Recommended Readings: European United Methodist Bishops on 2nd Anniversary of Ukraine War

February 24 marked two years since Russia invaded Ukraine, setting off a war that persists to this day. United Methodists around the world marked this anniversary, but perhaps none so closely as European United Methodists.

Bishop Harald Rückert of the Germany Episcopal Area marked the occasion with a joint letter to his fellow UMC bishops Christian Alsted (who oversees Ukraine) and Eduard Khegay (who oversees Russia). In it, Bishop Rückert offered his prayers for both bishops and the United Methodists under their care and expressed his hopes for peace.

Bishop Alsted marked the anniversary of the war by traveling to Ukraine. You can see several of his reports from that trip about worshipping and serving with Ukrainian United Methodists on the Nordic and Baltic Episcopal Area Facebook page.

Creating a Respectful and Fair Separation

Today’s post is a translation of Klaus Ulrich Ruof’s article “Trennung respektvoll und fair gestalten,” first published on the website of the Evangelisch-methodistische Kirke, the UMC in Germany. The translation is by UM & Global’s Dr. David W. Scott.

Three United Methodist bishops responsible for European Central Conferences wrote an open letter to the Wesleyan Covenant Association (WCA). The reason for the criticism voiced therein was the handling of the recent withdrawal of the Bulgaria-Romania Provisional Annual Conference from the UMC and the simultaneously declared joining in the founding of the Global Methodist Church (GMC).

Open letter criticizes WCA leadership
Christian Alsted, bishop for Northern Europe and the Baltics, Patrick Streiff, bishop for Central and Southern Europe, and Harald Rückert, bishop for Germany, criticize the behavior of the WCA leadership in the public letter.

The conservative lobby group, which is based in the United States and now active worldwide in the UMC, describes itself in its own words as a " global connection of local churches, laity, clergy, and regional chapters that seeks to partner with like-minded orthodox Christians to build a new global Methodist church." In line with its objectives, the WCA supports individuals, groups, congregations, and conferences in many places in their efforts to separate from The United Methodist Church.

The intended withdrawal of the Bulgaria-Romania Annual Conference had only been announced shortly before the conference session. Patrick Streiff, the presiding bishop for the conference, declared the request inadmissible in the form submitted because it disregarded the regulations laid down in the Book of Discipline of the UMC. The conference members did not want to wait for a clarification offered by the bishop through the Judicial Council, the highest judicial body of the UMC. Without the chairmanship of the presiding bishop, it was unanimously decided to withdraw from the UMC and to join the Global Methodist Church, effect on the founding date of the new church, announced for May 1 this year.

Against this background and given subsequent commentaries about the events by WCA and GMC leaders, the European bishops chose the unusually public form to express their criticism and disappointment: "We would have expected the Wesleyan Covenant Association and Good News to uphold the discipline and promote respectful ways of separation."

In view of the situation in which the worldwide UMC has found itself, especially since the special General Conference in February 2019, paths to the separation of the church are foreseeable. As bishops, they have therefore “established documents laying out the different decision-making processes on central conference, annual conference and local church level for separation.” As bishops, they are "committed to the United Methodist Church", but "equally" to those "who think differently." According to the three authors of the open letter, this attitude was even appreciatively described as "stellar leadership " in a blog post from Good News Magazine.

Separation: “fascinating” and “courageous”
From the perspective of the three European bishops, the leaders of the WCA and the emerging Global Methodist Church have in turn lacked respectful leadership behavior. Tom Lambrecht, UMC pastor from Wisconsin and vice president of Good News, who had highlighted the "stellar leadership" of the European bishops, commented on the departure of the Romanian and Bulgarian Methodists from the UMC as a "fascinating account". In a blog post, Chris Ritter, a member of the WCA council, described the "recent actions of the Bulgaria-Romania Conference" as a "spunky persistence of traditional, Methodist, Christian faith."

Respect and fairness
Such reactions, in the opinion of the European bishops, raise questions about the leadership behavior of the leaders of the Wesleyan Covenant Association and the Global Methodist Church. It is not about the fact of the separation per se, but about creating the ways to a respectful and fair separation. They want to still be committed to this goal, "even if we are disappointed by what we have experienced."

Judicial Council will clarify the case
In the meantime, the decision of the Bulgaria-Romania Provisions Annual Conference and its circumstances have been forwarded by Bishop Streiff to the Judicial Council for clarification of legal matters in accordance with the Book of Discipline.

Gabriel Straka and Bishop Harald Rückert: The Salary System for Pastors of the Germany Central Conference

Today’s post is by Superintendent Gabriel Straka of the Commission for Finance and Labor Law of the Germany Central Conference and Bishop Harald Rückert, bishop responsible for the Germany Central Conference. It is the second in a series on missional appointments and pastoral payment models. See here for the series introduction.

Overview of the Salary System (by Gabriel Straka)
For the pastors of the Germany Central Conference of The United Methodist Church (the EmK—Evangelisch-methodistische Kirche), there is a uniform salary and pension system. Salary and pensions are regulated in the Book of Discipline of the EmK (the VLO – Verfassung, Lehre, und Ordnung der EmK) under Articles 911 and 912, as well as in special regulatory texts (VI.281 and VI.282).

In this system, all charges pay a levy to the three annual conferences, with which the conferences finance all costs of supra-regional work, including salary and pension costs. Pastors are therefore not paid by the local congregation but by the annual conference.

The salary of the pastors of the EmK in Germany consists of the basic salary, a rent-free parsonage or apartment, and, if necessary, a child supplement. The amount of the basic salary is determined annually by the Commission for Finance and Labor Law of the Central Conference, in which the three annual conferences work together, and agreed upon by the Central Conference Executive Committee. Since the annual conferences are financially autonomous, they can decide on deviations from the common pay scale, which they do in practice.

The basic salary increases over the course of the years of service. At the start of service, it is 88% of the amount reached after 21 years of service.  This means that pastors in Germany earn almost the same amount. The salary is paid regardless of the size or financial strength of the local congregation.

In addition to the basic salary, a Christmas allowance and, if necessary, a heating allowance are paid for all employees. There are also certain services for which an allowance is paid. Here, too, these allowances are borne by the annual conferences.

The pastor’s entire salary and also the value of the rent-free parsonage or apartment is taxed. Salaries and pensions are administered via a central accounting office for the whole of Germany.

Retired pastors receive a pension payment from the Church, the amount of which is also based on the current salary scale.

Advantages of the System (by Bishop Harald Rückert)
We experience the following advantages through our salary system:

• When it comes to new assignments for pastors, the question of salary plays no role, as our salary scale shows that everyone earns the same regardless of the location in which they are supposed to serve.

• Small congregations that face financial difficulties still have the chance to receive a pastor to help them start a new missionary endeavor. The cabinet can set missionary priorities regardless of salary issues.

• The system strengthens the idea that pastors are sent to a certain place by the church, or rather, the bishop.

• This means that pastors are more independent of the internal dynamics of their congregations, as they are not paid directly by them. This can make it easier for them to act as helpful counterparts to the congregation or to individual groups in the congregation, if necessary. They are at the same time always representatives of the whole Church.

Recommended Reading: Harald Rückert on "Tension, Hesitation and Hope"

German United Methodist bishop Harald Rückert reports on the recent European meeting of United Methodist leaders. His remarks reflect his #MyHope4Methodism. The original German version of his report can be found here. What follows is an English translation from UM & Global blogmaster David Scott.

Harald Rückert – Tension, Hesitation, and Hope
Bishop Rückert reports on the European meeting of the leaders of the UMC. In addition to collaboration and preparation, it was also about a “hot potato.”

At the beginning of December, the four European bishops of the UMC and around 50 District Superintendents met in the Hessian city of Braunfels. Harald Rückert, the presiding bishop of the UMC in Germany, shared his impressions:

It was a “colorful” group of people who came together for our annual Europe-wide meeting: from Scandinavia and the Baltic, from Southeast Europe and Russia, from Kyrgyzstan and Algeria, from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. For a whole day, we heard and considered examples of communities that opened themselves to their surroundings and bravely dared to do something new. Although our church in Europe numerically belongs to the “small churches,” it is in many places vital and significant for its surroundings. What a motivational boost! Impressive also were various projects in which, for the sake of our mission, unity was lived out in the midst of great differences; for example, the peace conference between Russian and Ukrainian Methodists, whose relationship was heavily strained because of the political enmity between their countries; or the collaboration of an established community with people on the margins of society. We can learn so much from one another.

Unity is stronger than division
Our “hot potato” was also embedded in the meetings: How do we as a church deal with the questions surrounding the issue of homosexuality? Since we Methodists in Europe have just as widely divergent views as the church worldwide, I went to Braunfels with a fearful heart. The opposing convictions and understandings seem so strong and unshakeable, so fundamental and deep-seated. Will they tear us apart? Will we stay together despite these differences? Tension was in the air. Hesitation to approach one another was palpable. I am still moved by how, over the course of these days, the atmosphere changed hour by hour. By the end, this conviction was clear: We belong together. We can help each other invite people to follow Jesus Christ to transform our world that is ripped apart.

Hope and courage
After this meeting, we still were not of one mind on homosexuality – as also on other questions. But that is not necessary to be one in Christ. We have by not discussed everything by a long way. Many more discussions will follow. How far will the impressions of this conference take us? That is not yet fully determined, but certain first steps have been taken. We listened with the firm intention of understanding one another a little bit better. Yet we have also noticed our totally different political, social, cultural, and religious contexts. But most of all, we have always drawn closer to God’s presence, studied the Bible, sung, and prayed. We have celebrated worship, been invited to the table of the Lord, and experienced one another anew as brothers and sisters. Unity in Jesus Christ is strong than that which would separate us. That gives me hope and courage.

Harald Rückert has been bishop of the UMC in Germany since May 2017. His office is in Frankfurt am Main. His email is bischofsbuero (at) emk.de.