Longtime director of United Methodist News Service Thomas S. McAnally also expressed concern about closing church meetings to the press. We have no secrets. Unlike many private charities and TV ministries, our records are open to anyone. Because of this I think The United Methodist Church experiences an unusual degree of credibility and trust. For the Women's Division to close their December meeting of teen-age women is a violation of both the spirit and letter of the law as found in our Book of Discipline .
Church members expect their governmental organizations to operate openly.
Lynne DeMichele, director of communications for the Indiana Area and president of the communicators' organization, said the organization was troubled by the Women's Division action in barring the press. However, denying church reporters access to this event seems inappropriate and, frankly, perplexing. We would have imagined that the Women's Division would welcome an opportunity to let its light shine. We want to know that there is not an agenda here, that there is not a bias, that there is not a certain perspective that is imparted. She said she was concerned that the Women's Division would not identify for her the event leaders or workshop titles.