{"id":18589,"date":"2013-11-18T14:42:20","date_gmt":"2013-11-18T19:42:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/?p=18589"},"modified":"2013-12-12T11:27:25","modified_gmt":"2013-12-12T16:27:25","slug":"emu-trustees-recommend-six-month-listening-process-regarding-same-sex-relationships-and-employment-at-emu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2013\/emu-trustees-recommend-six-month-listening-process-regarding-same-sex-relationships-and-employment-at-emu\/","title":{"rendered":"EMU trustees recommend six-month \u201clistening process\u201d regarding same-sex relationships and employment at EMU"},"content":{"rendered":"

In its regularly scheduled meeting Nov. 15 and 16, the Eastern Mennonite University board of trustees heard upbeat reports on the status of a multi-year fundraising campaign to renovate the Suter Science Center<\/a>, a record number of applicants to EMU\u2019s undergraduate programs, the unexpectedly fast growth of its MA in biomedicine program<\/a>, and the interest by some faculty, staff, administrators and students for the enlargement of \u201csafe space\u201d for respectful, honest conversations on campus about minority sexual orientation and its implication for access to employment at EMU.<\/p>\n

In action taken during an executive session the morning of Nov. 16, the board authorized President Loren Swartzendruber<\/a>, DMin, and his cabinet \u201cto design and oversee a six-month listening process (beginning January 2014) with EMU\u2019s multiple constituencies.\u201d<\/p>\n

The recommendation issued by the board said, \u201cThe purpose of the listening process is to review current hiring policies and practices with respect to individuals in same-sex relationships.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a Christian university it is our responsibility to engage in community discussion and discernment over issues that Mennonite congregations \u2013 indeed almost all denominations in the United States today \u2013 are wrestling with,” Swartzendruber told faculty and staff during a 90-minute \u201cUniversity Forum\u201d on the morning of Nov. 18. He noted that the board made this recommendation unanimously and stressed that the outcome of the \u201clistening process\u201d cannot be predicted in advance of holding it.<\/p>\n

In its official statement, the board \u201creaffirms EMU\u2019s relationship with Mennonite Church USA<\/a> and its practice of biblical discernment in community.\u201d It also reaffirmed \u2018\u2019EMU\u2019s Academic Freedom policy,\u201d which upholds the right of staff, faculty and administrators \u201cto articulate their personal beliefs and values.\u201d<\/p>\n

Swartzendruber said he would draw on university resources to help him organize a listening process that will encourage all views and voices to be shared widely, with attention \u201cgiven to relationships and prayer throughout the process.\u201d<\/p>\n

Citing the thoughts of one board member, Swartzendruber said, \u201cUnilateral decision-making leads to broken relationships and rogue actions. Collaborative decision-making means that a community is functioning well. This board\u2019s decision and this process will, I think, show how well our community functions. God is giving us the opportunity to model respect for each other, honesty and integrity.\u201d<\/p>\n

The listening process is expected to wrap up in time for a report to be delivered to the board of trustees during its June 2014 meeting.<\/p>\n

In his Nov. 18 remarks to faculty and staff, Swartzendruber recalled accepting a call in 1978 to be the pastor of a Mennonite congregation in eastern Pennsylvania. He was 28 years old, fresh from Eastern Mennonite Seminary<\/a>. Upon arriving, he found a letter on his desk from a gay member, who was now living in an urban area but who welcomed Swartzendruber to the church. In his pastoral role, Swartzendruber recalled trying to help this gay man and his parents have a healthy familial relationship, but feeling unprepared for this role from his seminary training in that era.<\/p>\n

Swartzendruber offered this example in support of\u00a0 “the reality” that discussions within the broader Mennonite church on non-majority sexual orientations have been occurring for decades, including in such publications as the Mennonite World Review<\/a> and The Mennonite<\/a> and in Mennonite Church USA forums such as delegate sessions and district conference meetings.<\/p>\n

“One responsibility of leadership is to help define reality,” said Swartzendruber.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In its regularly scheduled meeting Nov. 15 and 16, the Eastern Mennonite University board of trustees heard upbeat reports on the status of a multi-year fundraising campaign to renovate the ... read more about EMU trustees recommend six-month \u201clistening process\u201d regarding same-sex relationships and employment at EMU<\/span><\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":112,"featured_media":18600,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5583,14715,5642,4513],"tags":[6593,6069,7280,15223,5727,7714],"feature":[],"class_list":["post-18589","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-campus-community","category-campus-life","category-faculty-and-staff","category-student-life","tag-board-of-trustees","tag-loren-swartzendruber","tag-mennonite-church-usa","tag-mennonite-world-review","tag-office-of-the-president","tag-the-mennonite"],"yoast_head":"\nEMU trustees recommend six-month \u201clistening process\u201d regarding same-sex relationships and employment at EMU - 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