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The General Board of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

By April 14, 2015One Comment

April 13, 2015

The General Board of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), meeting in Kansas City, MO, on April 13, has selected Indianapolis for the 2017 General Assembly.

The board had determined on March 31 to seek a new venue after the March 25 signing of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act in the State of Indiana. The passing of the act brought a groundswell of protest by community leaders, businesses, the Disciples of Christ and many individuals from across the state of Indiana and the entire country. As a result, amendments were signed into law by Governor Mike Pence on April 2 clarifying that the law cannot be used to open the door to discrimination. It cannot supersede local human rights ordinances as was feared. The Disciples General Board determined that initial concerns with the act were addressed by the amendments, and made a new decision to place the 2017 General Assembly in Indianapolis.

“We did the right thing in response to the RFRA by voting to move our assembly. We acted against discrimination in the name of religious freedom and for civil rights for all,” said General Minister and President Sharon Watkins. “Deciding to move our assembly helped get Indiana on the road to full protection for all people. Now it’s time to finish the journey.”

“I am glad that circumstances now allow our church to come to Indianapolis in 2017,” said Indiana Regional Minister Rick Spleth.

“We can be a bigger voice if we are at the table. Bringing our assembly to Indianapolis gives us a voice in advocating for full protection under the law for all people in Indiana and elsewhere in the United States,” said Moderator Glen Miles. “It will give us an opportunity to witness to wholeness and dignity for all in a city where many of our offices have been located for nearly 100 years.”

“The decision to relocate the General Assembly was an important witness. By voting to take the General Assembly to Indianapolis in 2017, the board believes another powerful witness can be made. With a newly invigorated statewide understanding of the need for laws and ordinances which protect all people from discrimination, and with the moral voice Disciples provided in the amending of SEA101, the board believes Disciples can now be part of a movement for wholeness by locating the assembly there.

One Comment

  • Our answer to this decision by our Disciples Board is that we were initially very pleased that the Board decided against having the Assembly in Indianapolis. We are not sure that the amendments protect against discrimination. We do not understand what the law meant to do in the first place. We think it was enacted to hide the discrimination that apparently exists in the state of Indiana, especially by the lawmakers there. What do the amendments actually protect? Perhaps the amendments should have read that the door to discrimination should be CLOSED! Why did the entire law have to be written if it cannot supersede local human rights ordinances? In closing,we are so happy that we do not live in Indiana. It seems to be a very closed culture and especially does not speak to the Mission of our Denomination.