Appendix T Case Study: Camp Ground United Methodist Church (CGUMC) Fayetteville, North Carolina by Allen O. Morris [Note: The chronology contained here is more extensive than is contained in the hardcopy book The Church in Bondage.] This case study describes retaliatory action taken against me for my involvement in the renewal group "Concerned Methodists" and for assisting members of another congregation to resist pro-lesbian advocacy in their church. This is of interest in that it exhibits calculated tactics that are used by some UM clergy in attempts to neutralize an individual involved in communicating the truth of problems in the United Methodist Church and to shift the attention of laity away from problems in our denomination. This was not an isolated case but representative of actions taken in attempts to alienate and compromise the credibility of those who would call attention to dangerous trends in our United Methodist Church. This is presented so that others who experience this type of treatment will know that theirs are not isolated or unique cases - and will stand strong against this type of abusive treatment. Background: The organization Concerned Methodists calls for renewal through spiritual revival, obedience to biblical teachings, commitment to the lordship of Jesus Christ, and fiscal and operational accountability by the leadership, employees, clergy and laity in the United Methodist Church. It consists of members and is networked to people all over the continental United States and in different parts of the world. Chronology of Events September 19, 1993. This is the date of one of two certificates of appreciation for my work with the youth, this one signed by Reverend George Jones himself and presented in front of the congregation of Camp Ground United Methodist Church (CGUMC). March 6 - May 17, 1994. At a Finance Committee meeting in the fellowship hall (during this time period), Reverend George Jones alleged that financial information supplied by Concerned Methodists was not true; my response was, "Oh yes it is too!" George's face turned red. Afterwards, in a private conversation I told him, "I challenge you, the district superintendent (Tommy Smith), and Bishop Minnick to a public debate in front of the congregation of the church. I will debate all three of you at once on the truth of our information!" He responded, "I don't think they would go along with that." I then told him, "I challenge you and the district superintendent to a public in front of the congregation of the church!" He then responded, "I don't think he would go along with that either." I then told him, "I challenge you to a public debate in front of the congregation of the church." He responded, "I don't really want to do that." I then replied, "George, I know the game that you are playing. I also know that the district superintendent and the bishop are putting pressure on you because of what we (i.e., Concerned Methodists) are doing, but don't get involved in this." George said, "I'll tell them that, from now on, they'll have to fight their own battles" or words to that effect. March 6, 1994. At the Council on Ministries (COM) meeting I had requested time to discuss the problem of the heretical theologies at the Re-Imagining Conference that had been promoted in November of 1993 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (I had sent COM Chair Charles Astrike a letter of concern about what happened there. The letter is contained below.) COM Chair Astrike said, "I'll give you one minute to talk about it!" After I had raised the issue, George Jones explained it away with "It's not a problem. There weren't that many people who attended"; "How do you know? You weren't there."; "This wasn't supported by the United Methodist Church."; "This was a one time event. It's a dead issue." and other arguments. The letter presented to Charlie Astrike follows: March 6, 1994 Mr. Charles Astrike Chair, The Council on Ministries Camp Ground United Methodist Church Fayetteville, North Carolina 28314 Dear Mr. Astrike; As a member of this church, I am expressing in the strongest possible terms my objections to the participation, however remotely, of Camp Ground United Methodist Church (UMC) in the funding and the activities of the so-called "Re-Imagining Conference" that was held November 4-7, 1993 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Between 391 and 400 United Methodists attended out of a total of 2200 participants; UMC representation was second only to the Presbyterian Church (USA). Events that happened at the conference strike at the very heart of the Christian faith and hold it up to derision. Specific examples are: The "re-imagining" of God began in the first session with participants holding up the "goddess of wisdom, Sophia". An actual communion" service of milk and honey was held in honor of "her". Excerpts from the prayer offered to "her" are: "Our maker Sophia, we are women in your imgage....... Sophia, creator god, let your sweet milk and honey flow. Creator God, shower us with your love." "Our sweet Sophia, we are women in your image. With nectar between our thighs, we invite a lover, we birth a child; with our warm body fluids we remind the world of its pleasures and sensations." etc. Kwok Pui-Lan, leader of the "Jesus" seminar, said, "We cannot allow others to define our sin. What is sin? Who is this funny God who would sacrifice a lamb?" Later, she said, "We cannot have one savior. Just like the Big Mac... prepackaged and shipped all over the world. It won't do. It's imperialistic." Janie Spahr, a self-avowed lesbian clergywoman in the Presbyterian Church, USA, said her theology is first of all informed "by making love with Coni", her lesbian partner. Then: "Sexuality and spirituality have to come together, and church, we're going to teach you!" Barbara Lundblad: , a Lutheran pastor, stated, "Some would call our worship last night verging on heresy... We did not last night name the name of Jesus. Nor have we done anything in the name of the Father, Son, and of the Holy Spirit." After her comments were made, there were laughter and cheers. Judy Westerdorf, a United Methodist clergywoman: "The church has always been blessed by gays and lesbians... witches... shamans!" Later she joked about the term "practicing homosexual", noting that her partner says "she's not practicing, she's pretty good." Delores S. Williams, a "womanist" theology professor of Union Theological Seminary in New York City stated in a seminar entitled "Jesus", "I don't think we need a theory of atonement at all. I don't think we need folks hanging on crosses and blood dripping and weird stuff. Atonement has so much to do with death. We do not need atonement, we just need to listen to the god within...." A picture from The Presbyterian Layman (January/February, 1994 issue, page 10) shows a picture of a speaker receiving a "blessing" in the name of "Sophia". The caption under the picture states, "Participants invoked the blessing of the goddess Sophia before each speaker addressed the conference. Pictured here is Lois Wilson, past World Council of Churches president. .." Melanie Morrison, co-convenor of CLOUT (Christian Lesbians Out Together) requested time to celebrate "the miracle of being lesbian, out, and Christian." The approximately 100 people who went up to the front in response to her invitation to all lesbian, bisexual, and transsexual women received a standing ovation, She then led the group in a song celebrating their lesbian sexual relationships. Francis Wood, author of training/policy materials for the National Council of Churches, gave a pitch for lesbian sexuality. Rita Nakashima Brook denigrated any ideas of Jesus' incarnation, divinity, and atonement, and stated "not transcendence - that orgy of self-alienation beloved of the fathers - but immanence, god working out god's self in every thing." Virginia Mollenkott, serving with the National Council ofChurches, claimed that Jesus' death was the ultimate in "child abuse": "...I can no longer worship in a theological context that depicts God as an abusive parent and Jesus as the obedient, trusting child." Aruna Gnanadason, director with the World Council of Churches, cited the church as a "patriarchical institution" that "centered its faith around the cruel and violent death of Christ on the cross, sanctioning violence against the powerless in society." Elizabeth Bettenhausen contended in her theorizing that women, not God, were creators in her symbology of childbirth. Mercy Oduyoye, deputy general secretary of the World Council of Churches, talked about "the mothers who watch from the spirit world". In short, many theologies were celebrated to include goddess worship, Gnosticism, pantheism, animism, Mew Age, and universalism, but not orthodox Christianity. Many gods were named, but not Jesus Christ. This was an event that we supported directly with the money that went from the United Methodist Women to the Women's Division. Indirectly, this was supported by apportionment money given by us to the National and World Council of Churches, who planned the event and heavily populated it with speakers, and to the General Board of Global Ministries for salary support. Over and above the money that went to pay for 56 people to attend and the S2500 grant given to the Minnesota Conference United Methodist Women were postage and associated expenses used by the Women's Division to encourage the attendance of.391-400 UMs. Indicative of the seriousness of this event is the analysis by Bishop Earl Hunt who stated, "No comparable heresy has appeared in the church in the last 15 centuries." That is fifteen hundred years. It is gratifying to know that the Camp Ground Chapter of the United Methodist Women is concerned about this issue and is seriously studying it, but since apportionment dollars are involved, other measures need to be taken. I believe that this deserves a timely response in the strongest possible terms. What will our action be? A very concerned layman, [Signed] Allen 0. Morris [Note: Despite the fact that Charles Astrike has repeatedly been given copies of the letter requesting answers to the seriousness of the concerns surrounding the "Re-Imagining" Conference, he has yet to respond.] There is a postscript to the following sentence in the letter: "It is gratifying to know that the Camp Ground Chapter of the United Methodist Women is concerned about this issue and is seriously studying it,..." Despite the fact that much material on the "Re-Imagining" Conference was given to the UMW president Mrs. Sue Thomas, no substantive action was taken. On or about August 6, 1994, a meeting was held at Camp Ground church prior to the worship service while I was on travel which sought to counter the questions I was raising about the "Re-Imagining Conference" and heard criticism of me personally (akin to condemning in absentia). Despite the fact that I had requested we talk about the "Re-Imagining" issue, this was not done except for discussion that had occurred at the Spring COM meeting. Then an effort was made at the August 6th meeting to have people remove their names from the list for our publication The Christian Methodist Newsletter. Later, one attendee told me that Reverend Jones told the people, "I'll give you five minutes to tell me about your concerns about the Re-Imagining Conference." She further told me that it was then that she leaned over and told another member, "Wouldn't you know it; they wait until Al [i.e., Morris] is gone to discuss this." [Note: It appears that one of the laymembers was was used by George to circulate the petition to have names of the members of CGUMC removed from our mailing list. When I approached that individual and requested he discuss the issues themselves, he adamantly refused. Since George and others who attempt to cover up the problems in the United Methodist Church were not able to counter the truthfulness of information disseminated through The Christian Methodist Newsletter and other data disseminated by Concerned Methodists, it was necessary to isolate the laymembers from the truth of what is happening in the denomination. The most effective way to do this is to cut them off from independent sources of information. That is the reason for trying to convince people to remove themselves from the mailing list and is a tactic commonly used across the denomination.] November 6, 1994 at 4:35 P.M. I arrived at my church in Fayetteville (Camp Ground UMC) to attend the Youth Council meeting. George Jones told me that he needed to talk to me in his office. I told him that we could do it later. Since he was insistent that we talk at that time and I didn't want him to make a scene in front of the kids, I followed him into his office where he told me that I had gone out and torn up the church at Ocracoke. At that time I told him that what he had said was not the truth, that the people at Ocracoke had requested my assistance to oppose a pastor who was attempting to push lesbianism within their local church. George then said that if I didn't resign as a youth director, he would bring the action before the Administrative Board to have me forcibly removed. I told him that if it weren't for the kids, I would be more than glad to fight it, but so as not to cause any disruption, I would do it. That evening, I told Mrs. Barbara Poole that I would be resigning; she evidently knew that I would be asked to resign by the pastor since she was visibly upset with tears in her eyes. She stated, "I just cannot take pressure." She hugged me and asked me if I wanted talk to the kids? I declined because I didn't want to upset them. We talked further, but during the course of the conversation, she never verbally accepted my resignation. [Note: At this time, George also alleged that "some parents objected to my working with the youth." When asked who they were and why he hadn't directed them to come talk to me as Christians should, he was evasive. These anonymous parents were never named - if they existed at all.] A few nights later, I called Mrs. Kathy O' Neal, narrated what had happened, and asked her if I had done anything to disrupt their Charge Conference. She was adamant in that I had not, and asked, "How can they say that? That has nothing to do with the truth!" I then asked her if she could write a letter to that effect and get some of the others to sign it. This she would do. In a call to her later, she stated that she, Mr. & Mrs. Fletcher C. Hoggard, and others would be willing to drive to Fayetteville to speak on my behalf. I told her that just a letter was all that was needed at this point. During the course of subsequent conversations with her, she was talking about the situation's being hopeless if the pastor has the support of the DS and the bishop. I advised her to ask to speak to the DS at some point in time and ask him if he knows that he has been asked to support the appointment of a lesbian to a position of leadership in the church, that he may not know it or that the pastor may have lied to them in saying that she had their support. This she and some others later did and found out that Dr. Presnell had not been apprised of this situation. November 19, 1994: I called Mrs. Poole and told her that I would be withdrawing my resignation, but I would deal with it in a way so as not to involve her. I finalized a letter to that effect to her and one to the George Jones. November 20, 1994: I presented my letter to Jones (dated November 19th) at the doorway to the Agape Sunday School Class in the presence of Terry Preiss (who saw me give him the envelope not knowing what it contained). November 23, 1994: I received the response to my letter from George Jones (dated the 22nd) and the letter from the people at Ocracoke dated November the 20th containing the signatures of 27 people attesting to the fact that I had not caused the disruption at their church. George Jones' letter stated that my request for a hearing before the Administrative Board would not be granted, in addition to "I know that you have also harmed the life of the little United Methodist Church at Ocracoke very seriously for such a small church cannot bear the pain you brought to bear with your negativity and dissension. I also know that I have had several parents question why you were working with the youth group, and several more parents have told me they will not permit their teenagers to attend youth if you are a counselor. In the past I have tolerated your presence with the youth, but I cannot any longer. It is simply too negative of an example." Since this letter was sent to three other people (as evidenced by the "CC"), this is no longer just a private matter. In this same mailing (from Kathy O' Neal) was a copy of a request for a Church Conference (in which all members would be allowed to vote) signed by 77 members of the congregation of the Ocracoke church; this indicated widespread dissatisfaction with the October 30th conference, since normally only one conference is held per year and the average attendance at a Sunday service is 45 - 50 (indicating that they had "gotten out the vote" with respect to encouraging members to attend and vote). [Note: The allegation of the anonymous parents was similar to one used when George attempted to pull the same tactic on another member of the church - Sandy Holland. In this situation, he alleged that "some people" objected to how Sandy was fulfilling her duties. When Sandy asked for the names, George refused to tell her. Later, Sandy's husband Bill went into George's office and told him that there would be no more instances of George calling Sandy into his office and stated that until he (George) told the names of these anonymous "people" he (Bill) would assume that they did not exist.] November 26, 1994: I mailed a letter to Mr. John Smith (chairman of the Administrative Board) requesting a hearing before the Administrative Board. November 27, 1994: On or about 9:20 A.M on November 27, 1994, I received a call from Mrs. Debbie Clark Pate. She said that she was outraged at the Re-Imagining tape and wanted to leave the church, that she did not want her name associated with Camp Ground Church. She then asked me how she could move her letter? I told her that I didn't know how she could move her letter. She said that she had tried to talk to George (i.e., Jones) about this Sophia worship. Mrs. Clark then went on to say "I'd heard about it before you (i.e., me) ever sent anything out, and he said he didn't know anything about it. Three weeks later I got some information on it and gave it to him and he wouldn't talk about it with me." I then told her that I didn't know how she would move her letter. She then spoke in a disparaging way about the George. I cut her short and asked her, "Have you discussed this with him?" She replied, "No." She then said, "I feel like getting dressed, going to church, and just standing up in the service and tell what is wrong with the church and why I am leaving and that I could not be associated with this type of thing." I replied, "No, you really don't want to do that. Why not write him a letter telling him what you believe to be wrong with the church?" She replied, "He would just throw it away and nothing would ever come of it." I responded, "If you wish, I could include it in a copy of the Christian Methodist Newsletter that goes to the congregation." She replied, "That's an idea. I'll write it today." She then stated, "You really must feel like Paul." I replied, "No, more like John Wesley who had an experience with the Lord and then wanted to help change the Church of England with its problems. But he was misunderstood and was gradually excluded from all of the pulpits in that church. Things were much worse for him since he was an ordained Anglican priest and he could not even preach from what was his father's pulpit. They excluded him from the church." She then said that Camp Ground Church had gotten so cold: "I was gone from there for three months and I didn't get a call or anything. I'm active in the church. I'm one of the Sunday School teachers, and I'm active in the women's group [I believe she said "SWAT"], and -----------[I couldn't understand what she said]. But I didn't get a call. They did call to tell me I had a present from my secret sister/friend (?) [I didn't understand which]. I went to get it and it was a potted plant - dead. I had to throw it away." At the end of the conversation, she said she had not gone to church in three months and was not attending any. I told her that she needed to be in church. She asked me to make a recommendation as to which one (i.e., other than a United Methodist church)? I responded with words to the effect that "If you are set on leaving the church [i.e., Camp Ground], then whatever you do, go somewhere. You really need to be in church. Don't just stay out. Perhaps you might try Manna or the Church of the Open Door." I then ended the conversation since I was about to be late for Sunday School and I was teaching that morning. November 28, 1994: Terry Preiss told me that in a phone conversation with George Jones, he had told Terry that he (Jones) was getting pressure from the District Superintendent and Bishop C. P. Minnick to remove me from the Youth Program for "tearing up the church out at Ocracoke" and words to the effect that "They're putting pressure on me. I have to do something!" November 29, 1994: I called John Smith to confirm that he had received the letter yesterday, the 28th. He had. In addition, I received a second letter (dated November 28th) from George Jones containing false allegations that I had called people and attempted to convince them to leave the church; this letter was not sent to anyone else. According to Mr. Jimmy R. Cash, Sr., he received a letter from George Jones similar to the one I had. He called Tommy Smith's office to complain; George called him (Cash) back, apologized, and told Cash, "I've got to do something about Al. The District Superintendent and the Bishop are putting pressure on me." December, 1994. I received information from a confidential source that C. P. Minnick was heard to say that he was going to force me out of the United Methodist Church. Believing it to be reliable information, I consulted an attorney to familiarize myself with my rights under the law. December 6, 1994. The date of my letter to George acknowledging receipt of his letters dated November 22 and November 28, 1994, and requesting information as to the source of the allegations he had made. December 21, 1994. The date of my second letter notifying George that I had visited with an attorney who had advised me of my rights and of my avenues for legal recourse within the civil judicial system. January 7, 1995. The date of my letter to Roger Carroll, chair of the Pastor-Parish Relations Committee (PPR). January 8, 1995: George Jones stated to the Administrative Board that he had removed me from my position as counselor because I did not present a good example to the youth. He then asked for a motion to be made supporting his action; this was done by John Smith and seconded by Robert Smith. The chair of the Ad. Board, Jay Spillane, called for a vote and declared the motion passed with no call for discussion, nor giving me an opportunity to defend myself since I was not a member of the Board. To recap, the motion passed on the pastor's argument that I did not provide a good example for the youth, yet without one example of misconduct being cited Rev. Jones (nor could he). [Note: The fact that this meeting at which George's proposal was passed with no opportunity for defense has earned the name of being a "kangaroo court" among some of the members of the church. The reality is that this action was taken by George to neutralize the work I was doing for Concerned Methodists - contrary to the argument he professed to the Administrative Board. The fact that Jay Spillane, a retired Army Colonel with experience who let himself be used in this way contrary to principles of responsible military leadership, is difficult to understand.] January 14, 1995. I met with the Pastor Parish Relations Committee (PPR) (accompanied by Mr. John McCarthy) to officially notify it that the letters written by Rev. Jones dated November 22, 1994 and November 28, 1994 contained falsehoods. (Statements in both letters are cited in formal charges that were brought against George for "repetitive lying"). The first letter by George dated November 22, 1994 was a consequence of the Ocracoke/youth counselor situation and contains numerous untruths that are easily provable. The second letter dated November 28, 1994 was a consequence of either a female member of Camp Ground Church intentionally "setting up" George to make false allegations, or was a case of his getting information mixed up; in either event, he had penned numerous falsehoods in that second letter. The intent of this meeting was not to seek the concurrence of the PPR in anything but to officially notify it of their existence and their falseness. After the letters were introduced, George Jones wished to discuss them.   In this meeting, the youth pastor Dennis Adams asked me a hypothetical question unrelated to the subject at hand. When I responded that what he had asked could not be answered with a simple "yes" or "no" - Dennis kept repeating the question, standing to his feet and getting louder and louder. Finally, I just ignored him and went back to the issue at hand. In addition, one of the members of the PPR Steve Thomas stated that he was approached by some people who complained that I had tried to interpose myself between the authority of the parents and their kids. My response was - that did not happen. I asked him for names of the alleged people (he did not give any). I then asked Steve as to why he was bringing it up at that time; if it had been a real issue, he had had hundreds of opportunities to discuss it with me in private prior to the meeting at hand. I then stated to him that the closest I came to interposing myself between parents and youth was an incident with him and his wife. (Ironically, that was when I was in the Middle East during Operation Desert Storm, I had heard that this same Steve had had severe family problems. Upon my return to the United States, I met with Steve and his wife Sue to emphasize to them that if they ever had a problem like that again, that their son could come live with me.) The spurious questions such as were interjected by Dennis and Steve are tactics used in attempts to disrupt an opponent's presentation in an adversarial situation; we have seen this used repeatedly before.   After we had finished the discussion and as we were walking out the door, I was assured by George Jones that the matter was not going to be discussed further in our (Mr. McCarthy's and my) absence.   January 16, 1995: The date of a letter from the PPR Chair Mr. Roger Carroll which stated that, among other things, "...the Pastor's actions were not inappropriate, and that no further action be taken." I called Roger and told him that the purpose of my wanting to meet with the committee was not to discuss the appropriateness of George Jones' action but to officially register a complaint, and that John McCarthy and I had been assured that the issue would not be discussed further after we had left; he assured me that the issue was not discussed further, that that statement was not true. I asked him, "Why did you sign the letter then?" He gave no response. I later confirmed with Terry Preiss, another member of the PPR who was present at the meeting, that the issue had not been discussed, that the PPR had just voted to accept the two letters I had presented. It is interesting that the Ad. Board and the PPR would meet, hear one side of the situation, and then pass a motion affirming the side they heard, especially where it affected the reputation of one of the members of the church. January 19, 1995. The date of my letter to Roger Carroll in response to his letter and to some of the events that had transpired at the January 15, 1995 PPR meeting. A copy of this correspondence was also sent to the members of the PPR, Reverend J. Thomas Smith, and to Bishop C. P. Minnick, Jr. February, 1995. From a confidential source, I was given to understand that Bishop Minnick had given George Jones instructions before he (i.e., George) was assigned to Camp Ground UM Church "force Allen out of the church" or words to that effect. From this source, I also learned that this action angered some of the members of the clergy of the North Carolina Conference, since the denomination publicly talks about "inclusiveness" yet this de facto did not practice it. March 3, 1995 at 5:10 P.M. Rev. Bill Presnell (who presided at the original Charge Conference at Ocracoke) told me in a telephonic conversation that he had not (he was emphatic) told anyone that I went out and "tore up" the Ocracoke church.. He had given a report on the situation at a cabinet meeting. The Bishop (Minnick) had asked questions about it. March 20, 1995. The date of my letter to Roger Carroll addressing his statement about "the Pastor's actions were not inappropriate" as a result of the PPR meeting. November 20, 1995. Meeting with Reverend Jones in the office of the DS (Rev. Tommy Smith) in an attempt to arrive at a reconciliation. I used as a "talking paper" a letter to Reverend Smith dated November 20, 1995. During the course of the conversation, I expressed the opinion that I believed Reverend Jones "stacked" the boards with his own people so as to get a favorable decision on whatever he proposed, especially the Administrative Board and the PPR. I further told him that I had called two friends I had who were members of the clergy in the NCC to verify my perceptions, and they had told me that this was "common practice" in the UMC. Jimmy Cash reinforced this with the observation that a study by a prominent Methodist scholar writing in Christianity Today magazine that this was commonly done in the UMC. Reverend Smith then said, "Who was that pastor? I won't tolerate that practice!" I told him that Concerned Methodists had a strict practice of keeping personal conversations with UM clergy strictly confidential for their own protection. At another point in the meeting when we were discussing the points made in his (i.e., Jones') letters of November 22, 1994 and November 28, 1994, I had made the point that what was contained in them was not the truth. George refused to acknowledge it. I again reiterated that it was not the truth. He still refused to admit it. I then told him that it was a lie since I had pointed out the truth but he would not acknowledge it and attempted to change the subject. I then told him, "No, George. That's the only thing on the table. When you said that, that was a lie!" He again attempted to change the subject, and I again told him, "No, George. That's the only thing on the table. When you said that, that was a lie!" I then offered him the opportunity to apologize to me for the lies contained in the letters dated November 22 and November 28, 1994. This too he refused to do. [Note: At one point during this conversation, Charlie Astrike, whom George had brought along as his witness, shouted, "Allen, I am outraged!!" I glanced at him, wondered if he was "outraged" that his pastor would engage in lying, then went back to my conversation with George.] December 13, 1995. Date of my letter to Reverend Smith addressing some points in the meeting. In addition, this is the date of my letter to a layman in this conference requesting advice on how to pursue my case. Subsequent to this request between this date and February 9, 1996, the layman advised me to not pursue civil litigation at this point but to work through UM channels in that I should invite the CGUMC Administrative Board, the district superintendent, and the bishop to press charges against me based on the statements made by Reverend Jones. This would necessitate their proving the truth of the statements made by Reverend Jones; since they are not true, they would be unable to do this. February 9, 1996 - May 1, 1996. I invited the CGUMC Administrative Board, Reverend J. Thomas Smith, and Bishop C. P. Minnick, Jr. to press charges against me based on the statements made by Reverend Jones. They all declined. April 6, 1996. Jimmy Cash said that on April third Reverend Lloyd Willis told him in the presence of Julia Willis (no relation to Reverend Willis) that Rev. Tommy Smith was furious that he (Willis) had let Jimmy back into the United Methodist Church. Reverend Smith then told Rev. Willis, "Well, don't put him in any leadership positions or put him on any boards." He also took issue with Reverend Willis for letting me preach. Reverend Willis asked, "Well, what was wrong with that? He gave his testimony and it was well received." (Marty Rasmussen, Treasurer of Concerned Methodists, later told me that he had been informed by two of his pastors that Rev. Smith had requested he be removed from his position as church treasurer because of his association with Concerned Methodists. On another occasion, Reverend Willis said that he was in Reverend Smith's office talking to him when one of the certified letters from Concerned Methodists arrived. Reverend Smith interrupted the conversation, picked up the telephone, called Rev. Jones and said, "Get over here right now!" July 28, 1996 at 2:00 P.M. I called and talked to *** who had attended meetings of the World Methodist Council (WMC). (*** It is the policy of Concerned Methodists to keep communications with members of the UM clergy and their families confidential unless they consent to have their names made known.) In response to my question as to the procedures for being selected from the North Carolina Conference (NCC), the information I received was as follows: The conference gets a certain number of slots which the bishop allocates. The bishop's slot may be paid by the conference, but usually none of the others are. The NCC usually allocates the slots first to district superintendents, conference officers, the UMW head, etc. If any are left over, they are usually offered up for anyone who wants them. Since these trips are not funded, many who get the slots to go turn them down. Those who do go usually pay their own ways. Rarely, if ever, is a WMC delegate's church "tasked" to pay for the trip. The "official observer" spouse status contained in the "CGUMC Rio insert" requesting the congregation pay for Reverend and Mrs. Jones' expenses to the WMC sounded suspicious to the person I had called. The person interviewed said, "The whole affair showed real...." After about a minute's silence on the phone I offered, "Brass?" The individual responded, "Yes, 'brass'." August 26, 1996 at 8:46 P.M. I called and talked to *** who had attended meetings of the World Methodist Council and to whom I had sent a copy of the "Rio insert" requesting people in the congregation to pay for the pastor and his wife to go to the World Methodist Conference. After looking at the insert, the opinion I had received was that the request for the church to pay expenses really looked "fishy" and not honest. October 10, 1996. MEMORANDUM FOR RECORD 2:55 P.M. I just finished talking with Mrs. Edna Alsdurf, who is the Registrar for the World Methodist Council at Lake Junaluska (telephone number 704/456-9432). I asked her if she had heard of a category called "Official Observer" at the last World Methodist Conference in Rio de Janiero. I told her that I had seen it on a letter internal to our church. Her response was as follows: I don't know why they're using it. We have "observers" which is usually the family member of a delegate who also wants to go and participate. Then that person would be invited as an observer. You cannot just decide to go. You must have an invitation. For instance, if a delegate wanted to take Tom, Dick, and Harry, he couldn't just decide for them to go. "Official Observer." That is not a category. The only category we can invite is as an observer. We then spent several minutes talking about her husband's name, that it was from Germany (he came from a town named 'Alsdorf'), that she came from the Fayetteville area, and why I had retired from the Army and settled here. Allen O. Morris November 7, 1996. Office visit with Bishop Marion Edwards by Jimmy Cash and me. A letter presented to him requested his assistance: "The fabrication of allegations against me and my removal by the Reverend George Jones, pastor of Camp Ground United Methodist Church in Fayetteville, North Carolina." November 8, 1996. Letter of acknowledgement of the office visit with Bishop Marion Edwards from him to Jimmy Cash and me. November 17, 1996. On or about November 17, 1996 I questioned Roger Carroll in front of CGUMC church as to who had signed the the PPR letter to me dated January 16, 1995 (since I had received several allegations of the forging of Roger's name by the pastor to the "Rio insert", had compared it to the January 16th letter, and seen that the same person had signed both documents.) He responded, "I did." I then pulled out the "Rio insert" and asked him, "Well, then, who signed this?" Roger then responded, "That is my signature but I don't know how it got on that request." November 18, 1996. Date of a letter from Rev. Jones to Bud Harrub, pastor of FUMC, Mt. Pleasant, TN. It said in part, "The Administrative Board voted to start proceedings to expel him (i.e., me) but did not follow through due to my recommendations." (This was later shown to be a false statement.) November 23, 1996. Date of a letter by Roger Carroll on the WMC issue stating among other things: "As I was leaving town, for a couple of weeks, I asked George (i.e., Jones) to please write something for the Bulletin for my signature." "Though I did not Physically sign this letter, I asked that George do this in my absence. When I was approached by a member of the congregation about this letter, and my signature, I had not yet seen this insert in the bulletin. I stated that I had not signed any letter, but had requested George to do this in my absence. This was also told to Al Morris...." After I had received this letter, it seemed to be at variance with the facts, contradicted what I had been told earlier by Roger Carroll, and impressed on me the need to call the other two people who had told me that he (i.e., Roger) had not known of his signature being used on the "Rio insert" before it was placed in the CGUMC Sunday bulletin. December 4, 1996. Mrs. Sandy Holland gave me the following information over the phone at 3:37 P.M. She requested I not use her name unless absolutely necessary, because she was afraid of reprisal from Reverend Jones. She stated that after the letter ostensibly signed by PPR chair Roger Carroll requesting the congregation pay for Reverend & Mrs. Jones to go to Rio de Janiero appeared in the church bulletin, she called Roger and asked him why the people were being asked to pay for their trip? She said that his response was, "O-k-a-y. I'm not sure. What are you talking about/What did the letter say?" She then narrated to him what it said. He then said, "Oh no. I would have never put that in there that way. I would not have worded it that way." Mrs. Holland then said that "If it were such a great letter and if it were okay that Roger's signature had been signed, then why didn't it appear in the bulletin after there were complaints?" She further stated that (Administrative Board Chair) Jay Spillane had gotten several complaints and called Roger Carroll and was told the same thing. December 4, 1996, 9:00 P.M. I spoke with Mrs. Marilyn Hutson and she said that after she had called Roger after the letter's appearing as an insert in the bulletin he responded, "I don't know anything about it." December 6, 1996. Date of letters to Sally Smith and Roger Carroll (former and present chairs of the PPR), and John Smith and Joseph Spillane (former and present chairs of the Ad. Board) requesting background information on what Rev. Jones had sent to Bud Harrub about the "proceedings to expel" me from the UMC. No answer was ever received with the exception of Roger Carroll. The texts of the letters follow: December 6, 1996 Mrs. Sally Smith 2455 Vandemere Avenue Fayetteville, NC 28304 Dear Mrs. Smith: It has recently come to my attention that the Pastor Parish Relations Committee (PPR) voted twice to support the Reverend George Jones' actions in his asking me to resign as a youth counselor at Camp Ground United Methodist Church. I am aware of one time in January, 1995 when Mr. Roger Carroll chaired the PPR that this may have happened. As the previous Chair of the PPR, did you preside over a second meeting at which the PPR affirmed the Reverend George Jones' actions in this situation? If the answer to this question is "yes," please answer the following questions: What were the time and date of the meeting? Why was I not notified in advance that an action reflecting negatively on my character was to be decided by the PPR? Why was I not afforded an opportunity to be present and allowed to present my side of the case? Why was a vote taken without hearing my side of the case? Why was I not notified that such a vote had been taken, the persons present and voting, and the reasons for the decision of the PPR? I am requesting that all answers be furnished to me in writing. Finally, I am requesting a copy of the minutes of the meeting, and of all other correspondence concerning the situation between the Reverend George Jones and me. In addition, I am requesting copies of all written material concerning this matter and anything else with my name ap- pearing on it (other than directories and telephone lists) entered into the records of the PPR while you were Chair, or that may be in your personal possession at this time. I thank you in advance for your help. Sincerely, [Original signed by] Allen O. Morris Executive Director December 6, 1996 Mr. Roger Carroll 313 Reid Court Fayetteville, NC 28314 Dear Mr. Carroll: It has recently come to my attention that the Pastor Parish Relations Committee (PPR) voted twice to support the Reverend George Jones' (hereinafter referred to as "Pastor") actions in his asking me to resign as a youth counselor at Camp Ground United Methodist Church. I am aware of the time in January, 1995 that Mr. John McCarthy and I appeared before the PPR for the purpose of presenting my two letters of notification to you concerning the problem between the Pastor and me. As you will remember, as Mr. McCarthy and I were leaving the meeting, the Pastor assured Mr. McCarthy and me that the topic of the problem between the Pastor and me would not be discussed further in our absence. Immediately after that meeting and my receipt of the letter from you stating that the Pastor's actions were "not inappropriate," I had reminded you in a conversation held at that time that the subject was not to be discussed in our absence; your response to me was that it had not been discussed . I then asked you why that statement was included in the letter; to that, you had no response. I am now asking you the following questions and requesting that you answer in writing: Did you preside over a second meeting at which the PPR affirmed the Pastor's actions? If the answer to this question is "yes," please answer the following questions: What were the time and date of the meeting? Why was I not afforded an opportunity to be present and allowed to present my side of the case? Why was a vote taken without hearing my side of the case? Finally, I am requesting a copy of the minutes of the meeting, and of all other correspondence concerning the situation between the Reverend George Jones and me. In addition, I am requesting copies of all written material concerning this matter and anything else with my name appearing on it other than directories and telephone lists. I thank you in advance for your help. Sincerely, [Original signed by] Allen O. Morris Executive Director Mr. John Smith 2455 Vandemere Avenue Fayetteville, NC 28304 Dear Mr. Smith: It has recently come to my attention that the Administrative Board "voted to start proceedings to expel" me from Camp Ground United Methodist Church. As the previous Chair of the Administrative Board (hereinafter referred to as "Ad. Board"), did you preside over the meeting at which this allegedly occurred? If the answer to this question is "yes," please reply in writing to the following questions: What were the time and date of the meeting? Why was I not notified in advance that an action reflecting negatively on my character was to be decided by the Ad. Board? Why was I not afforded an opportunity to be present and allowed to present my side of the case? What was the motion? Why was a vote taken without hearing my side of the case? What were the names of the people who voted for the motion? What were the names of the people who voted against the motion? Why was I not notified that such a vote had been taken, the persons present and voting, and the reasons for the decision of the Ad. Board? I am requesting a copy of the minutes of the meeting, and of all other written material concerning this matter and anything else with my name appearing on it (other than directories and telephone lists) entered into the records of the Ad. Board while you were Chair, or that may be in your personal possession at this time. In addition, it has come to my attention that the Ad. Board has written a letter to the Bishop and the District Superintendent supporting Rev. Jones and opposing me. I am also requesting a copy of this correspondence if this communication occurred while you chaired the Ad. Board. I thank you in advance for your assistance in this matter. Sincerely, [Original signed by] Allen O. Morris Executive Director Mr. Joseph Spillane 6614 Keeler Drive Fayetteville, NC 28303 Dear Mr. Spillane: It has recently come to my attention that the Administrative Board "voted to start proceedings to expel" me from Camp Ground United Methodist Church. As the previous Chair of the Administrative Board (hereinafter referred to as "Ad. Board"), did you preside over the meeting at which this allegedly occurred? If the answer to this question is "yes," please reply in writing to the following questions: What were the time and date of the meeting? Why was I not notified in advance that an action reflecting negatively on my character was to be decided by the Ad. Board? Why was I not afforded an opportunity to be present and allowed to present my side of the case? What was the motion? Why was a vote taken without hearing my side of the case? What were the names of the people who voted for the motion? What were the names of the people who voted against the motion? Why was I not notified that such a vote had been taken, the persons present and voting, and the reasons for the decision of the Ad. Board? I am requesting a copy of the minutes of the meeting, and of all other written material concerning this matter and anything else with my name appearing on it (other than directories and telephone lists) entered into the records of the Ad. Board while you were Chair, or that may be in your personal possession at this time. In addition, it has come to my attention that the Ad. Board has written a letter to the Bishop and the District Superintendent supporting Rev. Jones and opposing me. I am also requesting a copy of this correspondence if this communication occurred while you chaired the Ad. Board. I thank you in advance for your assistance in this matter. Sincerely, [Original signed by] Allen O. Morris Executive Director Note that derogatory information was circulated which was untrue, yet lay people chose to support this action with a "wall of silence" in not informing me upon my request of accusations made against me. Three of these people (Sally Smith, John Smith, and Joseph Spillane) had children for whom I had been a youth counselor in the church. December 12, 1996. The letter from Joseph Spillane was returned. The envelope, had been marked "Refused." December 18, 1996. Letter addressed to Bishop Marion Edwards requesting assistance in receiving answers to the information contained in the letters to Sally Smith, Roger Carroll, John Smith, and Joseph Spillane requesting the background on information allegedly circulating prejudicial to my reputation. The letters to John Smith and Joseph Spillane were concerning an alleged attempt to expel me from the United Methodist Church, which information was communicated by George Jones to Bud Harrub, a pastor in the Tennessee Annual Conference. The letter sent to Bishop Marion Edwards said in part: Enclosed please find a request for information that was originally forwarded to The Reverend J. Thomas Smith for advice as to its disposition. In accordance with his recommendation, I am forwarding it to your office to see if I can get answers to the questions contained in the letters to the present and former chairs of the Administrative Board and the Pastor Parish Relations Committee of Camp Ground United Methodist Church. I very much appreciate any assistance you can give me in this matter." No answer was ever received from Bishop Edwards to this information request. January 27, 1997; 9:20 P.M. I attempted to get Barbara Poole to discuss with me about what she had allegedly told others about my work with the youth. She screamed into the phone, "I'm not going to tak with you about it." January 28, 1997. Date of a letter to Barbara Poole requesting that she meet and talk with me about the information she had allegedly communicated to others about me, the meeting to be held with other "neutral" persons present. January 31, 1997. Letter to Bishop Marion Edwards containing information on the charges against George Jones, in addition to "Supplementary Information" and a "Time Line" to back up the charges. February, 1997. Two other members of CGUMC were talking about who all had left the church since George Jones had arrived. One of them said, "It is just like a 'Who's Who' of leading members of the church. They're gone." February 11, 1997. Letter to Barbara Poole in response to her screaming into the phone and hanging up on me when I had attempted to speak with her on January 27th (in the spirit of Matthew 18:15). I again requested that she meet and talk with me about the information she had allegedly communicated to others about me. March 1, 1997. A letter sent to Bishop Edwards said in part: I had intended to send you this inquiry two weeks ago, but received word that my father had passed away in Houston, necessitating my travel there. In reference to the petitions filed by me against The Reverend George Jones and The Reverend J. Thomas Smith, I am presently waiting to learn if Reverend Jones' responded to my proposal to resolve the problems between him and me. After I receive word on his response, then I shall be in a position to respond to your latest correspondence regarding the resolution of the problem between Reverend Smith and me. I had been given to understand that you were anxious to resolve this satisfactorily as quickly as possible; that is also my desire. March 3, 1997. Letter from Bishop Marion Edwards to me stating that the complaint was based on "major disagreements" with the respondent, George Jones. Also the date of a letter to George Jones stating: It is my hope and prayer that you and your congregation might move forward as together you address the primary mission of the Church, which is to make disciples of Jesus Christ.... March 6, 1997. A letter sent to Bishop Edwards said in part: I have been told that you had remarked to the Camp Ground PPR that "you don't know what you are going to do with these charges from Concerned Methodists." May I recommend that you investigate them as thoroughly and impartially as humanly possible? On a personal note, I regret all that has transpired in this situation involving the charges I have filed against Reverend Jones and Reverend Smith.... You have probably been given advice to the effect that this is "just a difference of opinion between Reverend Jones and Al Morris," and nothing more. I hope that this will not be the case, since there are clearly identifiable instances of lying on the part of Reverend Jones. In addition, if Reverend Jones had any part in Roger Carroll's changing his story as to the signing of his name to the "Rio" request (counter to the testimony of three people), there is an additional problem. These are integrity problems. As individuals, we are all accountable to God for our actions; members of the clergy have a responsibility not only for themselves, but also for the people, the "sheep" if you will, entrusted to their care. Assuredly, yours is a great responsibility. One day, we shall all face judgment and be accountable for what we have done. It is of utmost importance that we be confronted with our individual sins so that we can confess them, correct them, and then live fully the lives Christ had intended for us. I am praying that Reverend Jones will be agreeable to reconciliation so that this matter can be resolved as amicably as possible." [Signed] Allen O. Morris March, 1997. I called members of Ocracoke United Methodist Church, people involved in the lying charges, and other character witnesses I had cited in my work with the youth; none had been contacted by Bishop Edwards. In addition, I was told that a member of the PPR had confided that they were going to take a vote on whether or not to ask George to leave; he had told them that it would be an unfavorable mark on his record and that if they would vote to ask him to return, he would request reappointment away from the church at the appropriate time (or words to that effect, since this was being told by a third party). March 14, 1997. Letter to Bishop Edwards requesting he reconsider his decision to dismiss my coplaints against George Jones: I have received both of your letters dated March 3, 1997. Thank you for clarifying the mistake for my citing in my complaint "integrity in all personal relationships" as being in paragraph #431.6 of The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church, when the correct paragraph is #304.2. However, as you will remember, when I had originally filed the complaint with your office at the end of last year under the provisions of The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church for 1992, your office had informed me that I needed to do so under The Book of Discipline 1996, which was unavailable at that time. Dr. Belton Joyner had mentioned the possibility of my inclusion of the phrase referencing "integrity in all personal relationships" and had cited to me paragraph #431.6. Since I was unable to obtain a copy of The Book of Discipline 1996 until February, I was unable to personally verify the correct paragraph number. To summarize, Dr. Joyner, who works in your office, is the person who had given me the original incorrect paragraph number "#431.6." Secondly, I am formally requesting that you reconsider your decision to dismiss my complaints against The Reverend George A. Jones and against Dr. J. Thomas Smith. It is difficult for me to understand how clearly identifiable instances of lying can be attributed to "major disagreement." Third, enclosed is a copy of two letters that were returned to me that had been sent to Mrs. Sally Smith, past chair of the Staff Parish Relations Committee of Camp Ground United Methodist Church, and to Mr. John Smith, past chair of the Administrative Board of Camp Ground United Methodist Church. The letters contained in these envelopes are identical to the ones sent to you at Appendix 9 and Appendix 11, respectively, of Enclosure A, "Supplementary information on the Petition filed by Allen O. Morris against The Reverend George A. Jones" to my letter to you dated January 31, 1997. Since these are questions affecting my basic constitutional rights that I have been unable to have answered from people in my own church, I am formally requesting your assistance in obtaining this information. Finally, since it appears that The Reverend George A. Jones and Dr. J. Thomas Smith had an opportunity to review the information I had provided you, I am requesting that I be provided information which they submitted and statements by other witnesses that you had used in considering your decisions to dismiss the complaints against both individuals reflected in your letters referenced above. Bishop Edwards, I cannot help but observe that a breakdown in discipline among any grouping of people, whether it be a family, the Army, or the United Methodist Church, results in greater instances of misconduct. In a few instances, I observed it in various Army units throughout my military career; when responsible discipline was reinstituted, instances of misconduct declined dramatically. It would seem to me that the unfortunate action against The Reverend Ed Privette, a man whom I know and like, exemplifies this contention. [Signed] Allen O. Morris April 8, 1997. Letter from Bishop Marion Edwards stating, "At this time I do not have anything to add to this discussion." June 1997. George Jones was reappointed to Camp Ground Church. Some of the long-time members left, vowing not to return until he was gone. January 25, 1998. Reconfirmed with Terry Preiss that, according to what George Jones had told him, the D.S. (Tommy Smith) and the bishop (C.P. Minnick) were pressuring George to "do something" about me. He had told Terry, "The D.S. and the Bishop are pressuring me to do something about Al." March 30, 1998. Letter to Bishop Marion Edwards stating in part, "...your letter dated March 3, 1997, in which you stated that these instances [i.e., on the part of George Jones] of lying were 'disagreements' were cause for extreme concern." July 25, 1998. I called Steve Thomas in accordance with Matthew 5:23, 24; and Matthew 18:15. I requested to speak with him; he refused. I again requested it in accordance with biblical principles; he again refused. August 9, 1998 at 12:30 P.M. I requested to meet with Barbara Poole [the meeting occurred in front of the church] (IAW Matthew 18:15) since I had received information that caused me to believe that she had engaged in malicious gossip against me. She refused. February 26, 1999. Letter to Bishop Marion Edwards: His [i.e., George Jones'] statements about 'trust,' 'Ocracoke,' 'negative example,' etc., are ludicrous. I have a Top Secret clearance and two others of a specialized category that cannot even be named in public. On one occasion, I was the commander of an aircraft carrying 2300 pounds of classified information to a combat theater. I was given this assignment because I have a record of proven integrity; George Jones would have not been permitted to view even one page of the material because he does not have a comparable record. Let's be realistic here. His statement that I should have 'the courage..' is fallacious in life and in the context of the sentence. I am a combat veteran with experience from the Vietnam war through Operation Desert Storm. Much of my Army career was spent on jump status as a paratrooper in several units to include two tours in the 82nd Airborne Division here at Fort Bragg. Despite the fact that I have never asked anyone to leave our church as he alleged, it must be stated that it takes greater courage to stay in a declining denomination, work to address the problems, and face vitriolic character attacks than it would be to leave. There is very little truth in these two letters. The present dialogue on homosexuality is over a subject about which the Bible speaks clearly. In accordance with Romans 16:17-18; John 8:31-32; and Matthew 18:15-16, can we not have a similar measure of dialogue over this case of falsehood, and the public disclosure of information as to why this unwarranted attack against me was conducted? [Signed] Allen O. Morris No substantive response was ever received to this letter. ******************End of Statement******************** The above timeline statement is true and correct to the best of my knowledge. I have used a running "Chronology of Events" initiated in November, 1994 and have supplemented the foregoing statement with letters, notes, memoranda for record, conversations with people concerned, and exhibits included in associated documents used as evidence supporting the charges I had filed against Rev. George Jones for lying; much more happened than is contained here. The original Chronology of Events is dated January 31, 1997 and was submitted in support of the charges filed against Rev. Jones. It should be stated that I have no personal animosity against him nor anyone else involved in this. I am saddened that George would have engaged in the actions that he did. I am also sorry that some of the laity in my own church would have let themselves be used as they were; they did not think for themselves and were led to support violation of one the Ten Commandments - that of "bearing false witness". I am personally embarrassed to mention some of these events, but believe it to be necessary so that others will know that when similar actions happen to them, they are not isolated cases. This case study illustrates several phenomena, that of retaliatory action against me for my assisting the members of OUMC fight (and win) the battle to save their church. In addition, it shows several tactics that are commonly used by what we call "Company Men" to effect their will in a local church: the co-opting of lay members, fabrication of charges, working behind the scenes, demonization, etc. When I attempted to get basic information on being "kicked out of the church" (again, which was shown to be a lie), I met a wall of silence from four people, three of whom had had kids in the youth program while I had been the Youth Coordinator and a youth counselor. (Over the space of 14 years, I have worked with over 200 youth in two churches and an orphanage in Korea, received many compliments, and maintained my life above reproach.) Such was the influence that George Jones had on some of the members of our church. However, his actions caught up with him and, during his tenure at our church, many folks departed - often to other denominations. He finally left the church under a cloud of disfavor and has, I understand, left his next parish in disfavor. One person remarked, "The people [i.e., "laymembers"] who left is like a 'Who's Who'of the leading members of Camp Ground." Such is the damage that can be done to a local church -when people let it happen. Additional Insights: To summarize: The ostensible "reason" for my being removed as a youth counselor was that of helping the members of Ocracoke UMC, at their request, resolve problems within their own church. To reiterate what happened, I was briefed by these members that their pastor, Lisa Creech Bledsoe - cousin to Jimmy Creech, had put a lesbian into a position of lay leadership and appeared to be ready to promote homosexuality within the church. When the members objected to her action, they were told, in effect, "There's the door of the church. If you don't like it, you can leave. If all of the members leave the church and we have to close it, then so be it." The members were unwilling to do this since it was only one of two churches on the island, some of the members were third generation attendees at the church, and some of the older members had mortgaged their homes to build it over 51 years ago. This reflected abuse in the extreme of laity by a member of the clergy (unfortunately, abuse of the laity such as this happens more than it should). On behalf of Concerned Methodists, I advised them as to what they could do to remedy the situation. After hearing "through the grapevine" from both clergy and laity that Bishop C. P. Minnick, Jr. intended reprisal against me over the above mentioned assitance to Ocracoke UMC and my work with Concerned Methodists and perceiving that my constitutional rights of free speech had been violated, I sought the advice of an attorney to explore my avenues of legal recourse. I then informed George Jones, Tommy Smith, and Bishop Minnick, of my actions and avenues of recourse. It was at that point that George stopped his tactics of intimidation. Over the space of four years, I then attempted by various means to achieve justice through Bishops Minnick and Edwards. It is my belief that the aforementioned activities culminated in Bishop Minnick's putting pressure on Rev. Jones to remove me from my position as a youth counselor and to discredit me with the local church solely because of my work with Concerned Methodists and to discredit me as a source of information on the problems in the United Methodist Church. [George Jones had indicated to me in the Spring of 1994 that this was the case - that he was receiving pressure from the district superintendent and the bishop to "do something about Allen", and had made similar statements to another person, Terry Preiss.] The reasons given for these attacks on me were based on fabricated information communicated to the laity of Camp Ground Church. We have found this to be reflective of a widespred practice in the United Methodist Church in that people who offer independent views, question the direction of the denomination, and work for renewal are systematically removed from their positions of leadership in the church - as exemplified by another member of the clergy. A curious insight from the November 20, 1995 meeting in Tommy Smith's office on his "outrage" over the idea of a pastor stacking the committees and not selecting them impartially is what was discovered later. Martin Rasmussen told me on several occasions that two of his former pastors informed him that Smith had asked them to remove him from his position as church treasurer of Cumberland UMC, simply because he was an officer and director of Concerned Methodists. Martin, a dedicated husband, father, and grandfather, is one of the kindest, most trustworthy Christian men a person could know. In addition, we were told that Smith had pressured Lloyd Willis for putting another officer of Concerned Methodists into various positions of responsibility at Trinity UMC, and criticized that pastor for letting me preach. The actions of Tommy Smith were the opposite of what he had professed in the November 20th meeting, but is representative of the practice we have found to be true to exclude people who are independent thinkers from positions of leadership and influence in the United Methodist Church. This view is reinforced in The Church in Bondage by the other case studies: M - "So Great a Cloud"; P - Salem UMC in Lodi, California; Q - St. Francis UMC in San Francisco, California; S - FUMC, Marietta, Georgia and others with whom we have dealt. We have found through communications with literally thousands of people across the United Methodist Church that there appears to be a deliberate policy to remove people from positions of lay leadership who are working for the renewal of the denomination - or to foster among people a refusal to discuss substantive problems in the denomination with "we don't talk about that here"; "we don't discuss Concerned Methodists here"; "I refuse to talk to you about that"; etc. These are orchestrated responses that people unthinkingly repeat. By remaining ignorant of the dangers that are present and threaten to do so much damage in our United Methodist Church, they blindly follow and indeed finance these dangerous actions. In addition, there does appear to be the practice of putting into positions of lay leadership those who are not informed as to what is happening in the denomination, will not question what they are told, and who will support whatever the pastor wishes to do - in other words, people who do not think for themselves but are easily led. What happened in this situation is reflective of this premise. In addition, over two attempts to speak with Steve Thomas, Sr. and Barbara Poole in accordance with Mathew 5:23,24 and 18:15 as to specific knowledge and remarks they allegedly made were met with refusal and silence. Of interest is the story about "dissatisfied parents"; until I have specific names, I take the postion that these people do not exist. If they did exist, why did these "unknown people" not approach me in all of the years I had been working with their children - as a responsible adult Christian would? In America, a person accused of even the most heinous crime has a right to know what specific charges have been made against him, the evidence to support those charges, and to be confronted by his accuser. Evidently, similar rights do not exist in the UMC. In this vein, there has been no evidence offered to support the charges of being a "bad influence" on the youth - since there has never been even the remotest hint of improper actions toward any of the youth on my part. What is sad in this situation is that people (laity) would let themselves be influenced without questioning the veracity of what they had been told. Quite simply, some of the members of my own church have believed, and acted in accordance with, deliberately fabricated lies. This does not reflect well on their abilities to think for themselves. Of especial concern was the fact that Bishop Marion Edwards did not contact a single witness, and reviewed other data that I have been unable to see in the forming of his decision which may or may not have been true; the truth of this "unseen" data is questionable. But what is of the most concern is that his final decision called charges against Rev. Jones of lying a "difference of opinion." The lying was easily provable on the face of the evidence presented to him. This action, combined with episcopal actions and decisions from other bishops signify that, as a denomination, we may have evolved into a state of rule by episcopal decree, not by The Book of Discipline, or more importantly the Bible. This does not bode well for the United Methodist Church. - Allen 0. Morris, Member, Camp Ground United Methodist Church and Executive Director of Concerned Methodists Web Site Designed and Maintained by JCN