[Dialogue] Fwd: [UMNS-ALL-NEWS] UMNS# 306-Lease of property issue heads to United Methodist 'supreme court'

Sat Jul 19 13:30:41 EDT 2008

It's not over 'til the fat lady sings, or is that "tiny hispanic  
Señora."  Interestingly enough not a Bishop or steeple church pastor  
did this, only an untenured faculty member of Perkins, who is a member  
of the Rio Grande Conference (that's the hispanic conference).  It  
will be easy in some ways for the "Supreme Court", i.e. Judicial  
Council to take a duck, but then again maybe they will find a way - to  
at least move it to market rates.

George Holcombe
14900 Yellowleaf Tr.
Austin, TX 78728
Home: 512/252-2756
Mobile 512/294-5952
geowanda at earthlink.net

Begin forwarded message:

> From: NewsDesk <NewsDesk at UMCOM.ORG>
> Date: July 19, 2008 12:01:38 AM CDT
> To: UMNS-ALL-NEWS at UMCGROUPEMAIL.ORG
> Subject: [UMNS-ALL-NEWS] UMNS# 306-Lease of property issue heads to  
> United Methodist 'supreme court'
> Reply-To: NewsDesk <NewsDesk at UMCOM.ORG>
>
> Lease of property issue heads to United Methodist 'supreme court'
>
> Jul. 18, 2008    News media contact:   Linda  Green * (615)  
> 7425470*  Nashville {306}
>
> By Linda Green
>
> DALLAS-A faculty member of Southern Methodist University wants The  
> United Methodist Church's highest court to rule on whether the  
> leasing of property to The President George W. Bush Foundation  
> violates the university's articles of incorporation and subsidizes a  
> political view point.
>
> The Rev. Jeannie Trevino-Teddlie, director of the Mexican-American  
> program at Perkins School of Theology at United Methodist-related  
> SMU and a delegate to the South Central Jurisdictional Conference  
> from the Central Texas Annual (regional) Conference, asked for a  
> decision of law that will go to the United Methodist Judicial  
> Council this fall.
>
> "The main thing I am most concerned about is that by leasing  
> property to the Bush Foundation, at less than fair market value, we  
> are in effect subsidizing a policy institute that has a specific  
> political ideology and ideological point of view," she said, adding  
> the denomination's law book, the Book of Discipline, allows church  
> property "to be used for the work of the church and not to subsidize  
> a political point of view."
>
> In February, SMU officials approved giving the Bush Foundation a 99- 
> year lease to build a presidential library, museum and policy  
> institute on university property. The lease is $1,000 for 99 years-- 
> renewable for up to 250 years.
>
> Trevino-Teddlie asked Bishop Robert Hayes of Oklahoma, who was  
> presiding over that session of the South Central Jurisdictional  
> Conference, for the ruling of law. Hayes said he will determine if  
> it "was within the bounds of SMU to lease this land for the amount  
> of money that they wanted."
>
> "I have to examine her petition and determine whether I feel that  
> the conference has violated the terms of the Book of Discipline,"  
> Hayes explained. "I will write and respond to her seeking a  
> declaration of law and submit it to the Judicial Council."
>
> The council will then examine the question and Hayes' decision and  
> "make a ruling on whether I am correct or she is correct" when it  
> meets in October. The council reviews all bishops' decisions of law  
> during annual and jurisdictional conference sessions.
>
> The delegates to the South Central Jurisdiction, owners of the  
> Southern Methodist University, on July 17 affirmed the leasing of  
> the land to the Bush Foundation. Along with that approval, the  
> delegates asked that the university's integrity be protected.
>
> Trevino-Teddlie said allowing the institute on the campus of SMU is  
> "contrary to what the United Methodist Book of Discipline allows,  
> and I would like to get a ruling on that."
>
> Her question for a ruling of law asks: "Is the approval of the lease  
> of property of Southern Methodist University by the South Central  
> Jurisdiction and Southern Methodist University, at less than market  
> value, to the Bush Foundation for the purpose of establishing a  
> policy institute, in conflict with the articles of incorporation of  
> Southern Methodist University, the rules of the South Central  
> Jurisdiction and/or The Book of Discipline, specifically Para.  
> 2503.4, which requires all United Methodist property to be 'kept,  
> maintained . . . for the benefit of The United Methodist Church and  
> subject to the usages and the Discipline of The United Methodist  
> Church'" and said lease would subsidize a specific political and  
> ideological point of view?"
>
>
> While the library and museum have been welcomed by many United  
> Methodists, others have opposed the institute fearing it will be a  
> partisan think-tank.
>
> "The issue is the policy institute," Trevino-Teddlie said. "The  
> United Methodist Church should not be in the business of endorsing  
> any political point of view--whether that is democrat, republican,  
> green party--that is not what The United Methodist Church has stated  
> the use of Methodist property is for. I think there is a violation  
> there."
>
> Acknowledging that seeking the question of law makes her walk a fine  
> line with the university that employs her, she emphasized, "I am a  
> Christian first. I am speaking out of my faith and to me that is all  
> that is important."
>
> # # #
>
> *Green is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in  
> Nashville, Tenn.
>
> News media contact: Linda Green, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk at umcom.org
> ********************
>
> United Methodist News Service
> Photos and stories also available at:
> http://umns.umc.org
>
>
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