To help your congregational delegates to the biennial delegate convention of MCUSA this summer, Joe Parker and Mathew Swora, with their discernment, and so that all might hear “what the Spirit is saying to the church” (Rev. 2:9), we solicit your most prayerful consideration and responses to the following questions most likely to be considered at the delegate convention. There are several ways you can fill this out and get it to either or both delegates: you might copy and paste these questions onto a document on your computer’s word processor, mark it and then print it off, to mail in or put in their church mailboxes; or you might copy and paste them into an email, mark them and email them in to the church office or the pastor’s address, zionpastor_ms@canby.com.
The resolutions mentioned in questions 3-7 can be found and read at: http://mennoniteusa.org/resource/delegate-resources/
Please reply by no later than Sunday, June 28.
- Which of the following best describes your views on the authority of church bodies to dictate policies regarding membership and ministerial credentialing of individuals?[ ] Congregations should have full authority to decide matters of membership and ministerial credentialing independent of area conferences and Mennonite Church USA.[ ] Congregations should have full authority to decide matters of membership, but not credentialing. Area conferences should have full authority regarding ministerial credentialing independent of Mennonite Church USA. [ ] Congregations should have full authority to decide matters of membership, and area conferences should have authority over credentialing under standards defined by the Mennonite Church USA Delegate Assembly. [ ] Area conferences should have full authority regarding ministerial credentialing and also the authority to set the standards for membership within member congregations. [ ] Area conferences should have authority over credentialing under standards defined by the Mennonite Church USA Delegate Assembly and also the authority to set the standards for membership within member congregations.
- Which of the following best characterizes your personal convictions regarding an area conference that had policies regarding membership or credentialing of people in same-sex relationships that went against your views?[ ] I would not support the inclusion of that area conference in Mennonite Church USA nor would I want our congregation to be part of that conference.[ ] I would support the inclusion of that area conference in Mennonite Church USA, but would not support our congregation being a part of that conference. [ ] If our congregation was a part of that conference, I would continue to support our membership in it.
- For The Churchwide Statement on Sexual Abuse:
[ ] I am completely in favor of it.[ ] I am in favor of it as it is written, but would like it even better if certain changes were made.[ ] I am against it as it is written, but would support it if certain changes were made. [ ] I am completely against it. - For The Resolution on Forbearance In The Midst of Differences:
[ ] I am completely in favor of it.[ ] I am in favor of it as it is written, but would like it even better if certain changes were made.[ ] I am against it as it is written, but would support it if certain changes were made. [ ] I am completely against it. - For The Resolution On The Status of the Membership Guidelines:
[ ] I am completely in favor of it.[ ] I am in favor of it as it is written, but would like it even better if certain changes were made.[ ] I am against it as it is written, but would support it if certain changes were made. [ ] I am completely against it. - For The Resolution on Faithful Witness Amid Endless War:
[ ] I am completely in favor of it.[ ] I am in favor of it as it is written, but would like it even better if certain changes were made.[ ] I am against it as it is written, but would support it if certain changes were made. [ ] I am completely against it. - For The Resolution on Israel/Palestine
[ ] I am completely in favor of it.[ ] I am in favor of it as it is written, but would like it even better if certain changes were made.[ ] I am against it as it is written, but would support it if certain changes were made. [ ] I am completely against it.
Thank you for your time and attention to this.