As president of the National Association of Schools and Colleges of the United Methodist Church (NASCUMC), I have had the honor to lead the organization during this pivotal time for Methodists. On behalf of the presidents of Methodist-related colleges and universities, I continue to advocate for the inclusiveness of all people and for reform of policies within the church that discriminate.
I am pleased to share two significant updates from the Winter Meeting of NASCUMC (January 4) which immediately followed the January 3 announcement of a mediation resolution by leaders in the Church and those with divergent views.
"A Protocol of Reconciliation & Grace Through Separation" would permit conservative churches to form a new denomination. The exit strategy allows the new denomination to keep their assets while receiving an additional $25 million.
The proposal to separate the church, as reported in Inside Higher Ed, would "allow for the spinoff of a 'traditionalist Methodist' denomination while enabling a new U.S. regional conference of the UMC to repeal the LGBT-related prohibitions."
These developments, as stated in the Inside Higher Ed article, would be "a possible resolution to conflict over whether to remain affiliated with the church after it moved last year to strengthen prohibitions on the ordination of LGBT individuals and the performance of same-sex marriages."
My fellow college and university presidents of NASCUMC support the mediation resolution and have issued a joint statement signed by the 85 member presidents urging the Church to create a U.S. Regional Conference.
This would be a crucial step toward building a United Methodist Church that is fully inclusive. For United Methodist-related educational institutions, it's also a vital step. It would foster the kind of inclusive community in our churches that we already respect and value on our campuses.
In an interview with Inside Higher Ed, I advocated for a unified voice calling for more inclusive policies within the church. This would, I said, "bring renewed hope to our schools for a future United Methodist Church that supports the kind of open and inclusive environment that's so vital for our campuses and the work that we do to shape principled leaders of the future." Read more in the Inside Higher Ed article, "A Way Out of Impasse Over LGBT Issues?"
The second major announcement coming from the NASCUMC meeting regards the goal of enlisting a more inclusive and less restrictive membership. NASCUMC voted to broaden our membership and open the organization to educators in the Pan-Methodist tradition within and outside the United States. With this decision, our name will be changed to the North American Association of Methodist Schools, Colleges, and Universities (NAAMSCU).
I will continue to provide updates on these developments within the Methodist Church and those impacting Methodist-related higher education.
I am pleased to share two significant updates from the Winter Meeting of NASCUMC (January 4) which immediately followed the January 3 announcement of a mediation resolution by leaders in the Church and those with divergent views.
"A Protocol of Reconciliation & Grace Through Separation" would permit conservative churches to form a new denomination. The exit strategy allows the new denomination to keep their assets while receiving an additional $25 million.
The proposal to separate the church, as reported in Inside Higher Ed, would "allow for the spinoff of a 'traditionalist Methodist' denomination while enabling a new U.S. regional conference of the UMC to repeal the LGBT-related prohibitions."
These developments, as stated in the Inside Higher Ed article, would be "a possible resolution to conflict over whether to remain affiliated with the church after it moved last year to strengthen prohibitions on the ordination of LGBT individuals and the performance of same-sex marriages."
My fellow college and university presidents of NASCUMC support the mediation resolution and have issued a joint statement signed by the 85 member presidents urging the Church to create a U.S. Regional Conference.
This would be a crucial step toward building a United Methodist Church that is fully inclusive. For United Methodist-related educational institutions, it's also a vital step. It would foster the kind of inclusive community in our churches that we already respect and value on our campuses.
In an interview with Inside Higher Ed, I advocated for a unified voice calling for more inclusive policies within the church. This would, I said, "bring renewed hope to our schools for a future United Methodist Church that supports the kind of open and inclusive environment that's so vital for our campuses and the work that we do to shape principled leaders of the future." Read more in the Inside Higher Ed article, "A Way Out of Impasse Over LGBT Issues?"
The second major announcement coming from the NASCUMC meeting regards the goal of enlisting a more inclusive and less restrictive membership. NASCUMC voted to broaden our membership and open the organization to educators in the Pan-Methodist tradition within and outside the United States. With this decision, our name will be changed to the North American Association of Methodist Schools, Colleges, and Universities (NAAMSCU).
I will continue to provide updates on these developments within the Methodist Church and those impacting Methodist-related higher education.
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Dr. Mark Hanshaw, Associate General Secretary of the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM), sends along an update, "Higher Ed Facts: The Protocol of Reconciliation & Grace Through Separation." Read it here.
For further reading on the issue, here are additional links to recent articles and resources:
- The Washington Post : "United Methodist Church is expected to split over gay marriage, fracturing the nation's third-largest denomination"
- The Washington Post: "Methodists propose split in gay marriage, clergy impasse"
- CNN: "Kenneth Feinberg has handled settlements with 9/11 victims and the BP oil disaster. The United Methodist Church split is his latest high-profile project"
- CNN: "United Methodist Church proposes historic split over gay marriage and LGBT clergy"
- CNN (Video) "An entire denomination may split up over LGBTQ issues"
- NBC News:"United Methodist Church looks to split over LGBTQ issues"
- [Above story also linked in MSNBC's "Friday's Mini-Report, 1.3.19"]
ET CETERA
Congratulations to Trustee Emerita Joan Brock, Trustee Howard Kern, and former Trustee Bob Aston
Congratulations to three good friends of Virginian Wesleyan--Trustee Emerita Joan Brock, civic leader and philanthropist; Trustee Howard Kern, President and CEO of Sentara Healthcare; and former Trustee Bob Aston, Executive Chairman of the Board at TowneBank--on being named community leadership award recipients from the Urban League of Hampton Roads' Martin Luther King, Jr., Community Leaders' Breakfast. The community awards are presented to individuals and groups who promote positive images, exemplify community service, demonstrate Dr. King's values and show evidence of the impact their contributions make in the lives of others. Joan, Howard, and Bob are excellent choices for this award and continue to do great work in the community and beyond. The theme for this year's Urban League of Hampton Roads' Martin Luther King, Jr., Community Leaders' Breakfast is "Reimagine the Future, The Fierce Urgency of Now." Read more in the Press Release and in The Virginian-Pilot.
VWU Board of Trustees Elects New Member, Appoints Secretary
We are pleased to welcome Anthony Walters, President/CEO of YMCA of South Hampton Roads, to our Board of Trustees; and to congratulate Trustee Mavis McKenley '11, Vice President and Trust Officer at AMG National Trust Bank, on being named secretary of the Board. We are grateful to both Anthony and Mavis for their stewardship and service to Virginia Wesleyan. Read more here.
Council of Independent Colleges Presidents Institute
As I shared in last week's Nota Bene, I began the new year by attending the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC) Presidents Institute. The largest in the country, it is the premier annual meeting of college and university presidents. CIC's 2020 Presidents Institute was held at Marco Island, Florida, and explored the theme of "Healthy Institutions, Strong Leaders" in addition to other important issues of presidential leadership. It drew on the lessons learned by experienced campus CEO's and the perspectives of other distinguished speakers. Below are links to some of the many highlights from my trip.
- Annie and I participated in a panel discussion for private college presidents and their spouses. Facilitated by Burton Webb, President of the University of Pikeville, the discussion focused on cohesive approaches and strategies on a wide variety of functional issues.
- Nearly 30 years ago, this trio teamed up to co-found the InterAmerican Consortium, a collaboration of eight U.S. institutions and 13 international colleges and universities. The consortium merged with a larger collaboration in 2010;
- Virginia Wesleyan University is proud to partner with the Council of Independent Colleges Online Course Sharing Consortium. I am pictured here visiting with the co-founder of Acadeum, Nathan Green, the facilitator of the consortia activities. Participating institutions met in Florida. CICOCSC is a cost-effective option to make available high-quality online courses that will improve student success;
- I enjoyed dinner with Satya Menard, CEO, Global Education Sodexo, on the Barrier Island Terrace at the JW Marco Island Marriott. Satya and Sodexo have sponsored the internationally acclaimed thought series "President to President," a project edited by Marylouise "Weezie" Fennell and me. Weezie and I recently started our 16th year as Executive Editors of the "President to President" series. During our time in Florida, we held an editorial meeting of the publishing team for "President to President."
- For six years, I have been fortunate to serve with a group of representatives from 25 U.S.-Mexico higher educational institutions to facilitate an agreement on a series of educational collaborations between Council of Independent College universities and colleges in Mexico. Both countries have hosted meetings during that time period. It was great to visit with leadership from this initiative. I am excited about the opportunities provided to our students and others from the participating institutions;
- I attended the joint meeting of the Boards of Directors of Academic Search, Inc. and the American Academic Leadership Institute. For six years I've served as Chair of the AS, Inc. Board and I also serve as Vice Chair of the AALI Board;
- With longtime colleagues and good friends at the CIC Awards Banquet (picture one; picture two).
AROUND TOWN AND ACROSS CAMPUS
At the recent Greater Norfolk Corporation Executive Committee Meeting, Kurt Krause (CEO, Visit Norfolk) and I presented on the Campus 757 initiative. Local higher education institutions, the City of Norfolk, and the Greater Norfolk Corporation will partner to promote our location as a college town and collaborate on programs and opportunities for our students. Modeled after the successful Campus Philly program, ours benefits from the experience of Deborah Diamond (President, Campus Philly) and her colleagues. It has been a pleasure to lead this project with Kurt and I look forward to the launch this summer. There are many exciting facets of the program that will benefit our students, VWU, and the Coastal Virginia economy.
The Virginia Wesleyan University cross country/track and field Wall of Records was completed recently just outside the Athletics Suite on the indoor track in the Jane P. Batten Student Center.
The Walk of Honor was put in place this week adjacent to the stands at the Betty S. Rogers Track and Field Center.
A beautiful photo taken of The Beacon on campus just after sunset can be seen here. Thanks to Jason Seward '05, Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs, for a great image.
Mark your calendar for upcoming events and programs, and read the latest on the arts at Virginia Wesleyan here.
Be sure to check out the upcoming events and programs offered through Virginia Wesleyan's Center for the Study of Religious Freedom here.
STAY CURRENT ON VWU NEWS AND FEATURES
REFLECTIONS
I hope you find these links useful to my recent columns and publications:
PRESIDENTIAL EVENTS
I invite you to stay updated on these activities here.
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Have a great week!
