according to demographer Dale Pellman of Indianapolis.
The general minister and president suggested the notion of 2020 Vision as "an invitation to each manifestation of the church to think about the future as it will unfold in the next 20 years . . . and (to think about) what God is calling us to be and do in response."
Hamm specifically called for the Disciples to look at the U.S. as its primary mission field, step up efforts in new congregation establishment; and for existing churches to "understand themselves as mission stations."
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