Mission Update
The following article has been adapted from the speech given by Joyce D. Sohl, chief executive of the Women’s Division at the April 2002 meeting of the division’s board of directors.
Accountability has become a rallying word within the corporate world, among nations and within religious/faith communities.
The word accountability is used often in strongly worded demands and challenges to whomever is perceived to be unaccountable -- Enron Corp. and Arthur Andersen, leaders of the war on terrorism, Israelis and Palestinians, priests accused of abusing children. Some question the accountability of decisions of the Women’s Division of the United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries.
But what is meant by accountability?
In its simplest sense, accountability means to report, to explain or to justify one’s actions. Responsibility is often tied to accountability because those perceived responsible for an action or decision are held accountable for it. But accountability can have little meaning if those receiving the report or explanation do not believe what is said or do not agree with the basic assumptions under which the action was taken.
Directors and staff of the Women’s Division have accountability and responsibilities. I want to address three such accountability demands:
Accountability to United Methodist Women’s history means directors and staff of the Women’s Division fulfill the responsibilities given to them by the General Conference of The United Methodist Church as found in The Discipline of the church.
The verbs used in the paragraphs dealing with the Women’s Division are active verbs -- advocate, engage, interpret, build, provide, secure, strengthen, enlist, work. United Methodist Women and the Women’s Division are not to be passive. They are to be actively engaged in fulfilling the mission of Christ and the Church.
Accountability to constituencies means Women’s Division directors and staff are accountable to members of United Methodist Women. This takes many forms. We publish annual program and financial reports. We provide leadership-development opportunities, and mission education and spiritual-growth resources and experiences.
Communication is essential. It is a two-way process of speaking/listening, giving/receiving, recommending/evaluating. We speak to members not for them. We recommend program and policies but we cannot assure compliance. Any woman may join United Methodist Women with the only requirement being her commitment to the purpose of the organization.
Accountability to the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the center of accountability of the Women’s Division. And it is the most difficult.
Accountability to the Gospel often puts us in the center of controversy. Such controversy comes about because of a variety of biblical interpretations, differences in our calls to discipleship and various understandings of what it means to be followers of Christ.
Being accountable to the Gospel is not only individual but is also a community concern. God’s covenant was given to the Israelites; the Holy Spirit was given to the Church at Pentecost; the final judgment described in Matthew 25 is about what we have done collectively.
Accountability to the Gospel of Jesus Christ means we accept the biblical reality that God is effectively working to bring about the new heaven and the new earth. It means we pray for justice and righteousness and the end to violence and poverty. It means we are filled with hope that knows God is God and God will not give up on me or the world.
Jesus was sent by God "to bring good news to the poor....proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor" (Luke 4:18-19). As Christ’s disciples, we are to follow his teachings and live as he lived.
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