As if we needed evidence, it's clear that National Council of Churches Bob Edgar's web site, MiddleChurch.net, was more about politics and the election than it was about building bridges. Edgar's life as a Congressman-turned-minister has been steeped in partisan politics... and at times to the detriment of the National Council of Churches.
Last September, the United Methodist Church (Edgar's own church and the largest member of the National Council of Churches) sent a "letter of concern" to the NCC over the departure of the Antiochian Orthodox Church and to “take immediate steps to understand” why the Orthodox church left the NCC. In the same letter, the United Methodist Church also expressed it's "disdain" over a politically loaded fund raising letter that Edgar sent out in June.
Edgar's initial reaction to the criticism he received from the letter was to suggest a conspiracy by "those who try to dilute our witness and mislead our friends by suggesting that the National Council of Churches is a partisan, left-leaning organization." However, his tune changed after the UMC letter. Thomas Hoyt, President of the National Council of Churches, said that Edgar now “has acknowledged that the letter was sent from the development office without proper review." That's the way the National Council of Churches admits a mistake without actually admitting a mistake.
James,
It wasn't necessarily about politics... it could have been about money... after all... now that the book tour is over....
http://www.middlechurch.net/tour/
...there's no reason left to blog!!!
-RT
PS I know of a few others who blog to promote their books... CHA CHING!!!!!
Posted by: RT Stallgiss | December 18, 2006 at 07:09 PM