Interview: Faye Short of Renew Network

Renew Network is a conservative United Methodist women's organization. It is "...a support network for evangelical, orthodox women within our church, providing a voice for their concerns, supplemental program resources for their program needs, and a place for them to share ministry with other women. Renew's service to the women of the church is two-fold. First of all, we are a network for renewal: to encourage women to establish and maintain a growing, intimate, and faithful relationship with Jesus Christ; to help provide a firm scriptural foundation for their faith; and to equip them for discipleship and witness. We are also a concerted voice for renewal and accountability on the part of the Women's Division, the official women's organization of the United Methodist Church."

Recently, Renew Network met with representatives of United Methodist Women and the Board of Global Ministries in a forum to discuss their differences. You can watch the video here.

Ms. Faye Short, the President of Renew Network, graciously agreed to an interview with Locusts & Honey.

How did the forum discussion go?
The discussion went well in our opinion. Those who have provided us with feedback felt the RENEW panel members conveyed a good spirit, while imparting their concerns and information with clarity. Many have said we lifted up Christ and the Scriptures, which was one of our major intentions. We were disappointed with some of the Women’s Division responses and will be addressing those in the days ahead. Overall, we believe this was a worthwhile and significant exchange.

What overt political activities does the Women’s Division engage in?
This question would take me a long time to answer. Much of the program of the Women’s Division is given over to political advocacy—they oppose the war on terrorism, and the war in Iraq; they oppose welfare reform; they support United Nations treaties and initiatives; they oppose much of the Bush Administration policy; they oppose the Patriot Act. One district UMW officer told me recently she found herself on the opposite side of every issue promoted by the Women’s Division through its Action Alert. The Women’s Division has a strong lobbying presence in Washington, and often encourages United Methodist Women to write letters endorsing a partisan perspective on legislative issues.

Does the Women’s Division promote erroneous theology?
Over the years the Women’s Division has embraced and promoted in its resources, or through various speakers, liberation theology, feminist theology, universalism, feminine language for God and a low view of the authority of Scripture. This is a partial list. Specific documentation can be found in “Our Basis for Concern,” posted to our web site, http://www.renewnetwork.org/, and in other recent reports at this same site.


In the March/April 2005 issue of Good News magazine, you said that the Women’s Division has published materials promoting New Age spirituality. Can you elaborate?
This was a brief reference in my monthly article and had particular reference to the August 2004 issue of Response magazine, the official magazine for United Methodist Women, published by the Women’s Division. This issue of the magazine, reviewed by Donna F. G. Hailson, lauded such persons as Delores Williams (Re-Imagining, “We don’t need people hanging on crosses and all that blood-dripping weird stuff.”), and post-Christian Matthew Fox who is a panentheist, a syncretist, a deep ecumenist. Yet, he is cited favorably, without critique, in a Response article. Holistic Healer, Linaya Hahn, self-identified as a “medical intuitive, an energy healer” is promoted. Ms. Hahn’s practices and interpretations are outside the Biblical parameters for healing and wholeness. In October 1993, J. Ann Craig, Executive Secretary for Theological Development for the Women’s Division, wrote an article entitled “Fear of New Age Dismantled.” Ms. Craig acknowledged, “the New Age movement is such a mix of popular religion in the United States. New Age expressions include practices from Eastern religions, healing practices, meditation, gurus, shamans, music, mystics, tarot cards, astrology, physics and virtually anything creative.” Still, Ms. Craig issued this challenge to Christians in her closing paragraphs, “In a world where diverse religions increasingly rub elbows, each must struggle with how to relate to other faiths…. Before condemning New Age people, find out if they are loving God and serving their neighbor.”

What legislative actions can be taken to rein in the Women’s Division?
At the last General Conference RENEW Network members put forward several legislative pieces designed to have this effect. Unfortunately, none of those legislative pieces passed. Many were defeated in sub-committees through well-planned opposition by Women’s Division supporters. Some delegates who wanted to help support the legislation were told they would not be re-elected to General Conference if they involved themselves in an effort to oppose Women’s Division legislation—or to support RENEW’s legislation. So, how can change take place through the legislative process? It can take place when delegates are bold enough and honest enough to vote through the legislation required to “rein in the Women’s Division.”

Editorial note: I normally include pictures of the subjects of interviews, but BloggerBot is currently malfunctioning, so I was unable to do so for Ms. Short.