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The South Carolina Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church passed a $13.7 million budget and recommended a new bishop on Wednesday, the last day of this year's session.
But the 1,100 delegates from congregations across the state couldn't quite stomach the notion that "eating tacos and buying pickles," as the Rev. Kim Strong put it, constitute "economic terrorism."
The day-long business meeting, like most of the four-day session, was held in the Jonas T. Kennedy Center at Claflin University in Orangeburg.
Michael Cheatham -- a lay member from Greenville and the son of the late Orangeburg Mayor Martin Cheatham -- proposed a resolution stating that the Mt. Olive Pickle Co. and Taco Bell "are responsible and faithful members of the business community, providing employment to hundreds and thousands, many of whom are ethnic minorities."
No one disputed that.
Taco Bell's parent company, Yum Brands Inc., and Mt. Olive have established codes of conduct urging their "suppliers to comply with all applicable state and federal laws with regard to hiring practices and working conditions," the resolution continued.
There was no argument with that, either.
Saying the United Methodist Church "does not support economic terrorism in the form of sanctions or boycotts under any circumstance," the proposed resolution called on the denomination's General Board of Church and Society to rescind the General Conference's call for a boycott of the Mt. Olive Pickle Co. and Taco Bell.
There was plenty of disagreement with that.
Using the word "terrorism" in connection with a consumer boycott is "blasphemy against our soldiers, sailors and airmen" who "are fighting a real war against terrorism in Afghanistan and Iraq," Strong said.
"Not eating tacos and not buying pickles, I don't think that's terrorism," Strong continued. But it does send a message: "We don't want to buy your product if you treat your workers this way. ... I love Taco Bell, but I won't buy their food. ... Business people need to know they need to treat people better."
After a delegate questioned the appropriateness of the resolution, Bishop J. Lawrence McCleskey ruled that it could be considered, but warned it would put the state church at odds with the denomination's position at the national level.
That position is not clear-cut, replied Cheatham, who had attended the General Conference and described the circumstances of the vote to initiate the boycott.
It was taken at a half hour before midnight on the last day of the two-week session, with debate limited to one minute for each side, Cheatham said, and the result was a less-than-resounding 53 percent in favor, 47 percent opposed.
There was further debate on whether migrant workers have the opportunity to earn handsome wages, or are forced to subsist with poor housing and inadequate health care.
Delegates approved the resolution after eliminating the call for the boycott to be rescinded, as well as all references to "economic terrorism."
Instead, the delegates voted to encourage national church leaders to "continue a dialogue with the independent farmers and employees involved to seek through Christian conferencing a just and equitable resolution to the concerns of all parties."
Delegates also approved, after considerable debate, a resolution calling upon South Carolina's governor and Legislature "to restore immediately full funding of the Education Finance Act," the primary method of public school funding in the state.
The resolution is "misdirected," said the Rev. Julian Ford, pastor of St. Paul's United Methodist Church in Orangeburg. "The districts determine how the money is spent. ... The onus for better education is on the districts."
"South Carolina ranks 20th in dollars spent per student," the average teacher salary is $40,362 a year and the state has an average student-to-teacher ratio of 15.2 to 1, Ford said, adding that he got the statistics from the National Education Association.
There were so many murmurs of surprise and disbelief in the audience that the bishop had to remind them to remain silent until they were recognized to speak.
And speak they did. Their main point was that averages can be deceiving because rich districts push them higher. "We must support the education of all children in our state," one delegate said.
Delegate Don Alexander spoke against the resolution, saying it did not "offer the means to provide that funding. We should not ask our legislative body to spend money they don't have."
Delegate Sinclair Lewis was incredulous that anyone should suggest that constituents "shouldn't pressure our legislators." The problem, he said, is that many legislators signed pledges that they would not raise taxes.
"So they sit there on their bottoms, afraid they'll lose their jobs, and they let the children suffer," Lewis said. "I need to put my wallet where my heart is."
Another opponent said funding for public education did not need to be increased because "it's mom and dad's responsibility to educate their children."
Martha Fridy Thompson, chair of the Committee on Resolutions and Appeals, said she was surprised at the opposition to the proposal. She said the committee had thought it was a "no-brainer."
Following approval of the resolution, delegates voted to direct that copies be sent to Gov. Mark Sanford and members of the General Assembly.
Another proposed resolution called on the United Methodist Church to remove "any and all actual or apparent discriminatory titling or naming of programs, services, benefits and financial aid."
The resolution said the church should not earmark money for the Black College Fund, whose "very title ... gives the appearance of being discriminatory and non-inclusive," but should instead combine "all funds identified for support of colleges and universities."
The bishop ruled two of the action items "out of order," then the delegates defeated the remainder of the resolution after one delegate explained that black institutions require special attention.
At the national level, the denomination earmarked $45.1 million for the Black College Fund in the 2005-08 budget.
Delegates passed additional resolutions:
-- Stating "that the free exercise of religion is to be protected by all governments as a basic right of all people, everywhere." Of particular concern are Pakistan, Sudan, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, China and Iran.
-- Supporting an increase in the cigarette tax to reduce tobacco use among youths and raise revenue for health care for tobacco-related illnesses.
-- Designating the site of Mount Bethel Academy as a United Methodist historic site.
Delegates agreed to allow a petitioner to withdraw a proposed resolution stating that "self-avowed practicing homosexuals are not to be accepted as candidates, ordained as ministers, or appointed to serve in the United Methodist Church."
The Rev. Phil Thrailkill said the resolution was "rendered unnecessary because of actions of the General Conference," which voted to uphold the statements about the issue in the denomination's Book of Discipline.
The General Conference met in Pittsburgh, Pa., in late April and early May. In attendance were 1,000 delegates from 36,000 congregations comprising 8.3 million United Methodists worldwide.
"My hands touched the hands of Christians all over the nation and the world; strangers bonded in love through Jesus Christ," the Rev. John Culp said.
He and other delegates informed the state conference Wednesday that the General Conference had:
-- Upheld the mandatory retirement age of 70 for pastors.
-- Approved a $612.5 million budget, including $10 million over the next four years for Africa University in Zimbabwe and various amounts for higher education schools, colleges, universities and seminars in 69 countries.
South Carolina United Methodists approved a $13,715,288 budget for fiscal 2005. That's a 3.9 percent increase from the $13,204,293 spending plan for 2004.
The line item for equitable compensation grew by 50 percent, from $200,000 to $300,000. The Episcopal Fund will see a 16 percent increase, from $419,696 to $487,376. Money for World Service rose by 7 percent, from $1,759,136 to $1,882,141. Other line items changed by less than 7 percent.
Another pivotal conference for South Carolina United Methodists will be the Southeastern Jurisdiction conference at Lake Junaluska, N.C., in July.
It's expected that a new bishop will be named for South Carolina, since McCleskey has served the Palmetto State for the usual maximum term of eight years.
McCleskey could receive a new appointment for the next four years before he reaches the mandatory retirement age.
The South Carolina Annual Conference has nominated Dr. William H. Willimon of Durham, N.C., as an "episcopal nominee" -- that is, successor to McCleskey as bishop.
A native of Greenville, Willimon attended Wofford, Emory and Yale and has preached all over the world. He was named one of the 12 most effective preachers in the English-speaking world in a 1996 survey by Baylor University.
Willimon is dean of chapel and professor of Christian ministry at Duke University. His 45 books and numerous articles have made him the most-read living author in mainline Christendom.
Delegates approved dozens of appointments, including the following residents of the Orangeburg District:
-- Greg Riley to the Board of Evangelism.
-- Alicia P. Dantzler to the Board of Global Ministries.
-- Alice Pickney to the Board of Health and Welfare Ministries.
-- Ethel Jefferson to the Board of Higher Education and Campus Ministry.
-- Letha Brown to the Board of Pension and Health Benefits.
-- Sherry Eisom to the Board of Pension and Health Benefits.
-- Kristen Richardson to the Committee on Episcopacy.
-- Nancy R. Ayers to the Aldersgate Special Needs Ministry.
Newly elected to the trustee board of The Methodist Oaks continuing care retirement community in Orangeburg were Franklin Dash of Bamberg, David Coleman of Orangeburg, Moss Perrow of Calhoun County, Anne Lawrence of Pawleys Island, Miyoung Paik, H. Frank Manning of Columbia, William Brumback of Columbia and George F. Manigo.
Marilyn Altman was re-elected to The Methodist Oaks board. Leaving the board are Robert C. Gordon, R. Glenn Davis, Sheila D. Rogers, David C. Sojourner Sr., H.E. Hemingway, Robert V. Tanner, Agnes Glover and Thomas N. Brittain.
Carolyn Watson of Columbia was re-elected as a trustee of Claflin University in Orangeburg.
Delegates celebrated the chartering of Pointe Hope United Methodist Church in North Mount Pleasant and acknowledged the merger of three congregations to form Trinity United Methodist Church in Bennettsville.
McCleskey said the denomination's growth in membership has come almost entirely from new congregations, rather than established churches.
Nationally, "40.9 percent of United Methodist congregations last year received no new members on profession of faith," the bishop said. "That means 60 percent did."
Still, "there are too many automobiles in the driveways on Sunday mornings," which shows there are still many unchurched people, McCleskey said, adding, "Let's bring them to Jesus."
T&D Staff Writer Lee Hendren can be reached by e-mail at lhendren@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5552.