View from the Pew
A look inside Hawaii's houses of worshipBy Mary Adamski
Supervising clergy at a church convention next week will be asked about the moral conduct of ministers under their direction. Methodists to discuss
abuse, blameAre they "blameless in their life and official administration?" is a question originally posed by John Wesley, who founded the United Methodist Church 250 years ago.
"We will stand and be asked this ancient question," said the Rev. Barbara Ripple, Hawaii district superintendent, who will join other islanders at the denomination's California-Pacific regional conference in Redlands, Calif.
Beyond that traditional call to accountability, Methodists are guided by their Book of Disciplines, which was strengthened over the past 20 years in the area of ethical and moral conduct. Each regional conference was required to develop a "clergy sexual ethics policy," which includes provisions for church trials and stripping errant clergy of their ministry.
What those measures demonstrate is that "abuse has gone on for a long time, and it is not just Catholic priests," said Ripple. "It tends to be persons who have authority, persons whom other people trust. It can be a counselor, a coach, a Scout leader, a family member. Most abuse does happen in a family.
"All of us who are ordained or serve the church have to set higher standards for ourselves, to have a commitment not to hurt another," said Ripple.
"We do believe people must be responsible for their actions."
The troubled Catholic Church and others could benefit by literally taking a page from the Methodists' book.
Mature and pragmatic people obviously crafted the self-examination guide which leads Methodist ministers to reflect on their spiritual, physical, emotional, intellectual, professional and relational well-being.
"Do I give quality time for the different personal relations that I have in my life?" it asks, and many follow-up queries clearly would not apply to Catholic priests, whose required vow of celibacy rules out a life with spouse and children.
"Am I aware of the clear-cut relationship boundaries which exist between myself and those in my ministerial care? Do I monitor those boundaries and defend them at all costs?
"Am I aware of how I relate to members of the opposite and same sex? Is there a healthy sense of trust and respect that I have developed?"
Those questions and dozens more appeared in the workbook of the 2001 California-Pacific Annual Conference under the heading of "Strategies for Prevention of Sexual Misconduct."
Some of the concerns in the practical guide reflect past turmoil within the denomination, which, like others, has had conflicts over the ordination of homosexuals.
"Problems arise from our lack of clarity concerning the integration of our professional and personal lives," the wise authors of the guide wrote.
"We are called not only to a vocation, but a lifestyle. We are called on behalf of the community to tend to the spiritual needs of that community.
"People trust us precisely because we are Christian ministers."
While other churches have watched but not commented publicly about the current scandal of priest pedophiles and cover-up in the Catholic Church, the United Methodist Church has been among the most frank in acknowledging that it happens in every fold.
The U.S. Methodists' 150-member Council of Bishops passed a declaration May 3 that clerics who abuse children will not be shielded or protected by church authorities. They vowed to "prevent and eradicate sexual abuse and misconduct" from all levels of church life.
Unlike many other Protestant denominations, where a particular church chooses or "calls" a particular minister, Methodist pastors are appointed by a bishop.
But there is the added safeguard of a Board of Ordained Ministry in each conference whose members, with the bishop, are responsible for monitoring ministers' moral character and other personnel issues.
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Mary Adamski covers religion for the Star-Bulletin.
Email her at madamski@starbulletin.com.
