Title: Dates set for Georgia board training
Date: April 9, 1998
Disciples News Service
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Contact: news@cm.disciples.org
98b-20
INDIANAPOLIS (DNS) -- The plan to move antiracism training for board members of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Georgia up to July 16-18 is "an extremely positive step," for the region, says General Minister and President Richard L. Hamm.
That decision comes in the wake of a demand by the denomination's Black Ministers Fellowship in March to suspend the search for a regional executive until the training took place. That call was issued in response to the Georgia board's November 1997 decision not to forward an African American candidate's name to the regional assembly for vote.
"The board will have had the antiracism training well before a recommendation comes from the search committee," Hamm said. He envisioned that the search committee would likely make a recommendation by September "at the earliest."
Shortly after the clergy group's action, Ray of Hope Christian Church announced that it would redirect regional Basic Mission Finance contributions to Reconciliation -- the church's ministry to combat racism.
Hamm met with executive board members from the Georgia region and Ray of Hope to discuss the congregation's response. "It was a frank and very helpful conversation," he said. The congregation "has not changed its mind about reallocating monies to Reconciliation," Hamm added. "But they will continue to be part of the region."
The training event, previously set for the fall, will be patterned after the model recommended in the process of discernment on racism, said Hamm. Regional ministers and general unit presidents and other church leaders will receive the same training in August, he added.
Board members "approved a very ambitious plan that calls for training folks from Georgia to do training in the congregations in Georgia," he said. The design also calls for the hiring of a full-time person to serve as a "co-regional minister or staff-minister for reconciliation."
In addition, the group discussed setting minimum percentages for representation by racial ethnic persons on regional boards and committees.
Hamm said "there's real redeeming activity beginning" as a result of the controversy over the Rev. William Edwards' candidacy. "The region is really taking this seriously and is trying to step up to the plate on this. I think God is working in this thing."
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