Abolish Poverty, End Suffering

President and Prophet Stephen M. Veazey recently discussed Luke 4:18–19 and the five Mission Initiatives with Apostle Linda Booth. The Herald will run excerpts from their conversation in a six-part series. To see videos of their interview, visit www.CofChrist.org/mission/Veazey-Booth-interview.asp.

Linda: Steve, we’re talking now about Abolish Poverty, End Suffering. For some reason, with this Mission Initiative, people go, “Ah, this is too bold. There’s no way we can ever achieve this.” I’ve even heard people say, “Well, you know the poor will always be among us.” So when you hear those kinds of statements, what it is your response?

Steve: My response is, let’s look at that phrase, how it was used, put it in context, and understand it before we use it as an excuse to maintain the status quo of poverty in our communities and the world.

If we go to scripture, we know the phrase comes from Matthew 26:6–13, and it describes an experience when Jesus was in Bethany about a woman who came to him with an alabaster jar of very costly perfumed ointment. And she anointed him. She poured it over his head as he sat at the table.

Now we know in retrospect she had discerned Christ was going to sacrifice his life, and she understood the significance of that. So before he was actually dead, she was honoring him with a ritual of the anointing of the body. It’s a sign of respect and a sign of devotion.

The disciples there didn’t understand what was going on. They missed the significance. So trying to score points with Jesus, they chastised the woman for what she had done. Can you imagine how that felt to Jesus? She had perceived the sacred nature of what was occurring, and they called it a waste.

They said, well, this could have been sold, and we could have given it to the poor. Wouldn’t that have been the better way to go? And Jesus basically said, you’ve missed the whole point. Leave her alone. What she’s done will be talked about wherever the gospel story is told.

This saying, that the poor will always be among us, he’s actually making a point that some things happen only one time and are so significant that we have to be willing to pause, take note of it, and understand what it is.

And what this woman had done was so sacred—sacramental so to speak—that everyone needed to see it as something unusual, not something that was just part of the daily circumstances and conditions of life. So Jesus said, for you will have the poor among you always, but I won’t be here forever, and we’ve missed that point.

Now where does that phrase come from, you’ll have the poor among you always? He was actually quoting a passage from Deuteronomy 15, where there’s instruction being given to the tribes of Israel about how to live in the land where they are, the land that they will inherit as God’s blessing and promise to them.

We need to hear the first part of the passage so we understand this phrase in context. Here’s what it says: There will, however, be no one in need among you because the Lord will bless you in the land the Lord, your God, is giving you if you will obey all of the commandments. Those commandments included always taking care of the stranger, the neighbor in need, and the poor among you.

And so the promise is there will be no poor if you obey the commandments of God that have been given to you as part of the covenant…of possessing this land of promise. Then the passage goes on and basically says if you aren’t living up to those commandments then here’s what you’re to do: If there happens to be someone in need because they haven’t been helped by someone else, then you should give generously to help them out. You should open your hand. You should willingly give enough to meet the need whatever it may be.

And it says to be careful that you do not entertain a mean thought toward them. Give liberally and ungrudgingly. God will bless all the work you undertake. This is the way to respond to those in need among you if everybody else is not living up to the commands I have given you.

So the phrase is in this passage, since there will never cease to be some in need on Earth, I therefore command you open your hand to the poor and needy neighbor in your land. Now, I think Jesus was reacting to his disciples. He was using our need. He was saying basically it’s because of your own failings to respond to the commandments of God that the poor are always around you, but don’t use them as an excuse.

Don’t chastise this woman because there are poor all around you. Recognize the preciousness of what she did and then always work to alleviate the needs of the poor until there are no more poor in the land, which gets back to the original vision shared in Deuteronomy.

That’s a long way around to my response. My response is I think Jesus would be frustrated and chagrinned that we as disciples today might use his turn of a phrase in reaction to his disciples to justify or to tolerate poverty in our land.
If we took scripture—the Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants—and took out everything that has to do with our obligation to tend to the needs of poor and to create justice for the poor and needy, there wouldn’t be a whole lot left.

So the weight of scripture is dramatically in the other direction from using this one phrase Jesus was using to challenge his disciples to justify the status quo of accepting that there will always be the poor around us.

On a practical basis, there are various organizations that have carefully calculated and strategized how poverty can be alleviated in the world. Our agricultural production is more than enough to feed the hungry in our world. What we spend on wars and other things, which we say are our priorities, is way beyond the funding needed to alleviate poverty and hunger.

It’s a bold initiative for the very reason that we need to be kind of shocked out of our complacency and to understand the passionate concern of God for the poor. It’s also bold and broad so that we will quickly understand we can’t do it by ourselves.

The only way to address these issues is to partner with other churches and other organizations and to be, as our Doctrine and Covenants says, at the forefront of organizations seeking to address those kinds of needs in the lives of people and affirming the Worth of All Persons.

We are going to have to work together. But if we can be part of a catalyst for some aspects of that, then we will make a significant contribution to abolishing poverty and ending suffering in the world. It’s an imperative from Jesus, and it’s an imperative of the mission of Christ as we understand it today.

Linda: Yes, it is. At the very core is Christ’s compassion, his compassion for all those people around him who he saw in need. So, if that compassion became alive in people and congregations, what might it look like, and what might the result be?

Steve: Compassion is one word that describes Jesus’ heart, his heart of hearts, the very core of who he was. The scriptures often say he was moved, not just with concern or being shocked at the condition of people; he was moved with compassion, and that’s a deep, penetrating movement of the Spirit. Compassion literally means to suffer with. “C-o-m” means with. Passion is not just enthusiastic feelings. It means deep suffering.

We talk of our Lord’s passion for us as being in the events that included his trial and death on the cross. That is our Lord’s passion for us. Compassion means to suffer with, and the only way we do that is to be present with.

You can’t have compassion from a distance. You have to be present as an instrument for sharing God’s love, God’s concern so people understand they are not alone in their suffering. It may be physical suffering. It may be emotional or mental despair or suffering. It may be spiritual suffering. It may be a person who has experienced brokenness in relationships and feels rejected. They feel cut off from their family or a community of loved ones that has been important to them.

All aspects of suffering are the focus of concern of compassionate disciples of Jesus. Jesus was God present with us in our suffering. God with us. Disciples of Jesus in Community of Christ are present in the name and Spirit of Christ with others who are suffering.

When we do that, the gospel is enfleshed. It becomes real. People are touched. They’re blessed. They have hope again. They believe in the future again. They understand their future does not have to be a continuation of their past.

That’s the good news of the gospel. To be suffering and alone is hell on Earth, and Community of Christ will not stand for that condition in people. We go, and we are present. We listen. We share as is appropriate in our testimony. We love, we help, we invite. We invite people into Community of Christ so they never have to be alone in their suffering again.

Linda: And when we love that much, then we get involved in the messiness of life. We don’t stand back when our neighbor is hurting. We are there to support them.

Steve: We’re present. We’re willing for our hearts to be broken. But we understand that in our brokenheartedness we have created a lot of space for the grace of God revealed in Jesus Christ that is the witness of the Holy Spirit to move. Others are blessed and transformed, but we’re also blessed and transformed.

We grow closer. We grow more intimate with our Lord Jesus Christ in the process. It’s not enough just to know about Jesus. We have to know Jesus. And to know Jesus means we’re living the life that Jesus lived. Sometimes that means we’re willing to figuratively go to the cross for others. Sometimes literally.

We know of brothers and sisters in the church who have given their lives for the sake of others. That’s all part of the integrity of our ministry and witness as a church.

Linda: In the past on the first Sunday of every month we’ve given to Oblation, and many people have given to World Hunger. How does giving to Abolish Poverty, End Suffering link to how people previously have given?

Steve: It goes directly to the Mission Initiative, Abolish Poverty, End Suffering. So we want to be very clear about that. What we previously designated as Oblation or for Oblation Ministries, which was always used to meet the needs of the needy and those in emergency situations, that all goes to support the Mission Initiative, Abolish Poverty, End Suffering.

World Hunger is an aspect of that. We particularly want to focus some of our funding on alleviating world hunger and advocating for food security for people throughout the world and in our communities. So if we’ve given to Oblation or World Hunger we can…give to Abolish Poverty, End Suffering, which will include those ministries we have defined as Oblation or World Hunger Ministries.

Linda: And so may each of us who are listening to this conversation feel that passion and compassion of Jesus burning within us that we might be the true and living expressions of Jesus Christ in the lives we touch.

USA Gets Ready for Its Own Conference

BY GREG CLARK, Integrated Communications

Australia and Canada stand at the forefront of national conferences under the guidance of Section 164, but the USA isn’t far behind. Neither is the British Isles.

The USA conference will run from April 19–21, 2013, in Independence, Missouri, immediately after World Conference. The British Isles conference will be scheduled for later in that year.

The USA conference will involve 1,500 delegates elected by mission centers and special groups like Graceland University students, plus about 20 ex officio delegates.

Similar to the conference in Canada, it will address two issues. The first is whether to extend the sacrament of marriage to persons of the same sex/gender or provide a church-recognized way for two people of the same sex/gender to publicly express a commitment to each other. The second is to allow people in committed, monogamous, long-term, same-sex/gender relationships to be considered for ordination when called by the Holy Spirit.

As with the conferences in Australia and Canada, the USA conference will not make final decisions. Instead it will decide whether to send recommendations to the First Presidency and Council of Twelve.

Preparations will take months. Members are to discern, study, and pray about the subjects while remaining open to the leadings of God’s Spirit. Then the national conference will use a consent-building approach. It will lead to a final vote, with a two-thirds majority required to recommend a change in policy.

The conference will fall under the guidance of Section 164, and the results could continue or change church policies for the country’s nearly 120,000 members.

The team of USA apostles said the national conference will provide an opportunity to be a “signal community.” It will do this by demonstrating how to do the hard work of collectively discovering God’s will and developing consent on important issues, as opposed to allowing a simple majority to decide.

Australia, Canada Prepare for Conferences

BY GREG CLARK, Integrated Communications

A narrow field of issues will transcend a broad expanse of church geography in June.

Over a two-week period, Australia and Canada—more than 9,600 miles apart—will host similar national conferences that could impact ministry in their countries.

The conferences, each under the guidance of Doctrine and Covenants 164, will focus on issues of sexuality. Recommendations could lead to policy changes within their nations, and other countries certainly will watch.

Though Australia and Canada share similar situations they are taking different approaches and facing different circumstances. For example, same-gender marriage is not legal in Australia, but it is in Canada.

Australia’s conference will start June 2 when members meet at the Drumoyne Congregation in Sydney. Canada will follow June 16 when its members gather at 15 sites linked electronically. Kitchener, Ontario, will serve as the hub.

The Australia conference will focus on one issue: whether ordination should be open to people regardless of their sexual orientation. The Canada conference will address whether to permit ordination of people in same-sex/gender marriages and whether to allow priesthood to perform same-sex/gender marriages.

Both conferences are designed only to decide whether to make recommendations. The First Presidency and Council of Twelve will draft interim policies if a national conference recommends that a policy change.

Despite the differences, the nations hold commonalities, too. Each approached its conference after a prolonged period of discernment, prayer, and study. Each will have the benefit of the recently released Statement of Sexual Ethics (www
.CofChist.org/ethics/). And each is asking God’s Spirit of peace to help all voices be heard clearly and compassionately.

Section 164
The path to these national conferences opened when the 2010 World Conference accepted new scripture. It said some issues were better addressed in a particular nation or field, not the World Conference. Then it gave further guidance:

…timely resolution of pressing issues in various nations is necessary for the restoring work of the gospel to move forward with all of its potential. Therefore, let the proper World Church officers act in their callings—as already provided in church law—to create and interpret church policies to meet the needs of the church in different nations in harmony with the principles contained in this counsel.

Where possible and appropriate, convene national or field conferences to provide opportunities for broader dialogue, understanding, and consent. In those gatherings, let the spirit of love, justice, and truth prevail. —Doctrine and Covenants 164c–d

Apostle Susan Skoor noted Section 164 honors great diversity. “The intent…was to enable the church…to deal with issues specific to a nation, culture, or field when there are issues that could cause harm if considered in other nations….”

The recommendations of these conferences will not go before the 2013 World Conference. Even if recommendations receive approval, nobody should expect overnight changes. The conferences are only the middle point of work that Skoor said began with “prayer, preparation, discernment, dialogue, and conferring.”

If the conferences recommend changes, leaders will need time to:

• Draft and revise policies.
• Develop a framework for policy changes.
• Provide pastoral care and follow-up to any members upset with decisions.
• Assess when and how more dialogue is called for.

Also, if a conference affirms current policy, the church will need time to support that decision.

“So patience will continue to be needed among all concerned as we move into the weeks and months following the national conferences,” Skoor stressed.

The Journeys
It’s uncertain whether the journeys of the Australia and Canada conferences will reach similar endings. But there’s no question that they’ve followed similar paths.

Neither conference will use delegates, instead preferring open participation. Both have gone through months of study, dialogue, and prayer. Each conference will rely on similar consent-building methods. And both will need a two-thirds majority to make recommendations.

“The heart of the national conference itself will consist of another dialogue session,” explained Ken Barrows, president of the Australia Mission Centre. He projects 150–200 of the nation’s 2,900 members will attend.

In Canada, the 7,200 members are spread over vast areas, posing special challenges.

The answer was the electronic conference, but even that brought difficulties because of the nation’s five time zones. “Members from both ends realize the flexibility required to make it feasible to hold such a conference for all Canadians,” noted Tim Stanlick, president of the Canada East Mission Centre.

“No one knows the impact our decisions or lack thereof will have on others,” emphasized Stanlick, who expects about 750 participants. “We beat different drums.

“The post-conference follow-up ministry to individuals will be required no matter what the outcome. Undoubtedly, there will be members who will not be satisfied with the outcome. Our wish is for them to feel good about the process.”

The Future
The impact of the conferences will extend far beyond the events themselves because of what members learn in the quest to become a prophetic people. Skoor summed it up:

“The national conferences are an opportunity to confer in new ways and to celebrate the unity in the midst of diversity that makes this faith movement strong.”

She suggested the conferences would succeed “if we can learn from some additional ways about how to be a people of discernment, a people committed to common consent, a people empowered by God’s Spirit to discuss difficult issues in an attitude of love and compassion for one another.”

“To this end, may God bless us as we enter into the national conferences, and gain from them the teachings that may result.”

Peace Award to Honor Dr. Tadatoshi Akiba

BY BRAD A. MARTELL, Peace and Justice Ministries, Independence, Missouri, USA

Dr. Tadatoshi Akiba

I the late 1960s, a young Japanese mathematician came to the United States for doctoral work at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). There, he joined the anti-nuclear movement. Almost 30 years before, MIT professors were part of the Manhattan Project that created the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, in 1945.

Dr. Tadatoshi Akiba did not want the world to forget the hibakusha, the survivors of the atomic bombings. In 1979, while teaching in the USA, he started the Hibakusha Travel Grant Program or “Akiba Project.” It brought international journalists to Japan to listen to survivors’ stories. With the help of journalists, the hibakusha experiences were retold to the world in hopes no one ever again would suffer the same fate.

Dr. Akiba, advocate for global nuclear disarmament, will receive the 19th Community of Christ International Peace Award on October 26. The event will be webcast live at www.CofChrist.org from the Temple in Independence, Missouri.

The theme, “Peacemaking: Engaging Nuclear Questions,” honors his life’s work of promoting peace with the vision of a world free of nuclear weapons.

Peacemaking Mayor
Elected to the Japanese House of Representatives in 1990, Dr. Akiba furthered his work toward global peace. In 1999, he was elected mayor of Hiroshima, serving three consecutive terms. As mayor he steadfastly worked to make Hiroshima an “International Peace Culture City.” He committed himself and the city—history’s first victim of nuclear warfare—to lead the movement to abolish nuclear weapons. Through museums and memorials, commemorations and campaigns, and exhibitions and education, Hiroshima reminds and challenges the world to pursue peace and eliminate all nuclear weapons.

At this same time, Dr. Akiba served as president of Mayors for Peace. That group began in 1982. It “strives to raise international public awareness regarding the need to abolish nuclear weapons.” It also seeks to contribute to lasting world peace by working to eliminate starvation and poverty, helping refugees, supporting human rights, protecting the environment, and solving “other problems that threaten peaceful coexistence within the human family” (www.mayorsforpeace.org/english/outlines/objective.html).

Under Dr. Akiba, Mayors for Peace went from 470 member cities in 1999 to 4,402 by 2010. In 2001, he initiated the Hiroshima-Nagasaki Peace Study Course, furthering his work to share the stories of the hibakusha. Fifty-three universities worldwide now offer the course. And under his leadership the 2020 Vision Campaign began in 2003. It seeks elimination of nuclear weapons by 2020, the 75th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Dr. Akiba currently is a professor by special appointment of Hiroshima University. He also serves as the national chair for AFS Intercultural Programs in Japan. AFS, one of the world’s largest student-exchange programs, seeks to build peace by building relationships.

Engaging Our Mission
Community of Christ honors Dr. Akiba’s lifelong work and invites all to attend to hear his message. Dr. Akiba’s dedication to the elimination of nuclear weapons reflects Community of Christ’s commitment to Pursue Peace on Earth, advocating for “responsible reduction and eventual elimination of nuclear armaments,” and to “join with other organizations that are constructively promoting a reduction of instruments of mass destruction” (1982 World Conference Resolution 1178, “Nuclear Arms Reduction”).

Facing Questions as One in Christ

by Linda L. Booth
Council of Twelve Apostles

I am disturbed by several questions asked during the April 15 Address (pages 19–26). I can’t escape them. When I drive to the airport or the Temple, they pop into my mind and won’t leave. I awake in the early morning hours, thinking and praying about them. I can’t go back to sleep. I believe struggling to find answers to these questions is critical to all of us so we can be “poised to fulfill God’s ultimate vision for the church” (Doctrine and Covenants 164:9a).

Here are the troubling questions. I ask you to join me in struggling for answers. I pray we will be vulnerable to God’s grace so we can be open to God’s will; that we will expect God to surprise us with unexpected answers, no matter our present perspective.

• What is the divine purpose in God’s call for us to be one in Christ?
• If the Holy Spirit is prompting pastors in some nations to submit priesthood calls for people in monogamous, committed, same-sex relationships through the Holy Spirit, what does that mean?
• Regardless of national conference outcomes, how can we continue as loving communities that are one in Christ and focused on Christ’s mission, even if some of us hold strongly different opinions about same-sex/gender issues?

I believe if we answer these questions as the Body of Christ, then we truly can be the Body of Christ. If we become one in Christ through daily spiritual practices, we can serve together in Christ, though we still might hold widely different views and perspectives.

As I seek God’s will, I am reminded of the writings of Apostle Paul and Henri Nouwen.

Paul emphatically wrote that after baptism in Christ a person is united in Christ (Romans 6:5), puts on Christ (Galatians 3:27), and is joined to the Body of Christ as an integral member of Christ (1 Corinthians. 12:12–27).

For Paul, everything that divides Christians, their identity as male or female, law-keeper or law-ignorer, or that reduces people, discounts their worth, or makes them second-class Christians is washed away in the baptismal waters. Baptism makes everyone new—new creations. The old divisions that separate, that place one above another, that keep anyone in a subordinate position are gone, replaced by everyone being in Christ, equally redeemed with inestimable and equal worth.

Nouwen compares trees to wild reeds in the field. You might think that it’s better to be a sturdy tree than a flimsy reed that moves with the wind. He said the opposite is true.

“When we cling to our own positions and are not willing to let our hearts be moved back and forth a little by the ideas or actions of others, we may easily be broken.” An intense, opinionated rigidity about current issues, he said, “might cause these issues to break our spirits and make us bitter people. Let’s be flexible while being deeply rooted.”

I believe Paul’s words give us strong roots in Christ. Nouwen’s advice opens us to the movement of the Holy Spirit that allows God to form us in Christ’s image and unite us in Christ’s mission of evangelism, compassionate ministries, and justice and peacemaking.

Hearing Good News… Being Good News!

BY STEPHEN M. VEAZEY, president of the church and BECKY L. SAVAGE, counselor to the president

This is the address delivered April 15 by Stephen M. Veazey, president of the church, and Becky L. Savage, counselor to the president. The event was at the Temple in Independence, Missouri. At www.CofChrist.org/PresidencyAddress.asp you will find video of the address, plus planning helps for hosting a group viewing with reflection questions and children’s activities.

Stephen M. Veazey

Have you heard the good news?

One year ago we launched five Mission Initiatives to focus the church on the whole mission of Jesus Christ. This was done in response to the counsel in Doctrine and Covenants 164:9 that “the Mission of Jesus Christ is what matters most for the journey ahead.”

Since then we have made good progress toward implementing the Mission Initiatives throughout the church. We have heard exciting news from a growing number of congregations that are aligning their priorities with the Mission Initiatives.

Also, tithing contributions to fund the Mission Initiatives are increasing! We especially thank the priesthood who are leading the response. As a result, more and more people are being blessed with vibrant witness of Jesus Christ. Through the church’s enthusiastic response the peaceful reign of God—the Zion of our hopes—is gaining ground on Earth!

Today, I offer some observations as we go into the future:

First, the five Mission Initiatives work best when they work together! They are not options to choose from. Each Mission Initiative enriches the others. They are like different parts of the Body of Christ. One part cannot say to another, “I don’t need you!”

All the initiatives must work together or our witness of Christ is distorted and incomplete.

We are called to pursue the whole mission of Jesus Christ!

Second, in some nations the initiative, “Invite People to Christ,” (evangelism) seems to be getting less effort. Perhaps a different way of looking at it would be helpful. This initiative is about the daily opportunities we have to invite people into loving community that generously shares the peace of Jesus Christ. It is not about talking them into anything.

If we extend invitation and hospitality to others, Jesus Christ will reveal himself in the relationships, worship, sacraments, scriptures, and mission at the center of congregational life. Evangelism is relational. It is about sincere invitation and warm hospitality that helps people feel “at home” in congregations.

Two years ago Debbie Hogan felt called to start a compassionate ministry in New Port Richey, Florida, that would love, invite, and accept all people who yearned for the hope of the gospel. With the support of Southern Field leaders, Debbie began to invite folks she befriended at work, the grocery store, and in her neighborhood to her home for fellowship and scripture study.

So many responded to her invitation to “come as you are—all are welcome” that this diverse group outgrew Debbie’s home and began to meet in a park. When several were baptized and started inviting others, the group outgrew the park pavilion.

Today, thanks to a World Church missionary grant, funded by your tithing contributions and the Florida USA Mission Center, the New Port Richey emerging congregation meets in a rented building. Because there is not a baptismal font there, on Palm Sunday, April 1, they met on the beach.

Twenty-five people were baptized, and five more joined the church through confirmation. Debbie described how the Holy Spirit is working with this signal community that lives out Christ’s mission as its own.

“We are like a puzzle. God is adding more pieces together, filling in the gaps of who we are called to become as Community of Christ.”

The good news is that God is relentless in loving this world and in inviting the church to love it.

God is at work throughout the planet. Frequently, God’s work involves the Spirit’s whisper to the church, saying, “Come and help.” In this regard, the Council of Twelve Apostles is testifying the Spirit’s invitation is again calling us into new places. The Twelve recently shared that we are ready to plant congregations in at least eight more nations when we have the funding to begin and sustain the church’s mission in those areas. This is good news!

The fact is, in many places people are responding to the call to be disciples of Jesus Christ in Community of Christ. Some of these people are previously baptized Christians. They have become members of Community of Christ through the sacrament of confirmation. This is made possible by Doctrine and Covenants 164, given in 2010 to the church.

Some people have asked, “How is that going? What has been the experience of receiving previously baptized Christians into the church through the sacrament of confirmation?”

Jesus once said we could know a tree by its fruits. In other words, if we see a tree that’s bearing apples, then we’re looking at an apple tree. Well, as we look at the lives of previously baptized Christians who have joined the church through confirmation, we are seeing the fruits of discipleship. They are sharing their witness. They are generously supporting the church’s mission. They are embracing the identity, message, mission, and beliefs of Community of Christ.

The Holy Spirit is blessing us through the gifts, faith, and service of these new members. To you who are new members, let me say this. Whether you are a previously baptized Christian who has joined the church through confirmation, or whether you are a new member who has been baptized and confirmed by Community of Christ ministers—welcome! We are so thankful you are a part of our worldwide faith family.

We want to affirm that the call to mission necessitates we do the best job possible of preparing congregational leaders for ministry and leadership. We are pleased that a program of special training courses called MEADS Multi-Nation (Ministerial Education and Discipleship Studies) is being held in many places around the world, mostly in non-English-speaking nations. Through these courses, many leaders are receiving training in scripture, leadership, administration, and mission.

We also are pleased to share with you that a generous contribution is making possible new educational and training opportunities in Western, English-speaking nations, as well. In fact, we are only days away from launching an effort called Leading Congregations in Mission. This project assumes there are ways of “being the church” that can decrease a congregation’s fatigue and increase its spiritual vitality while helping it discover how to be in mission according to its unique congregational gifts.

We’re going to experiment with this approach in about 70 congregations for the next three years. We’ll then collect what we learn and offer this training to many more congregations.

The same generous gift that is making this project possible has funded a new resource called the Pastors and Leaders Field Guide. This field guide, available on the church website (www.CofChrist.org/leaders), is a highly practical resource that provides pastors and congregational leaders with specific, “hands on” help for leading congregational life and mission. Again, it’s called the Pastors and Leaders Field Guide. Check it out!

Becky, I hear there is good news in your areas of responsibility. Please share some with us!

Becky L. Savage

The good news is so abundant I can share only a few areas. Let me start with young adults.

Young Adult Vision Project
The church is blessed with a wonderful group of young adults who are visionary, vibrant, gifted, educated, equipped, and dedicated to living Christ’s mission. They yearn for meaningful relationships and spiritual enrichment within a loving and inclusive community and fellowship.

For many young adults, mission means ACTION—ACTIVE ministries occurring where people and needs meet. Talk does NOT equal mission, nor does it reflect Christ’s model of compassionate ministry to the most vulnerable and the voiceless.

Young adults desire experienced leaders and ministers as mentors to share experiences, to walk beside them as spiritual companions. They need Christ-focused servant supporters who accept them and open the way for creative perspectives and change in congregational life.

To young adults: In those places where you are contributing your leadership and passions for mission, we are grateful for all you are doing to share Christ’s peace within the church.

To congregations that have not yet experienced the giftedness of young adults: The good news is there are young adults who may be waiting for an invitation to work collaboratively with you to serve Christ’s mission. Invite them to partner with you in action-focused mission and let them lead and grow.

Several important recommendations from the Vision Project will assist church leaders into the future. We are taking three essential next steps. We will:

• Establish a Young Adult Advisory and Ministry Team.
• Initiate a Young Adult Leader-development Program and encourage young adult participation in field-based leadership and Seminary education.
• Create a communication message that shares the outcomes of the Vision Project.

Christ’s Mission Is Our Mission World Conference Study and Reflection
Spiritual preparation is essential for the entire church. Later in his address, President Veazey will ask essential questions related to how the Holy Spirit is moving and speaking in the life of the church.

The good news: In our striving to become a prophetic people we have experienced the powerful impact of God’s Holy Spirit. The First Presidency invites the church to unite again in preparation for the 2013 World Conference, where we will focus on the theme, Christ’s Mission…Our Mission!

We have just released a new book, Christ’s Mission Is Our Mission, by Peter A. Judd. The First Presidency asks the church to prayerfully study the text individually and in groups. It is essential that we all approach World Conference spiritually prepared and focused on the mission of Jesus Christ.

Community of Christ Statement of Sexual Ethics, National Conference Study and Reflection
The good news is that many of you already are engaged in extensive dialogue and education in preparation for national conferences. Australia and Canada will hold conferences in June 2012. The USA will have a national conference in April 2013 and the British Isles is planning a conference for October 2013.

We will release additional materials for study, discussion, and spiritual reflection by the end of April. They will include two draft statements: Community of Christ Statement of Sexual Ethics and Theological Foundations for Sexual Ethics with Reflection Questions. Watch for these resources on the web at www.CofChrist.org/ethics. The purpose of the material is to encourage open and honest conversation in the church about sexual ethics. In addition to study and discussion, we invite feedback about the statements through the same web address.

Prayer and spiritual openness are essential for discerning God’s will, and we thank you for your courage and willingness to remain vulnerable to divine grace and guidance.

Community of Christ Sings
One additional item of good news: We are thrilled to share the name of the new hymnal. Community of Christ Sings reflects the international personality of the church. We sing our mission and identity with poetry and harmony, in many languages and rhythms. New songs call us to pursue our mission of justice and peace for all of creation. And, not to worry, many favorites remain.

Congregations may start ordering books in November. We encourage you to attend the October 2013 Peace Colloquy, where the next hymnal will be officially released. To experience the excitement of one of the new hymns, we will now share in singing “To Be Your Presence.”

Stephen M. Veazey

We just sang the main message today: “To be your presence is our mission here.”

Christ lives in community that is devoted to continuing his mission on Earth!

And, according to scripture, the soul of such community is “oneness” in Christ that transcends human differences.

Are we such community?

The vision that inspired Jesus’ was broadly inclusive community that mirrored God’s nature. In pursuit of that vision he gathered his first band of diverse followers and adamantly taught them to “love one another.” Jesus said, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35 NRSV).

The same vision enthused the first communities of Christ described in the Book of Acts. As a result, a tangible spirit of love, hospitality, and oneness stood out, contrasting with the larger society.

But, even those first disciples struggled to embrace all the possibilities of oneness in Christ. As Jewish Christians, their culture and religion deeply embedded in them distrust and even disgust toward some people. Not surprisingly, it took the Holy Spirit to uproot and move them toward God’s broader vision of community in Christ.

Apostle Peter was napping and praying on a rooftop when he had a vision of a sheet coming down from heaven filled with all kinds of creatures. A heavenly voice said, “Kill and eat!”

Thinking this could be a test of his faithfulness to Hebrew dietary laws, Peter said, somewhat self-righteously, “By no means. I have never eaten anything that is profane or unclean.” He was startled to hear the voice retort, “What God has made clean, you must not call profane.”

God was transforming Peter’s view of how the world is ordered. But, it is hard—extremely hard—to break out of one’s inherited beliefs and biases to accept a broader vision of what God is doing to reconcile all of creation!

The vision prepared Peter for an invitation to come to Cornelius’ house to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. Why did he need preparation?

Cornelius was a soldier of the occupying Roman forces. He was a Gentile! Gentiles disgusted Peter! He had been taught all his life that Gentiles were dirty and to be avoided at all costs.

Yet, the Holy Spirit was calling Peter to go have fellowship with Gentiles. And, he had the faith to respond to the Spirit’s guidance.

It is difficult from our point in time to understand the loathing Peter felt when he crossed the threshold of Cornelius’ house. His religious upbringing and scriptural understanding screamed, “No!” But the Holy Spirit, for the sake of the gospel, kept saying, “Yes!”

Thankfully, even though Peter could not fully understand, he had the faith to follow the Spirit’s leadings. As the experience drew to a close, Peter confessed:

I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ—he is Lord of all.—Acts 10:34–36 NRSV

Not everyone was happy with his new insight. Some were scandalized. Peter had not followed the rules! He had baptized people who were uncircumcised; people who were unclean!

So what did they do? They convened a “national conference” in Jerusalem to sort it all out. There were vigorous scriptural debates. Points and counterpoints were asserted. Testimonies were shared. And somehow in the midst of it all the Holy Spirit kept shaping the community on which Christianity’s future rested.

Remarkably, when it was all over the church in Jerusalem consented to extending the hand of full fellowship to the Gentiles. They could come to Christ as they were.

If the Holy Spirit had not broken into the status quo, Christianity probably would have remained a small Jewish sect assigned to be a footnote in history.

My witness is that the Holy Spirit is working in Community of Christ today to broaden and deepen our vision of what oneness in Christ means. The Spirit’s most recent counsel to the church today states:

It is imperative to understand that when you are truly baptized into Christ you become part of a new creation. By taking on the life and mind of Christ, you increasingly view yourselves and others from a changed perspective. Former ways of defining people by economic status, social class, sex, gender, or ethnicity no longer are primary. Through the gospel of Christ a new community of tolerance, reconciliation, unity in diversity, and love is being born as a visible sign of the coming reign of God. —Doctrine and Covenants 164:5

This counsel calls the church to fully embrace the broader vision of love, inclusion, and oneness that was a shining quality of the first communities of Christ.

When early Christians were baptized they committed themselves—sometimes at a great cost—to join a new kind of community. It was a community in which “There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28 NRSV).

The future of the church rides on understanding what the phrase, “for all of you are one in Christ Jesus” means.

To me, it means that true baptism in Jesus Christ makes us all equal despite what the world says about our human differences. Through new life in Christ we see each other from Christ’s perspective. And, Christ sees capacity for discipleship and ministry as the same across the whole spectrum of human life.

Oneness in Christ means we simply refuse to label people and assign worth and opportunities for ministry accordingly. To do so is to return to the old world we publically stated we had left behind when we were baptized and confirmed.

Before Jesus was crucified he intently prayed that his disciples in all generations would live in the world as a deeply loving community of oneness:

I ask not only on behalf of these, but on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. —John 17:20–21 NRSV

What is the divine purpose in this call to oneness?

The purpose is that we might live with each other as God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit live. God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit live in love, mutuality, and unified purpose.

It is only through sacred community, which manifests the eternal community of God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit, that we are spiritually sanctified, completed, and equipped for life in God’s kingdom of peace.

The purpose is also so the “world may believe” in the mission and message of Christ. Think about it! What more effective witness could there be in a world filled with fear and hate between people than communities of “unity in diversity” and oneness forged through the power of the Spirit of Christ?

Is such oneness possible, or just wishful thinking?

Peter’s story reminds us how hard it is to let go of what we have been taught about other people except through the power of the Spirit. Our cultures, politics, and family and religious backgrounds deeply embed biases and fears in us.
A song from the musical, South Pacific, puts it well:

You’ve got to be taught to hate and fear…You’ve got to be carefully taught.

Beginning this June, and over the next several years, the church is entering into national conferences in some fields as provided in Doctrine and Covenants 164.

The questions these conferences will consider have to do with the relationships and possibilities for ordained ministry for our non-heterosexual brothers and sisters in Christ.

These questions cannot be avoided. They are being raised with increasing frequency and intensity by church members and leaders. We are called to a time of serious discussion and discernment about the fundamental nature of our faith community.

Since last World Conference I have been prayerfully engaged, along with many others, in a journey of discernment about the questions before us. I would like to share some perspectives gained so far.

Informed discussion of the issues, including scripture study, will continue to contribute to our understanding and knowledge. However, I am increasingly convinced that the questions before the conferences ultimately will be resolved only through humble listening to the Holy Spirit’s witness today.

The basic question is, “What is the Spirit saying and doing today?”

It is interesting to note the unease being expressed about issues coming before national conferences is no different in intensity than the concern expressed by early church leaders over the status of Gentiles in the Christian community.

An important scripture lesson is that the early church, in response to the Holy Spirit, was willing to struggle with questions about the nature of the church community when some strenuously objected to even raising the topics. However, by paying attention to the questions being raised by the Spirit, the church grew in its understanding of the gospel’s power to bring very different groups of people into relationships of oneness in Christ.

My sense of the Spirit’s guidance for nations preparing for national conferences is that before specific policy issues are decided we need to give serious attention to some more fundamental questions.

First, no matter what the outcomes of the national conferences, some beloved brothers and sisters in Christ will be disappointed, afraid, and angry. Conference recommendations do not instantly change strong views about the nature of God, humankind, human sexuality, and human relationships.

This prospect weighs very heavily on me. No matter what happens, the initial response of some probably will be to want to separate themselves from the faith community.

So, here is a more fundamental question to prayerfully consider: Regardless of the outcomes of the conferences, how will we continue to live as loving communities of “oneness” in Christ, called to focus on the whole mission of Christ, while some have such strong differences around certain matters?

We all need to feel the weight of this question now.

Second, we need to give serious attention to a reality in the church today. In some nations experienced pastors and church leaders are receiving priesthood calls through what they testify is the Holy Spirit’s witness for people in monogamous, committed, same-sex/gender relationships (legal marriages, civil unions, legal de facto relationships).

The people being brought to the pastors’ awareness are responsible, trusted, gifted, and compassionate disciples of Jesus Christ. Their lives evidence the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Let me be clear, these calls are not being approved. This is in compliance with the 2002 World Church Leadership Council statement that there would be no more exceptions in matters related to ordination unless policies were changed through the common consent of the people.

So, here are some more-fundamental questions we need to prayerfully consider:

What does it mean that pastors and church leaders in some nations continue to receive what they testify is the Holy Spirit’s witness of these calls?

Is it conceivable that we may be hindering what the Spirit is trying to do to provide for needed ministry in some congregations?

These are very serious questions to pray about and discuss.

Third, in true community that upholds the Worth of All Persons, the majority should not decide the status of a minority (non-heterosexuals) without fully hearing those in the minority who are feeling discrimination. I am talking about the need for ethical discussion and deliberation that do not further wound, alienate, or mute people who already are feeling judged and condemned.

Are we willing, in essence, to go to “Cornelius’ house” and talk, even when some of us are very uncomfortable with the topic?

Are we truly willing to listen to others—especially to those in the minority—before we decide?

In this respect, we should hear again the counsel given in Section 161:3b:

Do not be fearful of one another. Respect each life journey, even in its brokenness and uncertainty, for each person has walked alone at times. Be ready to listen and slow to criticize, lest judgments be unrighteous and unredemptive.
The most fundamental question for me as we approach national conferences is: What is the Holy Spirit doing today to continue to shape us as true community in Christ? I am referring to the sacred community in which “There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28 NRSV).

We need to participate in national conferences with an unusual degree of spiritual preparation and sensitivity. Daily spiritual practices that further open us to the Holy Spirit’s guidance and God’s universal, eternal love are vital as we prepare ourselves in the months ahead.

It is so easy to confuse our individual feelings, thoughts, and egos with genuine guidance from the Holy Spirit. That’s why it is essential that we do our spiritual discernment together. We must all consider our views in relation to the views of others.

Our church’s diversity is a gift that helps us better understand God’s nature and will. Learning to graciously talk together from different perspectives and to listen together to the Spirit are essential skills needed for our continued journey as a prophetic people.

In the meantime, our primary focus throughout the worldwide church will be on pursuing and funding the five Mission Initiatives! We must not become distracted from the clear call to passionately live the mission of Jesus Christ…the whole mission of Jesus Christ!

If we resolutely keep our feet on the pathway of living Christ’s mission together, the church will make major strides forward in fulfilling God’s vision for the future.

I can see that future!

I can see the future of Community of Christ with enough clarity to know it is beautiful and full of joy, blessing, and peace for everyone.

It is a future in which we become the visible answer to Jesus’ prayer that “they may be one” so the world will have a shining witness of God’s coming kingdom, the Zion of our hopes!

The future I can see is one in which we will turn to each other as we immerse ourselves in the reconciling and healing waters of oneness in Christ and say, “Why did it take us so long to get here?”

Until that day the spiritual journey toward true oneness in Christ is our home.

And, in conclusion, let me say that I am sure glad to be “at home” on the journey with ALL of you!

Why I Follow Jesus

BY BARBARA L. CARTER, Apostle Designate

If Jesus Came to My House

When I was young, my mother bought our family a book titled If Jesus Came to My House by Joan Gale Thomas. It is about a young child who tells what it would be like if Jesus came to visit. The child shows Jesus around his home and shares the best of what he values most with him.

In the end, when Jesus leaves, the child says he knows it is not possible for Jesus actually to come to his house, but he can continue to be with Jesus in all the ways he had imagined by treating others the way he would treat Jesus. After having this book read to me, or reading it myself, I remember thinking I wanted to do that…I wanted to treat others like I would treat my friend, Jesus.

Jesus was a part of my life from the beginning. My parents and extended family made sure I knew of him. I learned the Bible stories of Jesus: his birth, the miracles, the compassion, the teachings, the forgiveness, and the Resurrection. The stories of Jesus were more familiar to me than nursery rhymes or Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat. Being introduced to If Jesus Came to My House was one of the first times I remember thinking about “doing” or “being” because of my knowledge of him.

I follow Jesus because I choose to do so. It is a decision I have made many times. With each choice, a contribution to a beautiful and strong foundation—formed from my experience, study, inspiration, and faith—was made.

Another time of choosing happened when my relationship with Jesus became one of teacher and student. I had learned the scripture from 2 Corinthians 5:19 (NRSV):

that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us.

This scripture compelled me to understand how each of us can be reconciled to God. How can we, all of humanity, be reconciled with our Creator and with each other? I continue to learn from Jesus.

There are times throughout the year when I am given an opportunity to choose to follow Jesus all over again. When I participate in Communion I recommit my life to discipleship. When I covenant with another person or group of persons to be prayerful, and when I celebrate the religious holidays, especially Easter, I am choosing to follow Jesus.

At Easter, I am reminded that God, through Jesus, is all about resurrection! Resurrection in the daily lives of everyday people! God has not left us to struggle on our own without hope. God sent his son, Jesus, to be the friend who teaches us to give our best to others, who calls us and shows us the way to be reconciled, and who through his own life testifies of hope.

I choose to follow Jesus today, for this time and in this place.