Official Sacred Worth Response to Rev. Eddie Fox Distinguished Alumni Award

October 22, 2013

Sacred Worth
Candler School of Theology Emory University 1531 Dickey Dr. Atlanta, GA 30322

Dr. Jan Love
Dean and Professor of Christianity and World Politics Candler School of Theology
Emory University
1531 Dickey Dr.
Atlanta, GA 30322

Dear Dean Love,
On Thursday, October 10, 2013 Candler School of Theology awarded Rev. H. Eddie Fox with a Distinguished Alumni Award. The Distinguished Alumni Award is Candler’s highest lifetime achievement award which “annually recognizes an alumnus or alumna whose service to God, the church, and his or her community has been made with distinction.” As members and friends of the Candler community, we are appalled and heartbroken that your administration, in conjunction with the Candler alumni board, chose to distinguish and celebrate the career of Rev. Fox.

Rev. Fox has spent 30 years using his position as the Executive Director of the World Methodist Evangelism Institute to grandstand his own narrow and exclusive opinions of homosexuality within The United Methodist Church. Recently, Rev. Fox was the spokesman for the minority report at the 2008 General Conference that regrettably succeeded in ensuring that The United Methodist Church would continue to actively discipline, silence, and oppress lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) persons. In his remarks he claimed that The United Methodist Church must make sure that its stance on homosexuality is, “clear, concise and faithful to biblical teaching.” Which, he argued, meant upholding the position that, “homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching.”

Unfortunately, Rev. Fox has so far succeeded in his efforts at evangelizing ignorance and hate. The bitter fruits of his work are littered across the church. We taste them each time a United Methodist clergy member is defrocked for falling in love. We taste them each time a seminarian is kept silent for fear of retribution for speaking her mind and heart. And we taste them most especially each time an LGBTQ adult or youth commits suicide because of the “clear, concise, and faithful” teachings with which they have been indoctrinated.

Regrettably, your administration decided against retracting the award to Rev. Fox after we petitioned you to do so. We remain firmly against the administration using “theological diversity” as a cover and excuse for perpetuating harmful systems of injustice. Since its inception, Sacred Worth has always fielded dialogue between people across the theological spectrum; however, elevating a proponent of such oppressive legislation effectively delegitimizes any sense of safe space within Candler for LGBTQ students and their allies.

At this point we cannot erase history, and Rev. Eddie Fox will forever be a “Distinguished Alumni” of Candler School of Theology. After considerable dialogue with students and faculty, we have settled on two primary goals for Candler to help counteract the exclusive teachings espoused by Rev. Fox and the unsettling message sent by our celebration of his career. They are:

• Become a Reconciling Seminary. Reconciling Ministries Network “mobilizes United Methodists of all sexual orientations and gender identities to transform our Church and world into the full expression of Christ’s inclusive love.” By becoming a Reconciling Seminary, Candler School of Theology will undertake a thoughtful and thorough process that educates, reforms, and aligns the seminary with a growing movement of United Methodist individuals, congregations, campus ministries, and other groups working for the full participation of all people in The United Methodist Church.
  
• Include “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” in the Candler Commitments statement. Candler School of Theology currently states its commitment to “a community of faith and learning inclusive of women and men who are diverse in ethnic, economic, social, and national background.” In order to ensure the safety and support of Candler’s LGBTQ community, including a statement of commitment to them is necessary.
  While the awarding of Rev. Fox cannot be undone, we feel that these reparations will be a healthy step in reconciling the LGBTQ and allied community at Candler to the administration. We understand that moving Candler towards achieving these goals will not be easy, and so we pledge to you our service and support for the journey. It is our greatest hope and desire that by working together, we can bring some good fruit to bear out of this unfortunate situation.
  We look forward to working together for a better and more inclusive Candler.
  
  Sincerely,
  Candler Sacred Worth
  John Boyd, President
  Anna Flowers, Vice President & Treasurer Zebulun Treloar, Chaplain & C3 Representative Karen Stephenson Slappey, Secretary
  Katelyn Bland-Clark, Secretary
  Jake Miles Joseph, Outreach Coordinator
  CC: James W. Wagner, President, Emory University 
  

"A Letter to Dean Jan Love of Candler School of Theology Regarding the Distinguished Alumni Award that will be given to the Rev. Eddie Fox" September 11, 2013

The following is a letter that I sent to Dean Jan Love of Candler School of Theology regarding a Distinguished Alumni Award that will be given to the Rev. Eddie Fox of Tennessee on September 27th.  The Rev. Fox has been an outspoken opponent of the inclusion of homosexuals in the United Methodist Church.  

Dean Love:

I am writing to you as a concerned member of the Candler community, a future alumna of Candler School of Theology, and as an ally of the children of God who identify as LGBTQ .  I am saddened and disappointed to learn that a Distinguished Alumni Award will be given to the Rev. Eddie Fox, an individual who has chosen to stand against the inclusion of homosexuals in the United Methodist Church.  The decision by our institution to honor an individual who has been so vocal, and instrumental, in keeping those who have been marginalized away from the Church sends a disgraceful message of unwelcome to our past, present, and future students who identify as LGBTQ.

Dean Love, I ask that you and the board members responsible for this decision will consider, in addition to the above, the following:

For Candler students who will someday engage in parish ministry, how will this type of association reflect upon us as ministers of the Gospel to our congregations; congregations that will most surely include dear ones who have been turned away from the Lord's Table because of their sexuality? 

How will honoring Rev. Fox be perceived by future students who are considering Candler School of Theology?

Will Candler choose to honor someone who stands so defiantly against the inclusion of ALL God's CHILDREN in the body of Christ? 

I came to Candler because I believed that I would receive not only an excellent theological education, but because I believed that I would be part of a community that was working to repair the tears that have occurred in the fabric of Church.  By honoring the Rev. Fox as a distinguished alumni of Candler School of Theology we are not drawing the circle wider.   We are not working to repair the negative image earned by the Church so widely held in today's society. We are not opening hearts, minds, or doors. We are, once again, caving to pressure from those loudest of voices that perpetuate fear and exclusion. 

Thank you for taking the time to read this communication.  It is my hope that you, and those responsible for this decision, will choose to deliver the message of radical welcome that was exhibited by our Lord, and Savior, Jesus Christ by rescinding your decision to bestow this award.

God's Peace.

Karen Stephenson Slappey

"'In presenting the minority report, however, the Rev. Eddie Fox said that any United Methodist statement on human sexuality needs to be “clear, concise and faithful to biblical teaching. Leaving out the statement that homosexuality is 'incompatible with Christian teaching' would be confusing, especially for members of the church outside the United States, Fox said."

http://www.umc.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=lwL4KnN1LtH&b=3082929&content_id=%7B45E5D40C-0D18-46F7-B40B-BD2F0B9F528F%7D#.UjCgvcYsk1J

http://www.interpretermagazine.org/interior.asp?ptid=43&mid=13383

http://www.toledoblade.com/Religion/2004/05/05/Split-Methodists-affirm-stand-on-homosexuality.html

Originally Published in her blog by  Karen Stephenson Slappey

Secretary of Sacred Worth 

"A Letter to Eddie Fox"- September 11, 2013 by Zeb Treloar

Dear Reverend Fox,

You will be hearing soon about students at Candler School of Theology who are protesting your reception of an alumni award.  And yes, it's because of your stance on homosexuality.  You've been a voice strongly in opposition of those of us who aren't straight but have been called to ordained ministry. You've helped to ensure that many of us who felt called while members of the United Methodist Church leave the denomination.  In my own case, I know that I could have stayed and been well supported by people in my conference who know me and know my call.  But in the end, I would have to stand against the Book of Discipline, and I couldn't bring myself to break the rules.  I don't self-identify as homosexual, but that's not really the heart of the rule, is it?  The point of the rule is to weed out those who aren't straight, and the good Lord knows I am not a heterosexual. 

I left for a church where my sexual orientation was about as relevant to the ordination process as my skin color.  I must say, I am a more complete individual becuase I made that decision. I don't have to worry about the gender of the person I'm dating, because in the end, it's not relevant to how I live out my call.  I understand that we are all first and foremost Children of God, given full membership in the church through our baptisms, and sent out to do God's mission through our confirmations.  If it is God's will that one should seek ordination, why should one's sexual orientation be a barrier?

There are two groups of people I wish you could meet.  And I mean truly meet, without your biases leading you to judge those around you at the table.

The first are the people like me who left the United Methodist Church because of the statements in the Book of Discipline.  And it's not just gay people - there are plenty of allies too, who could not serve in a church that denies ordination to certain people based on their sexual orientation and does not allow pastors to perform same sex marriages.  Many have turned away from the homophobia that is inherent in the statements found in the Book of Discipline.  We're all doing ministry as God has called us to.  Some of us are ordained or seeking ordination in different denominations and some are lay leaders.  We're all serving the body of Christ, prayerfully working to help others deepen their discipleship.

The second group are the people who stay and fight.  You know some of these people already - they are the people you work against.  But I think if you sat at the table with them, you would find people who are just as passionate about the United Methodist Church as you are.  People who care about the global mission of the church and don't want to impede its growth in Africa, but cannot with good conscious allow their church to endorse homophobia. They are working for a better United Methodist Church, just like you are.
I think you could learn much from these groups.  I know if you sat at a table with me, you might be surprised at how much we agree on.  I want to ensure that people have a clear understanding of the Bible and the tenants found within it. That's why I don't hang my hat on seven prooftexts that can easily fall when you look at the cultural context and the language in which they were written.  The ancient authors of the text didn't have words for homosexuality, and the way the texts are used to endorse discrimination against homosexuals is a modern creation, brought about in the 20th century.  Instead, I chose to focus on what Jesus told us to do.  I agree full heartedly that we are to follow the Ten Commandments which point to the greatest commandments as given to us by Christ: Love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself.  I believe that in order to fully love God, one must be disciplined, ardent in prayer, and serious about Scripture, constantly searching for God's Word in the world today. I don't think that the church can be boiled down into humanist ideology either.  There are certain things that the church should take a stand on, things the church shouldn't endorse.  These are things that devalue God's children and make them feel less human than others.  This is also why I cannot be a part of a church that does not give full inclusion to people of all sexual orientations and gender identities. 

I know you're worried about division and the idea that your denomination could split over the issue of homosexuality. You are trying your best to keep your church together in the way you think is best.  But you are clinging to a statement that devalues the callings of many children of God and claims that they are less able to live out their callings to ministry because of the gender of the people they are attracted to. How can you truly love these children of God as your neighbor if you hold such a stance? 

I have to stand in opposition to your being awarded an alumni award because of these views.  Candler School of Theology admits many children of God such as myself who have been hurt by these kinds of statements, who have been told by some denomination or denominational statement that they are less than others because of their sexual orientation. I cannot support someone who upholds those doctrines.

Sincerely,
Zebulun Treloar
2nd Year MDiv Student
Candler School of Theology

Chaplain of Sacred Worth 

Mail for Candler's Sacred Worth: Greetings from Hawaii

This week, sacred worth was blessed with the prayers of a congregation in Hawaii that heard about what the LGBTQ community at Candler has undergone in the last couple of months. They made us traditional lei and sent them to us with local chocolate and a prayer. We thank Church of the Crossroads and all those keeping the LGBTQ cause at Candler and around the world close to their hearts.

 
"Dear Friends at Emory,
Enclosed please find lei that were made by the handcrafts folk at Church of the Crossroads in Honolulu, prayed over at the end of our Bible Study groups, and sent to you with our love and aloha.
Know that you are all held in prayer and in Divine light by people as far away as Hawaii.
Shalom and Blessings, Rev. Kyle Lovett"