JED Meeting Held in Washington
Diocesan Press Service. October 16, 1972 [72152]
WASHINGTON, D. C. -- Wide diversity of beliefs and a reluctance to accept the differences involved by congregations are the two prongs of a problem facing Christian educators today.
The two-part problem is one of many which surfaced during a three-day meeting of Christian educators of six major U.S. denominations here.
The six -- drawn together informally by the common concern of better serving member churches through education -- form the Joint Education Development (JED) partnership.
Members are the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Episcopal Church, Presbyterian Church U.S., Reformed Church in America, United Church of Christ and the United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A.
Small groups on the future of the church, general education, church education and society raised questions on dealing with diversity of beliefs in terms of life styles, educational methods, minority experiences, ministries, theology and social witness.
Whether diversity be expressed as the gap between generations or races, the church needs to be the place where differences can be accepted, rather than polarized, members of the church education group said.
"Congregations don't value pluralism and diversity. They value the right and wrong stance," according to Mrs. Loma J. Chalfant, Indianapolis, Ind., director of ecumenical educational development for the Disciples.
"We need to accept and cope with pluralism," said Paul Koper, Philadelphia, Pa., chairman of the leadership development unit of the United Presbyterian Church.
In redefining JED goals, the group on public education urged helping to eliminate white racism, at the same time recognizing there are other kinds of racism.
"I don't believe American Indian, black or Spanish-American racism is a threat to this society, but white racism will kill it," said Robert F. Glover, Indianapolis, executive secretary of the department of Christian education of the Disciples.
Miss Yvonne Delk, Philadelphia, secretary for urban church education of the United Church of Christ, urged pinpointing of racism as white. "It is time," she said, "the JED churches take seriously this goal. The 'white ' focuses our attention where it belongs."
Economic diversity -- the gap between the haves and the have-nots -- was studied by a group on society, which pointed to international ties through multi-national corporations for the haves and emotional identity by the have-nots on a global scale.
The meeting, held September 13-15, laid the groundwork for planning denominational and JED programs and projects. Reassessment of goals and objectives will be followed by writing of new projects at a spring meeting of JED executives.