Sunday, March 1, 2009

Rewriting History

I finally received my 2008 Conference Journal.I received my Northern Indiana Conference Journal in November.It takes less time to write and print a Harry Potter sequel! It's the same amount of time to have a baby, for Pete's sake. Why do we have to rush to get our written reports in by April?
But that's not the "main thing", as we ALL say in Missouri. To say that I was disappointed in the contents would be an understatement. I can overlook the fact that our 2nd Annual UMW Walk for Mission Giving was ignored and not mentioned at all. I know several hundred men, women, the Bishop, a couple cabinet members all walked the streets of Springfield in support of Mission. The walk also involved 2 Springfield Congregations. That's okay....it didn't really happen "In Session".
But people, to completely rewrite what happened at the end of the Sunday Morning Session....that's inexcusable.
In the style of the recorder of the proceedings I would have stated on page D-5
...APPROXIMATELY 200 UNITED METHODIST WOMEN AND THEIR SUPPORTERS PARADED ONTO THE STAGE CARRYING SIGNS IN SUPPORT OF THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CHARTER FOR RACIAL JUSTICE POLICIES. MRS. MAI GRAY, FORMER WOMEN'S DIVISION PRESIDENT, AND FOUNDER OF THE CHARTER, SPOKE TO THE ASSEMBLY ON HISTORICAL EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE ADOPTION OF THE CHARTER BY OUR WHOLE DENOMINATION. SHE RECEIVED A STANDING OVATION AND A BIG HUG FROM BISHOP SCHNASE.
To fail to write that Mai Gray was there and was so honored is an insult to every United Methodist Woman in Missouri.
So, I suggest that all of you take a pen and write in the above paragraph, so that when your descendants want to know what really happened at the Missouri Annual conference of 2008, they will know that UMW and Mai Gray were there.
For too many years, historians have written history excluding the stories of women, minorities, and other disenfranchised persons. I thought those days were over. Apparently not.
AMEN, SISTERS.

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