Christian Church(Disciples of Christ)
Christian Church
(Disciples of Christ)
Contact: news@cm.disciples.org
96b-39
May 21, 1996
GENEVA (ENI) -- World Council of Churches officials, criticized in April by two U.S. denominations, have reportedly worked since September 1995 to deal with concerns over the selection of Zimbabwe to host the 1998 General Assembly. The Common Global Ministries Board of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the United Church of Christ had called for relocation of the 1998 assembly. The government of Zimbabwe was chided for its stances toward gay and lesbian persons. The Common Ministries board particularly lashed out at reports that President Robert Mugabe "made several public attacks on Zimbabwean gays and lesbians." The statements conflict with open and affirming policies in the United Church of Christ and the Disciples' commitment to human rights in general, said board members. The Common Board suggested a possible move to South Africa, "where homosexual civil rights are constitutionally protected." Homosexuality is a sensitive issue for the WCC as there is a wide diversity of moral views on sexuality among member churches. However, after some members of the WCC central committee raised concerns at its meeting in Geneva last September, WCC officials drew up a "memorandum of understanding" with the Zimbabwean government. The memorandum reportedly was signed in February this year. "The government of Zimbabwe has agreed to facilitate the entry into the country of all legitimate participants of our assembly, and to respect the freedom of the assembly to speak and act on matters of its choice within the premises in which the event will be held," said a WCC spokesperson to Ecumenical News International. Regardless of promises made to protect WCC assembly participants, the real issue is much broader, according to the Rev. Dan Hoffman. "It has nothing to do with the delegates," says the Africa secretary for the Common Board. Instead it concerns protecting the human rights of gays and lesbians in Zimbabwe "who will remain there after the assembly has ended." In the Common Board statement, board members also sought to address the theological condemnation of gays and lesbians by the Zimbabwe Council of Churches. The position of the ZCC on this issue is a "theological rationale for bigotry," according to Hoffman. "We wanted to bring attention to the human rights issues at stake here," said the Rev. Patricia Tucker Spier, president of the Disciples' Division of Overseas Ministries. "It's still important that the Common Board speaks its deep concern about the issue." "We do not wish to comment on the decision of the Common Global Ministries Board of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ, except to say that preparations continue for our 1998 assembly in Harare, Zimbabwe," said the WCC official.
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