Matters of the Heart and City

Social justice matters in the heart of the city

"Maureen, a young Irish-American girl, began work at the age of 14 in a woolen mill in Lawrence, Mass. Beginning at 6 o'clock each morning, except Sundays, she worked at the machines until evening. For this 56-hour week, Maureen was paid $3.50, ten cents of which was deducted for polluted drinking water. While working Maureen saw many older workers seriously injured by the mill machinery, because they were forced to work so fast.

Maureen and her family, who left Ireland to escape famine, lived in one room in a boarding house. Lunch and supper each day consisted of black bread, molasses and beans. On Sundays they might have a piece of meat with the meal.

The Methodist Social Creed originated 100 years ago (early 1900's) to express Methodism's outrage over the lives of the millions of workers in factories, mines, mills, tenements and company towns. They, like Maureen, were paying the human price for the rapid industrialization and growing prosperity of the United States.

The Methodist Federation for Social Service immediately took up the challenge of getting the 1908 General Conference to address the social crisis. The key strategy was to secure adoption of a statement on "The Church and Social Problems."

One evening as federation leaders met in the back room of a Western Union telegraph office, one member suggested that the wordy report needed a succinct "what we stand for" platform to summarize its main points. So, on the back of telegraph blanks, he wrote out a list of 11 social reforms the group believed the church should champion. The list was included in the report and quickly became the Methodist Social Creed*."

[George McClain]

Then and now it speaks plainly and clearly to the social justice concerns of the followers of Jesus and the United Methodist Church. As the Broad St. congregation continues to engage in social justice work in the city, state, nation, and world, we still stand for these things and more as well.

1908 Methodist Social Creed*

The Methodist Episcopal Church stands:

• For equal rights and complete justice for all men in all stations of life.
• For the principles of conciliation and arbitration in industrial dissensions.
• For the protection of the worker from dangerous machinery, occupational diseases, injuries and mortality.
• For the abolition of child labor.
• For such regulation of the conditions of labor for women as shall safeguard the physical and moral health of the community.
• For the suppression of the "sweating system."
• For the gradual and reasonable reduction of the hours of labor to the lowest practical point, with work for all; and for that degree of leisure for all which is the condition of the highest human life.
• For a release for [from] employment one day in seven.
• For a living wage in every industry.
• For the highest wage that each industry can afford, and for the most equitable division of the products of industry that can ultimately be devised.
• For the recognition of the Golden Rule and the mind of Christ as the supreme law of society and the sure remedy for all social ills.

Social justice matters.

--Pastor David

Social Justice Studies - Sundays, 9:30-10:30 AM   

John Wesley declared that there was no holiness that was not social holiness.

In the United States, ever since 1908, the "Social Creed" has been part of the struggle of Methodist churches against intolerable social conditions.

At Broad Street, the summer of 2011 provides a weekly opportunity to engage with the social justice concerns of United Methodists in our contemporary, cultural, community, national, and global contexts. A study about the 2008 UM Social Principles will stimulate summer  conversations, reflections & action. Review the schedule below and join the conversations on Sunday mornings between the worship services from 9:30-10:30 am in the parlor.

7/3:  The Social Community: Indigenous People - Nations within a Nation - Marcia Miller

7/10: The Political Community: The Death Penalty - Chris Clough

7/17: The Economic Community: Collective Bargaining - Chris Clough

7/24: The Natural World: The Environment Matters in the City - Ken Schoon

7/31: The Nurturing Community: Gender and Sexuality - Laura Spurlock

8/7: The Nurturing Community: Hate Violence and Bullying - Laura Spurlock

8/14:  Social Community: Immigration and Ohio - Ruben Castilla Herrera

8/21: The Social Community: Urban/Suburban Living - Ken Schoon

History Tour of Trinity Episcopal Church 

You are invited to join in a tour of Trinity Episcopal Church on Sunday, July 3 at 12:30 p.m. The tour will be led by Rev. Richard Burnett, Rector, and will provide an opportunity to learn about Anglican/Episcopal worship practices as well as the history of that congregation. The entire event will take 30 - 45 minutes.

Trinity Episcopal Church had their first meeting as a congregation in May 1817 and thus is one of the oldest congregations in Columbus. The church has been a presence on Capitol Square since 1833. The present building dates to 1869. This visit to Trinity is in response to an invitation offered by Rev. Burnett after he and a group from his church participated in a tour of BSUMC on Sunday June 5 during the Columbus Arts Festival. This is a great opportunity to visit one of the historic churches of Columbus and a sister congregation in ministry to the city.

-- Jim Barbee, Church Historian

Click here for a map to Trinity Episcopal, at 125 E. Broad Street. Jim Barbee will have more information about carpooling this Sunday morning. 

Coffee House Conversations 

A just economy.....a peaceful global community....a return to the ancient principle that any interpretation of scripture that breeds violence, hatred, or disdain is illegitimate. These are some of the underlying concepts of a wish for a better world that resonated in my brain, as members and friends met in June in a Short North coffee house to discuss Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life (click here for a link to Amazon.com) by Karen Armstrong. If only this could happen, if people of all faiths could work to make compassion a "clear, luminous, and dynamic force in our polarized world." Several of us decided that we would begin working on some of those twelve steps, either with reading or in a journal or perhaps other ways of learning about "the other" in our world.

We have another book to read before our next meeting on Saturday, August 6, at 10:00 am at the Cup o' Joe, 600 N. High Street. If this sparks your interest, read the book and come join us:

The Glass Castle: A Memoir is by Jeannette Walls (click here for a link to Amazon.com). Walls "grew up with parents whose ideals and stubborn nonconformity were both their curse and their salvation. In the beginning they lived like nomads... As the dysfunction of the family escalated, Jeannette and her brother and sisters had to fend for themselves, supporting one another as they weathered their parents' betrayals, and, finally, found the will and resources to leave home. ... (Walls) describes her family with... deep affection and generosity. Hers is a story of triumph against all odds, but also a tender, moving tale of unconditional love in a family that despite its profound flaws gave her the fiery determination to carve out a successful life on her own terms ." (cover quote)

-- Nancy Roberts

Pride Parade Report

From shuttle ride to shuttle ride, everyone had a wonderful experience at the 2011 Columbus Gay Pride Parade on June 18th! As we prepared to step off, the sky became dark, gray and ominous. The winds were whipping us along as we rounded the corner of Front Street onto Broad. And then . . . . Laura and Gary's message from the worship service must have been heard because the rain held off for the entire parade! God's love was felt among all of us! It was wonderful to see the crowds of people waving in support and fellowship as we walked. Our red truck looked great with the new banners displayed that proclaimed Broad Street United Methodist Church as a Reconciling Congregation. The spectators loved the purple BSUMC wrist bands! We could have easily given out a thousand more.  

Thank you to everyone who helped with the planning, decorating, blowing up balloons, handing out wrist bands, walking and carrying the banner. A special thank you to BSUMC congregation; for all your prayers, love and acceptance of an all inclusive world beginning with one parade at a time. 

 -- Nancy Taggart

See more photos on our Flickr stream, here.  View it in full screen for the best effect! 

Manna Café

Welcome! Recently during worship we pondered what would happen if we stopped expecting people to come to church on their own and actively welcomed and encouraged friends and neighbors to engage in our Broad Street community. Luckily, we do not need to look very far to witness the power of a Broad Street welcome in action.

Each Wednesday Broad Street invites the neighborhood to attend Manna Café, and week after week members of the community accept the invitation. Whether guests are looking forward to a hot meal, or volunteers are looking for an opportunity to give back, all are welcome. By opening its doors and welcoming people to come in, Broad Street has encouraged Manna Café to develop a sense of community.

In the Manna Café community, volunteers not only serve as cooks, servers and cleaners, but they are also the welcoming committee to dinner guests. If you are looking for an opportunity to encourage people to feel at home in our church community, stop by on a Wednesday night and volunteer. We'd be glad to welcome you!

For more information about volunteering at Manna Café, contact the church office: 614-221-4571, ext. 220 or office@broadstreetumc.net.

-- Amanda Craig