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Role-play points to hope amid conflict
Staged argument illustrates challenge for Central District
By Central District Conference staffBLUFFTON, Ohio — What appeared at first to be a heated exchange between the Central District Conference president and one of its pastors turned out to be a role-play of a healthy approach to conflict.
The event was one of several parts of the conference’s annual meeting June 24-26 at Bluffton University addressing a “Resolution on Following Christ and Growing Together as Communities Even in Conflict” passed by Mennonite Church USA delegates last July.
The resolution confesses that conversations about human sexuality in the church have rarely been “respectful and honest about our differences.”
Karl Shelly, conference president, identified some of the contentious issues in his “state of the conference” report.
In the role-play, Shelly suggested a path forward based on his congregation’s experience; a path that moves the church to the left on the social and political spectrum of views.
Robert Martz, pastor of Topeka (Ind.) Mennonite Church, interrupted the speech and strode up to the podium.
“I need to object to what you’re saying,” Martz said. “In my congregation, we move quite differently, a way that calls us to move toward the right. Moving left takes us to Babylon, not the promised land.”
The gathered delegates, who had not been told the interruption was planned, listened as the exchange continued.
“That is clearly misguided, Robert,” Shelly said. “To go right is to go backwards, away from the direction to which we are being called.”
Martz responded that Shelly’s congregation is headed in the wrong direction on issues such as homosexuality, immigration and the meaning of the atonement.
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