BY TIM TANTON
UNITED METHODIST NEWS SERVICE
PAUL MORSE/WHITE HOUSE PHOTO OFFICE | | Bishop John R. Schol, left, greets President George W. Bush during a meeting of Christian leaders in the Dwight D. Eisenhower Executive Office Building May 3. |
Five United Methodist bishops, including Bishop John R. Schol of the Baltimore-Washington Conference, made a pastoral visit to President George W. Bush on May 3 in a meeting that they said opened the door for future conversations and work with the White House. The bishops had a private, 10-minute meeting with the president and some of his staff, then joined a larger group of religious leaders meeting with Bush at the White House. 
CLAYTON CHILDERS, GBCS/UMNS | | House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi of California visits with some of the United Methodist bishops who toured the Capitol Building. More than a dozen of the church leaders met with U.S. lawmakers and other government officials on such concerns as AIDS and support for struggling African countries. |
During their private session, the bishops presented Bush, a fellow United Methodist, with a Bible signed by the Council of Bishops, and they shared a moment of prayer with him. They told the president they are praying for him, that they share his commitment to building a better world, and that they are committed to finding ways to work together on common concerns, said Bishop Peter Weaver, president of the council. 'We believe ... that some doors have been opened,' Weaver reported later to the Council of Bishops, which met May 1-6 in Washington. Weaver led the delegation, which also included Bishop Janice Huie, president-designate of the council; Bishop Ernest Lyght, council secretary; and Bishop Charlene Kammerer of the Richmond (Va.) Area. The president was 'very cordial, very friendly,' said Weaver, who also leads the denomination's Boston Area. 'He was interested in things we were doing in the United Methodist Church. At one point, he said, ?I'm proud to be a Methodist.'' Bush said he 'was very delighted to be meeting with us,' noted Bishop Schol, who has been involved in building relationships with White House officials for several months. Huie led the bishops in a moment of prayer with the president. 'He was eager to have prayer,' Bishop Schol said of Bush. 'We joined hands in a circle and prayed together.' The bishops had two objectives in meeting with the president, Weaver said. First, they wanted the visit to be a pastoral call in the tradition of similar visits dating back to 1789, when the first American Methodist bishops, Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke, presented a Bible to President George Washington. The bishops wanted to let Bush know they were praying for him. Second, they wanted to continue building on a relationship with the White House that would be productive with the 'fruits of human justice, peace and hope,' Weaver said afterward. 'We are looking forward to finding ways to work together on common issues, such as AIDS in Africa,' Weaver said. A number of issues surfaced during their time with Bush, particularly in the larger meeting with ecumenical religious leaders. 'He did express his hope for peace,' Weaver said. 'He did talk about a wide range of subjects, including the Israeli-Palestinian situation, the war in Iraq (and) issues in Sudan.' The bishops were upbeat after the meeting. 'We were very appreciative and hopeful in terms of continuing to develop a relationship with the White House,' Bishop Schol said. The president and his staff invited the bishops to keep communications open and to call when they see opportunities to work together, Weaver said. The Council of Bishops comprises The United Methodist Church's top clergy leaders. The denomination has more than 10 million members in the United States, Africa, Europe and Asia. | 
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