| BWC delegation encourages General Conference to 'highest levels' of behavior By Erik Alsgaard
UMCONNECTION STAFF The 18-member delegation of the Baltimore-Washington Conference stood in support of one of their own May 3, as chair of the delegation, the Rev. David Argo, read a statement to the General Conference on issues of inclusivity, racism and behavior among delegates.  | Mike Dubois/UMNS | The Rev. A. David Argo, leader of the Baltimore-Washington Conference delegation, addresses General Conference. |
The statement, signed by the entire delegation, calls upon all our sisters and brothers attending General Conference to model the highest levels of respect, dignity and honor toward all of Gods children here at General Conference. The statement stemmed from an incident a member of the Baltimore-Washington Conference delegation, the Rev. HiRho Park, experienced while in the Church and Society legislative committee. That committee dealt with petitions on several controversial issues, including homosexuality, abortion, stem cell research, war and racism. During a moment of personal privilege in the committee April 30, Park rose to speak about the difficulty she experienced in being called on by the chair and urged the leadership team of the committee to work collaboratively to set an example of partnership in ministry. Ironically, the statement notes, these incidents occurred on the same day the conference celebrated a service of appreciation of African Americans who remained in the church, reminding us of the sin of racism. After making her witness, later that day during a break, Park was verbally chastised by another committee member, the statement read, for raising these important issues. A member of the committee, the Rev. Won Namkoong, from North Carolina, brought this incident to the legislative committees attention. At the end of his speech, he moved to have the delegate who chastised Park removed from the committee. His motion was ruled out of order by the chair of the committee, the Rev. Jessica Moffat, from Oklahoma, because a legislative committee does not have that authority. On May 1, Namkoong brought another motion to the committee seeking to have the Commission on the General Conference ask the General Commission on Religion and Race and the General Commission on the Status and Role of Women to train delegates and legislative committee chairs on working inter-culturally at General Conference. This motion was ruled out of order because legislative committees at General Conference do not have the authority to create new petitions. The Baltimore-Washington Conference delegation, concurrent with these actions, drafted the statement in support of Park, and sought ways to bring it to the General Conferences attention. We cannot afford to be silent on this matter that touches so many of our delegates and the very heart of what it means to be Christ-like, said Argo in an interview. Sandy Ferguson, an associate council director for the conference and the first elected layperson in the delegation, said she talked to the delegation during discussions on the issue. Our silence gives credence and power to injustice. When one member of the body is wounded, the entire body is wounded, she said. In the end, Argo read the statement while members of the delegation stood in solidarity, along with several members of the Church and Society legislative committee dispersed throughout the hall.
Argo's Full Statement As a General Conference, we have committed ourselves to full participation of every delegate. We, the members of the Baltimore-Washington Conference, wish to express our deep concern over how some General Conference delegates are being treated in legislative committees especially delegates who are women and ethnic. At the Church and Society legislative meeting last Friday, one of our delegates had great difficulty in being recognized to speak by the committee chair. A number of others were recognized before her. Ironically, it fell to her, herself a victim of insensitivity, to raise the issue of racism and the protection of every delegates right to speak to the committee at large. The more painful moment, however, came after the meeting when she was verbally chastised by another committee member for raising these important issues.
These painful moments came in the same morning that as a General Conference we celebrated a service of appreciation of African Americans, reminding us of the sin of racism in the church and the commitment that we have made to be a more inclusive church.
As I express this deep concern on behalf of our delegation, we stand in solidarity with our wounded sister and also call upon all of our sisters and brothers to model the highest levels of respect, dignity and honor toward all of Gods children here at General Conference.
How blessed it is when brothers and sisters love together in unity. — Psalm 133:1 | 
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