There are various questions that have been asked and answered as the NPUC constituents considers the election of John Freedman for President of North Pacific Union Conference. Here are a few of them:
HAS ANYONE SPOKEN WITH JOHN FREEDMAN?
Yes. The Winlock and Onalaska Washington churches, before openly sharing their concerns, sent a letter signed by church members asking the Washington Conference executive committee to rescind their commissioned minister policy. On August 23, the conference executive committee refused to rescind. Freedman first said he would meet with the churches, but then reneged.
The policy has been discussed thoroughly by the Washington Conference executive committee on multiple occasions. Churches and members have both communicated with Freedman. Washington Conference leadership approved a misleading article which was published in the December 2015 Gleaner describing the policy in question. Washington leadership thus arranged to tell members that which they felt was important for them to know. The “NPUC Churches to NPUC Delegates” letter focuses on known action, not future projected action.
THE SPIRIT OF THE NPUC CHURCHES TO NPUC DELEGATES LETTER IS NEGATIVE
Is it? It focuses on facts and only names the individual one time. The churches which have voted to send the letter to the delegates are very troubled by the role of the Washington Conference president in the formation of a Washington Conference policy which places that Conference in contradiction to the world church.
THIS LETTER IS A BREACH OF PROTOCOL
This nomination is highly inappropriate because of the known actions of the individual nominated. The letter from NPUC Churches to NPUC Delegates respectfully communicates the concern of hundreds of NPUC constituents about the divisive nomination that has been proposed. Your sister NPUC churches feel it is helpful to communicate these concerns to the delegates in order that they might understand the grave concern among members over this nomination. Sharing the letter online, which was just created on September 11, will help some NPUC churches learn of its existence and give them opportunity to vote themselves onto the letter before it is mailed to every delegate on Tuesday, September 20. The Union Constituency Meeting occurs on September 25!
THIS IS POLITICAL
Is it? The letter from NPUC Churches to NPUC Delegates does not propose any alternative candidate for Union president. It simply notes important objections to the name of the current candidate for president, and then respectfully asks that the report of the nominating committee be returned to the committee so that a different name may be presented to delegates. We believe God can be honored by this call to accountability.