If you are unfamiliar with the United Methodist Church (UMC), you may have still noticed that we have been making a lot of headlines recently. You see, it does not only exist at the local level where we sit in congregations on Sunday mornings. It is part of a much bigger, global body. The General Conference is the primary legislative body of the United Methodist Church, consisting of 600-1,000 delegates from UMC conferences all over the world. They meet every four years to discuss duties, charges, and policy for the church overall. At the 2016 General Conference, the Council of Bishops proposed The Commission on The Way Forward, which intended to examine and possibly revise the liturgy regarding human sexuality as it is written in the Book of Disciplines (the book which states the law and doctrine of the UMC). The 2019 General Conference that concluded today was a special session called so that the Methodist Church could receive and act on a plan that would allow the church to move forward. The particular issues in question were whether or not to change the rules, thus allowing ordained clergy to officiate same sex marriage and also allowing openly gay people to be ordained through the Methodist Church. It seems as though we have a schism between conservatives and progressives, very much mirroring the polarized politics of the U.S. today and leaving little to no room for what I like to call middle grounders. Multiple plans were presented, the two I will focus on were the "One Church Plan" and the "Traditional Plan". The One Church Plan hoped to leave the United Methodist Church intact as a singular and whole body, but allowed congregations, conferences, and pastors to adapt the Book of Disciplines to their convictions. In other words- the decision to ordain homosexual people or officiate same sex marriages would be up to the annual conferences, individual clergy and congregations, whilst still adhering to the UMC, as the main governing body. The Traditional Plan retains the current social stance in the book of discipline that all people are of sacred worth, however sexual relationships and the covenant of marriage was created and is reserved for relationships that are one woman and one man, and that homosexuality is not God's Will (often referred to in open forums this weekend as sin). Additionally, this plan offered a "graceful exit" for clergy, annual conferences, and congregations who cannot abide by these standards. After three long days, many speakers, motions, amendments, much anxiety, and heavy emotional turmoil, the One Church Plan was very narrowly voted out and the Traditional plan voted forward, despite many arguments that it is unconstitutional.. but you'll have to decide that yourself.
WHEWWWW, that was too much church polity explanation for anyone, but I hope you can now understand what comes next, what this means in terms of human relationships, and discipleship, and the future of the church and this world. If you're still reading, thanks for holding on. I hope you aren't nauseous, because that was just the back ground info. PLEASE, keep reading!
My REFLECTIONS Begin
I am no professional theologian, but I do not believe in a Church that claims to love all people as sacred children of God but deny their love and worse deny the pursuit of vocation in that church. Our LGBTQIA brothers and sisters in Christ have been turned away today by a church that should have welcomed them. I am so sorry for the emotional and spiritual pain inflicted by a church that put your call to ministry up for debate, that questioned your identity, that has called your love sinful. For as many times as you were told that you are loved and worthy and matter in ministry, I am sorry twice more for the decision our conference made today which structurally denies all of the aforementioned.
That is not the church I believe in. I am heartbroken now, truly, more than ever in my life, but I am not hopeless.
The church I believe in exists even in the midst of this mess.
The church I believe in was visible in over 15,000 signatures of Methodists under age 35 who signed a petition fighting for full inclusion in our church.
The church I believe in was in the most beautifully delivered speech by JJ Warren, asserting the role that LGBTQIA people can and should play in bringing the Kingdom of Heaven to Earth.
The church I believe in was in the excluded and their many allies worshipping God together in wake of the conference's conclusion.
The church I believe in remembers that it is by love, and love alone, that they will know we are the disciples of Jesus Christ (John 13:35).
I do not know what will happen from here, as members of our church at every level have already begun to pull away from the UMC, but I read so may times today that resurrection only comes after a death and I understand that now more than ever. Please do not forget that we serve a resurrecting God. Over and over again in the history of the church we have had to make difficult decisions. We have watched people make leaps and bounds toward improving our reach to the nations. We have seen oppressed peoples been freed. We have seen the Spirit change the course of the church. None of that could have happened if the old ways had not been put to rest. Anastasis will surely come. Which side of history will you be on when it does?
I won't pretend to understand the opposing points of view, but I would certainly be open to discussion. Leave a comment and let me know what you think!