Church Within A Church Movement Sets Bold Plans

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
CONTACT: Cathy Knight, Executive Director, Church Within A Church
Call: 773.348.2679 x 227
Fax: 773.348.2521
Email: cknight72@aol.com
Website: www.cwac.us

Church Within A Church Movement Sets Bold Plans

Activists Plan New Churches and Extraordinary Ordinations

Chicago, Illinois – Meeting in Kansas City, Kansas, October 13 through 15, the Coordinating Team of the progressive grassroots Church Within A Church Movement (CWAC) in the United Methodist Church (UMC) set plans in motion for additional church starts and “extraordinary” ordinations in the Wesleyan tradition with an openness to ecumenical collaboration. A “Day of Discernment” was professionally facilitated for several persons considering starting intentionally progressive and inclusive churches.

The group confirmed its core values of anti-racism and anti-heterosexism, augmenting its participation in the UMC’s Book of Discipline-based welcome statements.

CWAC also welcomed the ministry of a new church start led by Rev. Dr. Gail Simonds, a recent graduate of the Methodist Theological School of Ohio recently ordained by the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches (MCC) because she was rejected by United Methodist officials due to her sexual orientation. The new church will be planted in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan with MCC and Methodist heritage as its foundation. Several potential starts across the nation were acknowledged in-process and will lead to future new-start announcements.

A two track plan to begin extraordinary ordinations was also set in place. One track was designed to confirm the candidacy of qualified individuals of record for final consideration at the group’s next meeting in spring 2006, with plans for an ordination service to take place no later than July 2006. The other track established the mechanism to develop further candidates and procedures for future extraordinary ordinations.
The next open meetings of the Church Within A Church Coordinating Team will be March 31-April 1, 2006 in Nashville, TN and October 13-14, 2006 in Denver, CO.

The elected 2005-2006 Coordinating Team is:

Co-Coordinator —Progressive New Church Starts/ Rev. Cheri Holdridge, Toledo, OH
Co-Coordinator — Extraordinary Ordinations/Rev. Kevin Johnson, Palm Springs, CA
Co-Coordinator-At Large —Anti-Racism,White Privelege/Rev. Gil Caldwell, Denver, CO
Anti Racism/White Privelege — Dr. Patricia Groves, Toledo, OH
Secretary — Rev. Karen Mitchell, Lenexa, KS
Finance — Sue Ross, Ft. Wayne, IN
Communications — Michael Shear, Palm Springs, CA
Curriculum/Resource development — Rev. Don Kuntz, North Olmsted, OH
Progressive Coalition Liaison — Rev. Susan J. Morrison, Marblehead, MA
Coordinating Team member – Rev. Gregory Dell, Chicago, IL
Coordinating Team member – Inelle Bagwell, Nyack, NY
Coordinating Team member – Marian Goodman, Palm Harbor, FL

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Organized in February of 2002, Church Within A Church is a grass roots response to actions of the United Methodist Church General Conference. Refusing to commit itself to remaining within the United Methodist denomination or leaving it, the progressive movement declares its mission: “To BE Church in a fully inclusive way.” A twelve-member coordinating team, which meets twice a year, guides the group.


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