IOWA METHODIST LAITY REFORM MOVEMENT WARNS
LEGISLATORS:
CHURCH LOBBYIST MAY NOT SPEAK FOR MOST IOWA METHODISTS
— March 9, 2004 —
DES MOINES, IA. — The Board of Directors of the
Methodist Laity Reform Movement has sent a letter to
all Iowa Legislators, warning that the Iowa United
Methodist Church’s paid lobbyist, Lana Ross, “speaks
for one political viewpoint on many issues” even when
the Iowa church “has not adopted any position.” They
encouraged Legislators to “talk with United Methodist
Church members in your
own district and ask whether
they agree with the lobbyist’s position.”
The Reform Movement’s 30-member board said, “Our
church should not have a paid lobbyist and should
never allow any political faction— left-wing,
right-wing, Republican, Democrat, Socialist, or any
other—to promote its agenda through the Church. We
oppose the paid lobbyist position, not the person. We
would equally oppose having a church lobbyist for a
conservative agenda.”
The board emphasized that the Reform Movement is not a
lobbying organization and is not asking Legislators to
vote for or against any legislation.
The Reform Movement board warned Legislators that the
church lobbyist has registered to lobby on “many
issues on which the church’s Iowa Annual Conference
has not adopted any position”
—for example, lobbying
against covenant marriage, property tax limits,
veterans’ organizations honor guards, and a tax credit
for teachers’ expenses, and lobbying for
election-day voter registration, reducing criminal
penalties for burglary and forgery, and automatically
restoring felons’ right to vote when they are released
from prison or parole.
“We believe most of these are issues on which there is
no clear Christian position, honest Christians can and
do disagree, and the church should not take sides,”
the board said.
The Reform Movement board warned, “Even when the Iowa
Annual Conference has adopted an official stand on an
issue, it may or may not reflect the views of most
Iowa United Methodists. The resolutions process is
mostly top-down, with little input from members and
local churches. Big batches of resolutions are
adopted hastily with no debate.
“The Iowa Annual Conference operates under church
rules but does not fairly represent its people.
Clergy get half the votes; laity get half. Yet our
Iowa church has 199,493 laity and 1,106 clergy. One
clergy can outvote 180 laity.
“Our discussions with many church members lead us to
believe most of them support the Iowa Annual
Conference’s stands against gambling and for racial
equality. On many other issues, we don't know whether
most Iowa United Methodists would support the official
stance.”
The Reform Movement board’s letter to Legislators
concluded, “When you are lobbied in the name of the
Iowa United Methodist Church, we respectfully
suggest: Ask the lobbyist to show you the Iowa Annual
Conference resolution on this issue. Remember: even
if the Iowa Annual Conference has officially adopted a
position, it may or may not represent the beliefs of a
majority of Iowa United Methodists. The best test is
to talk with United Methodist Church members in your
own district and ask whether they agree with the
lobbyist’s position.”
The Methodist Laity Reform Movement board includes 30
directors,
all active in the United Methodist Church
for many years: Richard G. Andersen, Muscatine; Jeff
Anderson, Belmond; Dennis G. Bell (Co-Chair), Denison;
Carl K. Benge, Selma; Judi Berger, Muscatine; Judge
Lawrence D. Carstensen, Clinton; Lonnie Conger,
Davenport; Mike Cormack, Massena; Mavis Diment,
Marcus; Tom Eisenhauer, Fonda; Tom Erdahl, Britt;
Charles C. Espy, Jr., Fairfield; Ronald Fulton,
Urbandale; Charles Gabus, Urbandale; Gaylen Goettsch,
Washta; Richard Hofmeyer, Fayette; James W. Hudson,
Pocahontas; J. Allen Ide, Davenport; Char Knutsen,
Walcott; Noreen Miller (Co-Chair), McGregor; Robert G.
Morrison, Muscatine; Darrell Needham, Greene;
Christian A. Nygaard, Wesley; Juanita O’Tool, Coon
Rapids; Jim Pfeil, Armstrong; James D. Pittman,
Urbandale; Tom Pitts, Hampton; Earl R. Shostrom
(Vice-Chair), Urbandale; David M. Stanley (Co-Chair),
Muscatine; and Chad Zeleny, Mt. Pleasant.
Methodist Laity Reform Movement also has a 29-member
Advisory Council, all active Iowa United Methodists.
To receive the complete text of the Methodist Laity
Reform Movement board’s letter to all Legislators (2
pages), including a list of 11 bills on which the
lobbyist speaks for the Iowa church although it has
not adopted any position on the issue, please call,
e-mail, or fax us.
Ask for: Bob Morrison.
t
866-218-4123 (toll-free)
t
E-mail:
info@mreform.org
t
FAX 563-264-3363
Read the MLRM Letter to Iowa Legislator
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