Boy Scouts Resources
“Restorative healing is at the heart of the Sermon on the Mount, moral action that is restorative to our interdependent good. Jesus calls us to compassion in Matthew 5:41, called to resist injustice with non-violent compassion, to demonstrate trust in the abundant grace of God and to be generous and that our witness be restorative."
Following the approval of the Boy Scout-UMC agreement, several documents are provided below to ensure the relationship between Boy Scouts and the local UMC churches continues in a healthy way. The BSA Charter agreement will no longer exist. Instead churches are encouraged to enter into the Affiliation Agreement with troops and local councils.
Flow Chart for Scouting Agreements
2022 BSA Facility Use Agreement
Training Video from August 10, 2022
A Second Mile for Some of our Boy Scouts
Please Pray and Consider Your Response
“…and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile.’ (Matthew 5:41, NRSV)
At the heart of the sermon on the mount is the moral action that is restorative to God’s vision for Shalom.
Jesus calls us to compassion when he says in Matthew 5:41: ‘if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile.’ We are called to resist injustice with nonviolent compassion, to demonstrate trust in the abundant grace of God, and to be generous so that our witness is restorative. On behalf of Bishop Jung, the cabinet, the Conference Board of Trustees, and the Conference Council on Finance and Administration, we are asking Wisconsin United Methodists to prayerfully consider restorative action that centers the survivors of abuse at the hands of our partnership with the Boy Scouts.
As you may be aware, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) filed for bankruptcy relief in 2020, overwhelmed by a lawsuit that involved more than 84,000 people who alleged child sexual abuse dating as far back as the 1960’s. While upholding confidentiality for the survivors, over 30 instances of child sexual abuse in Wisconsin have been alleged related to our partnership with the Boy Scouts of America.
Our first priority is to be in prayer for healing and wholeness for the survivors of child sexual abuse, for their families, and for their daily struggles. We would remind your church to review your Safe Sanctuary Policy.
The Wisconsin Conference will fulfill its portion of the Survivor’s Trust Fund and seeks to raise the $208,096 rather than take it out of reserves. We ask now that individuals and churches make their gifts to the Wisconsin Conference UMC for the Survivors’ Trust Fund to the full extent of our commitment.
Any gifts raised in excess of $208,096 will be used for the Wisconsin Conference UMC attorneys’ fees. If our efforts fall short, in June, 2023, we will assess how much has been raised and how much may be required from Conference reserves in order to demonstrate tangible evidence of our commitment to restorative healing. We are a connectional church. We cared for our legal representation as an annual conference and did not leave our churches to hire attorneys. Please be generous and prayerful, even going a second mile. Thank you.