Methodist History: 1908 Social Creed for Workers — Transcript

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1. 0:01♪ (music) They never learned to read or write, ♪
2. 0:04♪ but they learned to spin and spool. ♪
3. 0:07(narrator) At the turn of the twentieth century,
4. 0:10the U.S. was shifting from a rural, agrarian society
5. 0:13to an industrial economy.
6. 0:15Children as young as four joined adults, working in factories
7. 0:20and coal mines.
8. 0:21In 1908, the Methodist Church took a stand for the rights
9. 0:25of workers with a Social Creed that called for an end
10. 0:29to child labor, a fair wage, and safety standards.
11. 0:33(Susan Henry-Crowe) In 1912, Teddy Roosevelt was quoting much
12. 0:38of the content of the Social Creed which was four years after
13. 0:42the Social Creed had been written.
14. 0:44(narrator) The idea of a denomination setting
15. 0:46these ideals in writing was groundbreaking
16. 0:49but the principles had a long history.
17. 0:52(Susan Henry-Crowe) Actually the predecessor bodies of
18. 0:55The United Methodist Church had for over 100 years had
19. 1:00statements on peace, on world order, anti-slavery,
20. 1:06fairness for all.
21. 1:07So our history, since the time of Wesley really, there were
22. 1:11always statements in the Books of Discipline about the
23. 1:14Methodist commitments to social holiness and to justice.
24. 1:19So, it's never not been there.
25. 1:21♪ (music) ♪
26. 1:23(narrator) In Washington, D.C., the Reverend Susan Henry-Crowe
27. 1:25heads the General Board of Church and Society,
28. 1:28the United Methodist agency tasked with advocating
29. 1:32for the values contained in the Social Creed.
30. 1:35The former pastor gained an appreciation for the church's
31. 1:38clear stance during an early appointment, pastoring a church
32. 1:42amidst the textile mills of South Carolina.
33. 1:45(Susan Henry-Crowe) I was visiting one of my parishioners,
34. 1:49several of whom worked in the textile mill
35. 1:52right beside the church.
36. 1:53And he was standing in ankle-high water.
37. 1:57And I said, 'Mr. Smith, what happened today?'
38. 2:01And he said, 'Oh, this is normal.'
39. 2:05And I was so shaken by it.
40. 2:07(narrator) Henry-Crowe's office overlooks the Supreme Court
41. 2:10and is just steps from the U.S. Capitol.
42. 2:13(Susan Henry-Crowe) As members of Congress come to work
43. 2:16every day, they walk by this building and see
44. 2:19what our witness is.
45. 2:21(narrator) Labor conditions in America have changed over a
46. 2:24century but there's still a need for people of faith to embrace
47. 2:28the United Methodist Social Creed,
48. 2:30says Church and Society's John Hill.
49. 2:32(John Hill) We have been calling for a living wage
50. 2:34in every industry since 1908.
51. 2:37And I reflect on both how inspiring that is and how
52. 2:40frustrating that is.
53. 2:41(protesters) No more slaves...
54. 2:43We take faithful positions on a number of issues, and the our
55. 2:46job is to make sure that those words don't just gather dust on
56. 2:49the shelf somewhere, that we live them out in our lives, and
57. 2:51that we challenge those systems that prevent them from being
58. 2:55realized in the world.
59. 2:56♪ (music) ♪
60. 3:03The church has updeted the Social Creed since 1908.
61. 3:06To see the current version, visit: umc.org slash social creed.
62. 3:12♪ (music) ♪