[Oe List ...] Fwd: [UMNS-ALL-NEWS] UMNS# 306-Lease of property issue heads to United Methodist 'supreme court'
George Holcombe
geowanda at earthlink.net
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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