Profiling of General Conference delegates a disservice to the Body of Christ
By Paul Black

I now know what it feels like to be profiled.

For the past several years, racial profiling has been identified as one of the most pressing civil rights of our time. It is a scourge that negatively affects all persons of color of all generations and income levels. On many occasions, profiling ends up victimizing the innocent, non-criminal public -- persons for whom a community tries to protect.

The United Methodist Church, at the 2004 General Conference took a firm stand, calling profiling “an abhorrent manifestation of racism” and “a painful and tragic reality of our lives.”

Sadly, my profiling experience came because of my position in the church.

Last week, I realized just how painful and tragic profiling can be when I received a telephone call from a telemarketer from Conquest Communications asking me to take part in a survey concerning issues at the upcoming 2008 General Conference.

Having spent a number of years in the political world as a Congressional staff assistant, I am somewhat dubious of such calls. I am well aware the wording of questions and the underlying messages can have great impact in skewing results.

And so, I informed the caller that before I answered any of his questions, I had one of my own: Who is paying for the survey?. His response: “The United Methodist Church.”

I was aware that the General Council on Finance and Administration conducted a survey of delegates to gather demographic information about those whom annual conferences elected to serve as delegates to the worldwide body. However, the caller indicated we would be discussing issues – matters which would be considered by delegates who gather in Fort Worth in late April and early May.

I pressed the issue further, asking, “Are you saying that the General Council on Finance and Adminstration is paying for this survey?” The caller then backed away from his earlier statement, saying a supervisor would have to answer the question. After being put on hold for two minutes, the caller came back and told me that the supervisor wasn’t available. At that point, I ended the telephone conversation without participating in the survey.

As I did a Google search on Conquest Communications, I found that the Richmond, Va.-based organization “provides message consulting and direct contact services to political campaigns and business organizations throughout the United States” according to the group’s website at www.conquestgroup.com . As I investigated their clients, I found out that their customers have almost exclusively been for Republican or conservative political causes. Their call center has 80 phones and 1,200 telephone lines operating simultaneously, meaning that calling the 750 U.S. elected delegates would be a simple task.

But what drew my attention and raised my ire at the same time was a blog entry from the Charleston (W.Va.) Gazette-Mail, concerning a 2006 state campaign in which Conquest was involved. Employing a tactic known as “micro-targeting,” Conquest’s goal is to identify voters most likely to elect favored candidates (or be favorable to certain issues), and then tailor messages that appeal specifically to that voter.

Political consultants build sophisticated databases that include not just how you voted in previous elections, but whether you drive a Subaru Outback or a Ford F-150, and whether you prefer to shop at Wal-Mart (a likely Republican) or Target (a swing-voter.)

Then they develop profiles of the types of voters that support their preferred candidate or issues and determine which are swing-voters who need further convincing. Next, they conduct polls to determine what sets you off, known as “anger points.” These are the issues that make you mad enough to show up and vote.

Finally, you might receive mailings targeted to your “anger” issue.

Similar to push polling in which a campaign call is shrouded as a survey meant to trash one candidate or viewpoint or racial profiling utilized by law enforcement, micro-targeting being utilized by anyone within The United Methodist Church is “an unjust and evil reality that needs to be corrected.”

I have no problem discussing issues of concern to my church but I will not be a party to political agendas whether they come from conservative side or the liberal side. In fact, for groups to be counting heads five months before General Conference convenes means that we close ourselves to the Holy Spirit’s leading while gathered in Fort Worth.

John Wesley saw Christian conferencing as a means of grace. To have one’s mind made up on all the issues prior to General Conference without deeply listening to a variety of viewpoints means we could all mail in our votes and save multiple millions of dollars because what we do when we gather makes no worldly or heavenly difference.

Furthermore, the segmenting and micro-targeting of delegates also betrays the notion of being a delegate. In the political world, there is tension in the role our elected officials are to play in legislative arena: Are those elected to be representatives (meaning individuals that merely stick their finger in the wind and vote as their constituency would like) or delegates (where people of good character are elected to listen to the debate, discern God’s Spirit in the midst of disparate voices and then be guided in their voting)?

Throughout history, when major things have occurred, it has occurred because persons have exercised the role of delegate. Even in political circles, delegates are only pledged to their declared candidate for the first ballot. From then on, they are given freedom to respond in the moment. Persons that gathered in 1787 to revise the Articles of Confederation threw out the document in favor of drafting a new Constitution.

And even the word used in The Book of Discipline for those persons elected to General and Jurisdictional Conference is delegate.

As we prepare for General Conference in April 2008, please uphold your delegates in prayer as they begin their spiritual journey through preparation, serving on legislative sub-committees and the plenary sessions. Ask that the Holy Spirit, not some unofficial caucus or group that has its own agenda which may or may not be aligned with the mission of “making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world” to guide those that will travel from all over the world to be a part of Christian conferencing.

If we do that, then the profiling of delegates, internal polling and spurious agendas will fall prostrate at the feet of Christ and our resolve “to remain in covenant with one another, even in the midst of disagreement” and our reaffirmation to Christ’s Great Commission will reign supreme.

Thanks!
Paul Black
Director of Communication Ministries
Illinois Great Rivers Conference
The United Methodist Church
(217) 529-2824 – phone
(217) 529-4155 – FAX
(217) 652-6830 – cell
pblack@igrc.org