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BY DANIEL GANGLER
United Methodist News Service

The Confessing Movement within The United Methodist Church created a new proclamation welcoming 'serious attention to the denomination?s unity and the basis of that unity.'

The proclamation was approved Sept. 24 by the more than 300 participants at the Confessing Movement?s conference held in Cincinnati, Ohio, Sept. 22-24.

Bishop John R. Schol of the Baltimore-Washington Conference was in attendance, one of three bishops who attended both this meeting and the 'Hearts on Fire' conference earlier in September. (See companion story at ...)

Bishop Schol attended both meetings, along with Bishops Sally Dyck of Minnesota and Scott Jones of Kansas. 'We may not all agree,' he said, 'but we?re leaders committed to listening and understanding.'

The two-page proclamation came as a reaction to discussion at the 2004 General Conference and the appointment of the Unity Task Force by the United Methodist Council of Bishops.

The document 'Unity in Christ, That the World May Believe,' was introduced by the Rev. Maxie Dunnam, chancellor of Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Ky., and vice president of the Confessing Movement, on behalf of the organization?s board of directors.

The document rests on three convictions held by the movement:

? 'There is no authentic unity in the Church apart from agreement on the truth of the gospel,

? 'Our (United Methodist) constitutionally protected Doctrinal Standards are foundational to our agreement in the gospel,

? 'There are inadequate proposals for unity to be named and critiqued.'

Doctrine is central to the document, according to Dunnam, who added that the proclamation is 'not an action plan but a platform for action.'

The document states, 'Genuine unity in the church is not secured by religious sentiment, sincere piety, dead orthodoxy, tight property clauses, or appeals to institutional authority and loyalty.'

It defines genuine unity 'as a precious gift of the Holy Spirit,' rooted in the gospel of Jesus Christ, witnessed to in Holy Scripture, summarized in ecumenical creeds, celebrated in worship and sacraments, demonstrated in common mission, articulated in our teaching, lived out in love, and contended by the faithful.

The document also sites 'practices that contribute to disunity' including: neglect of Scripture, disobedience to Doctrinal Standards, claims of new sources of revelation that set aside the authority of Scripture and the tested morality of the church, and 'capitulation of lifestyles that are inconsistent with Christian discipleship.'

Following Dunnam?s presentation, several participants voiced their views on the document before it was approved. Several felt the section on dissent needed strengthening. Dunnam said those drafting the final statement 'did not want to send any kind of a warning or threat to the church.'

Following a standing affirmation that confirmed the proclamation, the Rev. Robert Renfroe, associate minister at The Woodlands UMC near Houston, Texas and a member of the movement?s board, addressed the conference saying, 'We need to listen as first steps toward unity. Listen to others; listen to God.'

'Homosexuality is not the issue,' he said. 'There are deeper problems,' which he outlined as the nature of moral truth, authority of Scripture, revelatory words of Scripture, and the uniqueness of Christ as supreme Lord and Savior of the world.

'These are the issues that divide The United Methodist Church. They must be addressed,' said Renfroe.

For the complete text of 'Unity in Christ, That the World May Believe,' log on to the Confessing Movement Web site at www.confessingumc.org.