The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is in a state of profound disarray.  Disarray in belief, ecclesiology, mission, and consequently self-confidence.  The church doesn’t know how to talk about its fundamental theological beliefs; its structure is fracturing under the stress of changing needs and resources; and mission is faltering after the demise of one of our major mission arms, the National Benevolent Association (NBA).  And so when asked “who we are, what we think and do, and why,” our responses are often fairly weak, lacking a vigor of clarity and purpose, passion and conviction.

Thanks for publicizing my first trip to Cuba in 2003 (February 14). I have had many people email me asking how they might learn more about Cuba and the Cuban people. While your recent web posting makes some good points -- perhaps, I was a bit over-dramatic -- the Travelogue you mentioned does not report a mission or religious trip to Cuba. It was an educational "study seminar" (as it clearly states), one which had been occurring annually for over 25 years. Thus, the goal of that trip was to get to know the Cuban people, their society, and their culture -- as well as their religion.

While that trip did not pretend to be a religious or mission trip, two years ago, the Bush administration tightened regulations which virtually ended most humanitarian, medical, educational and religious travel to Cuba. Thus, today, even full-time religious and mission trips to Cuba have been virtually stopped. As an American and a Christian, that concerns me. And, I am surprised that it does not concern even the most conservative of American citizens.

In any event, I'm sure you join me in hoping for the day when we can relate in a caring and Christian manner to ALL our neighbors -- whether their government be democratic or socialist -- whether they be Cuba or Red China (who happens to have a "preferred nation trading status" with the US government). Thank you and may God bless you in your work.

Sincerely, Joe Irwin

The Conferences of the United Church of Christ Insurance Board (UCCIB) annual meeting, February 15, received reports from both its chair and president identifying 2006 as a year of positive transition for the provider of insurance, liability and risk management services to Disciples and UCC churches throughout the United States.

“Over the past year we have addressed financial issues, member renewal retention and operational concerns, making us stronger in all areas from a year ago,” reported Cathy Green, CEO and president of UCCIB. “While I am dismayed by the loss of participants, nevertheless, our size remains quite viable and in fact compares quite favorably to insurance services provided by other denominational programs,” Green added.

John Dorhauer Seminar - Thursday, March 8, 1:00-4 PM

In a previous eBULLETIN you received information about a special seminar for clergy on Thursday, March 8 from 1:00 to 4 PM in the Church House.  This seminar will feature the Rev. John Dorhauer, Associate Conference Minister of the Missouri-Mid South Conference.  The purpose of this seminar is to inform pastors, licensed ministers, and commissioned ministers about the work of some organizations related to political movements who are seeking to undermine the mission and ministry of mainline churches.  This seminar is purposely designed for pastors and these authorized ministers only.  Therefore it is important that those who intend to participate register with Sue either at 610-489-2056 or email at sue@psec.org.  Advanced registration is necessary so that the appropriate arrangements can be made at the Church House.

The commission has decided to impose the heavy fine — disclosed by Kevin J. Martin, the chairman of the commission, in an interview — as a tough rebuke to Univision for claiming to meet its obligations to broadcast educational children’s programs by showing the Latino soap opera “Complices al Rescate” (“Friends to the Rescue”) and other so-called telenovelas.

The penalty, part of a settlement that will allow the company to proceed with a buyout deal, is nearly three times the previous record fine of $9 million, imposed against Qwest Communications for violating telephone interconnection rules in 2004, and significantly more than the largest indecency penalty, $3.5 million, levied against Viacom that same year for remarks by Howard Stern and other so-called shock jocks on the radio.

“The United Church of Christ has a long history of advocacy on behalf of children,” Chase said. “Media has such a profound impact upon society, especially upon the youngest and most vulnerable among us. It is, therefore, consistent with the Gospel mandate to care for ‘the least of these’ that our concern extends into the broadcast arena.”

The National Council of Churches will sponsor a national conference March 9 in Arlington, Va., on "fixing" the No Child Left Behind education act.

Although the event will include secular participants, the involvement of the nation's largest ecumenical religious organization signals a growing grassroots concern about the 2002 law, which is scheduled for reauthorization by Congress this year.

"It's a complex issue, and we want people to get a handle on it so they can speak from their faith," said Jan Resseger, the UCC's minister for public education and chairwoman of the National Council of Churches' Committee on Public Education and Literacy. "We hope people will be well-prepared to speak to Congress."

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The NCC is among 105 organizations that have signed a statement demanding changes in the federal education law, including a call to decrease the testing burden on states and to ease up on sanctions against struggling schools and districts.

TUCKER CARLSON: So Barack Obama is a member of a church called Trinity United Church of Christ.  It‘s a predominantly black church in Chicago, that espouses something called the black values system, which includes calls for congregants to be soldiers for black freedom and a, quote, disavowal of the pursuit of middle classness.  Now, it would seem to me, Tom, not to make a broad sweeping statement here, but a racially exclusive theology, a theology that ministers to one group of people, based on race, kind of contradicts the basic tenants of Christianity, and is worth talking about.  Wouldn‘t you say?

TUCKER CARLSON:  Again, those are great values, that I hope I embody.  However, it‘s the word before them, black.  It‘s making them racially specific.  Again, Christianity—this is a subject that I am actually qualified to discuss—is, it seems to me, almost explicitly anti-racial.  The idea is that we are all equal in the eyes of god.  When you espouse a theology that is racially exclusive, as this appears to be, it‘s hard to call that Christianity.  I think it‘s pretty easy to call it wrong. 

Things You Need to Know:  How Church Stealers are at Work
A special informative session for all ordained, licensed, and commissioned ministers will be held on Thursday, March 8, from 1:00 to 4:00 P.M. in the Church House, Collegeville.  The presenter will be the Rev. Dr. John C. Dorhauer, Associate Conference Minister on the staff of the Missouri Mid-South Conference.

In his time on Conference Staff, John has had many opportunities to work closely with churches that have come under attack by agents and activists intent on pulling churches out of the denomination. John has studied the tactics and tools used by these activists; and along with his colleague on staff, the Rev. Sheldon Culver, he has written extensively about their findings. John contributes weekly to the website , wherein he chronicles the inner workings of attacks leveled against our congregations. He also has written for the magazine 'Zion's Herald,'and has appeared on Air America's "State of Belief" with the Executive Director of the Interfaith Alliance, Welton Gaddy.

He is awaiting the release of a book co-authored with Sheldon Culver entitled Steeplejacking, due to be released later this spring. John has partnered in his research with investigative journalist Fred Clarkson, author of the groundbreaking work "Eternal Hostility: the Struggle between Theocracy and Democracy," and the clinical psychologist Andrew Weaver, with whom he has co-authored a number of articles on the subject and who himself contributed to another seminal work, "Hardball on Holy Ground." John has traveled the breadth of the country informing denominational and congregational leaders about the efforts of renewal groups some of which are aligned with ultra-right-wing political organizations to dismantle and destabilize Mainline Protestant denominations.

During the Church House seminar John will provide pastors with practical tools to help identify and deal with influences seeking to destabilize and even to withdraw congregations from the United Church of Christ.

The Rev. Bill Hirschfeld, a UCC minister with a Ph.D. in biology, will observe “Evolution Sunday” on Feb. 11 at First Congregational UCC in Cadillac, Mich. He’ll make his case that Christianity and science are friends, not enemies.

“You don’t have to make a choice between being a Christian and believing in evolution,” Hirschfeld told the Cadillac News.

The Second Annual Evolution Sunday, sponsored by The Clergy Letter Project, was created so that congregations could “join together to discuss the compatibility of religion and science.”

Many of the beloved stories found in the Bible – the Creation, Adam and Eve, Noah and the ark – convey timeless truths about God, human beings, and the proper relationship between Creator and creation expressed in the only form capable of transmitting these truths from generation to generation. Religious truth is of a different order from scientific truth. Its purpose is not to convey scientific information but to transform hearts.

Often, when I talk about the former, I refer to conspiratorial tactics. And when I do, I am asked why I don't allude to conspiracies when churches vote to leave their own denomination to join us.

Though I find the question disingenuous (because those who ask it know the answer, and use the question as a clever tool to delude others who are less informed about the internal dynamics involved in these matters), I will respond to it here.

On the www.ucctruths.org (a name which, like the Institute on Religion and  Democracy, suggests something to the uninformed other than what it actually is) website, the question is posed in this way:

To answer as directly as possible: no. `We' (those of us in the United Church of Christ who write and talk about conspiracy tactics leveled against our churches to remove them from the denomination) do not consider that a conspiracy.

When the Cathedral of Hope in Dallas decided to leave their denomination (the Metropolitan Community Churches) for the UCC, did we consider that a conspiracy? Some peripheral facts might lead you to think as much - after all, they began conversation with the UCC at least 18 months before joining, they were headed by a UCC minister and they were embroiled in their own internal, divisive politics. In the end, we respect Cathedral of Hope's decision because we respect a local church's ability to discern for itself what is best for it's members. It wasn't a conspiracy. Whether we like it or not, our polity gives local churches this freedom to make these decisions.