FACULTY STATEMENT

We, the faculty of United Theological Seminary, are called to prepare faithful and fruitful Christian leaders from all traditions (including both the United Methodist Church and Global Methodist Church) for the church and world. We speak here in witness to a Way of those who have come before us, in the name of One whose sandals we are not fit to untie, in witness to a One whose Wisdom all of us are shaped regularly to refuse. Instead, we clearly choose the familiar cycles of unforgiveness: lashing out in language of accusation and revenge, spouting damaging memories of our own desired ‘mytho-histories,’ professing our own victimhood, and fomenting institutional distrust/disdain. In witness to this One whose birth, life, death, and resurrection invites new life rooted in forgiveness, we as a seminary faculty covenant to practice disrupting these cycles of unforgiveness (however fallibly), to the best of our abilities, with God’s help, by

• practicing forbearance, which disrupts the cycles of cognitive, conceptual and ecclesial violence currently condoned by both speaking and silent bishops, ecclesial leaders on all sides
• learning to listen more deeply amidst rage-sadness-pain, getting curious of others’ stories/experiences while drenched in “our side’s story.”
• catching ourselves in imposed or professed stories of victimhood, as these only discount that God is clearly doing new things with both/all communions, and
• learning new ways to encourage/support institutional integrity without political retaliation for longstanding or newly forming institutions as the flawed, fragile but necessary collaborations all institutions are today.

Will you join us?

For our part, here at United Seminary, we profess the Triune One—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—Who makes known to us this Way of Jesus, in the power of the Spirit, offering us all a scandalous wisdom for living and breathing this Way into our world.