Whereas, many members of The United Methodist Church have, through study and involvement, grown in understanding and in faith as a result of engaging the Decade's main goals----
1. to empower women to challenge oppressive structures in the global community, their country and their church;
2. to affirm--in shared leadership and decision-making, theology and spirituality----the decisive contributions women are making in churches and communities;
3. to give visibility to women's perspectives and actions in the struggle for peace, justice and the integrity of creation;
4. to enable churches to free themselves from racism, sexism and classism and from teaching and practices that discriminate against women;
5. to encourage churches to take actions in solidarity with women; and
Whereas, the Council of Bishops has contributed significantly to current theological reflection and helped clarify the role of women's theological reflection and scholarship in their document Council of Bishops Report: Task Force on the Study of Wisdom; and
Whereas, United Methodists have participated in WCC Team Visits to member churches world-wide in consultations regarding the goals of the Decade as "Living Letters" from the churches to each other, and through such visits have been challenged to deeper commitment, faithfulness and witness; and
Whereas, from these visits emerge four areas of concern from women all around the world:
1. women's full and creative participation in the life of the church;
2. violence against women in all its forms and dimensions;
3. the global economic crisis and its effects on women;
4. racism and xenophobia and its specific impact on women; and
Whereas, the Fourth International Conference on Women in Beijing, in which United Methodists participated, has addressed vital ongoing concerns regarding economic justice for women, access to health care and family planning, participation of women in social and policy planning, violence against women, rights of women in inheritance, women's roles in creating and promoting peace; and
Whereas, The United Methodist Church is currently growing in the richness and fullness of its own global nature and therefore called to greater solidarity with women of the church world-wide; and
Whereas, the search for Christian unity calls the church to unity with wholeness at every level of its life together;
Therefore, we call upon The United Methodist Church to:
Reaffirm its commitment to the Ecumenical Decade: Churches in Solidarity with Women 1988-1998;
Recommit itself to addressing the spiritual and social brokenness which condemns women to lives defined by poverty, powerlessness and violence;
Continue in study, spiritual reflection and advocacy related to full voice and participation of women at every level of church and society.
General Conference Webmaster: Susan Brumbaugh
PETS Creator: John Brawn
Petition Text: 21079-IC-NonDis-O
1996 United Methodist General Conference