Methodist agency passes buck to NCC in Elian Gonzalez case
The Layman Online, April 28, 2000
With criticism arising from within their ranks, an agency of the United Methodist Church and the National Council of Churches have been passing the buck on which organization is leading the effort to get 6-year-old Elian Gonzalez sent back to Cuba.
On April 25, the United Methodist General Board of Church and Society, which succeeded the NCC as the principal fundraiser and advocate for returning the boy to Cuba, handed the task back to the NCC with an unspecified amount of unspent funds that it had raised for the legal fees to represent the boy’s father.
NCC sides with Cuba
The NCC had previously carried the ball on behalf of Gonzalez’ father and Fidel Castro, with whom the NCC has historically sided in opposition to U.S. policy toward Cuba.
Robert EdgarUsing the language “a child shall lead them,” Robert Edgar, the new general secretary of the NCC, told The Presbyterian Layman that the Gonzalez boy, if returned to Cuba, could be the leverage for normalizing relations between the U.S. and Cuba.
But on April 12, the NCC issued a strongly worded press release disavowing any ongoing involvement in the case. That news release referred possible contributors to the Methodist agency.
“We are NOT bearing any of the costs, whether for any travel or for the services of Attorney Gregory Craig, who is representing Elian’s father,” the NCC news release said. Former NCC general secretary, Joan Brown Campbell, “has NOT acted on behalf of the NCC in relation to Elian and his family but rather as a private citizen …”
Methodist disconnection
The Methodist disconnection from the Gonzalez case came after the early morning raid when federal agents seized Elian from his uncle’s house in Miami.
In a United Methodist News Service report, the Rev. Thom White Wolf Fassett, staff head of the Methodist agency, said the agency was transferring money raised for legal fees and other costs because of concerns expressed by the denomination’s finance agency.
Fassett would not say how much money was involved in the transfer, but he expressed belief that legal costs will exceed the amount of money raised.
Fassett also acknowledged that controversy and “wild allegations” had arisen. He denied that Craig, who represented President Clinton during impeachment proceedings, was being paid by Fidel Castro through a fund that the board established.
‘Misquoted and maligned’
“Our principal goal was to get Elian back to his father,” Fassett said. “We have been misquoted and maligned by people saying that our effort was to get Elian back to Cuba, and that is not our interest.”
He said the way federal agents seized the boy was “regrettable.”
Fassett criticized Methodists who were criticizing the role of the Board of Church and Society. “Their comments reveal that the vast majority of the people who are calling are totally unaware of their church’s structures and policies.”
The communications office of the National Council of Churches did not respond to a request by The Layman Online for clarification of how the NCC will continue with the case since it announced the end of its involvement.