Getting to the heart of the matter (finally) ...
Sexual orientation has been the divisive issue in Christian churches in recent years. Debate in the United Methodist Church has dealt with two issues in particular. One issue concerns ordaining and appointing “self-avowed and practicing” gays and lesbians. The other issue concerns the prerogative of pastors to perform “holy unions.”
These issues have been the subject of legislation written by the General Conference, a representative body meeting once every four years that is comprised of delegates elected from each Annual Conference in the denomination. Delegates come from all over the United States, but there are additional delegates who represent African annual conferences that are a part of the denomination. African Christians, who tend to be culturally much more conservative than Americans, have voted with delegates from more “conservative” regions of the U.S., providing a narrow (but narrowing) plurality in favor of disallowing full equality to our gay and lesbian members.
This has been the most vexing issue facing the denomination for many years. Sexual orientation has divided the church at all levels, including the Council of Bishops whose silence has been deafening. They have not even been able to make a statement as simple as this: “We confess that we are not of one mind on the issue. Nevertheless, we are committed to listening to and respecting one another in our disagreement ... and we urge the church to do the same.” There has been little constructive conversation around the issue of sexual orientation.
Until now.
A gay man was refused membership in the South Hill United Methodist Church in South Hill, VA. He had been singing in the Choir and attending worship, and he expressed a desire to become a member of the church. The church’s senior pastor, the Rev. Ed Johnson, was not willing to receive the man into membership because of the candidate’s self-avowed, practicing homosexuality. The congregation’s associate pastor filed a complaint against Rev. Johnson, and ultimately Rev. Johnson was placed on involuntary leave by an 80% vote of the clergy session of the Virginia Annual Conference.
The Judicial Council (the “Supreme Court”) of the United Methodist Church disallowed that disciplinary action, ruling on the narrow grounds that the local church pastor—not the District Superintendent or Bishop—has the prerogative to discern readiness for church membership. It ordered that Rev. Johnson be reinstated and that he receive back salary that he had forfeited.
In response to this ruling, the Council of Bishops spoke. Finally. They made a pastoral statement. They gave a word of guidance to the entire church. They found their voice:
While pastors have the responsibility to discern
readiness for membership, homosexuality is not a
barrier... We call upon all United Methodist pastors
and laity to make every congregation a community
of hospitality.
The Bishops quoted the Book of Discipline:
God’s grace is available to all, and we will seek to live
together in Christian community. We implore families and
churches not to reject or condemn lesbian and gay members
and friends. We commit ourselves to be in ministry for and
with all persons.
We have gotten to the heart of the matter (finally). As significant as are ordination and marriage, baptism is a much more significant place to begin a theological conversation. Baptism is the sign of the inclusive love of God who created us and loves us all. Baptism is the sign of God’s acceptance of us flesh-and-blood humans. God loves all of us, even though we fall short of the goal of keeping God’s law.
Please keep in mind the primary expression of God’s law. According to Jesus, it is the commandment to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. Who among us is able, always and everywhere, to love our neighbor, to act towards our neighbor in the way we would hope our neighbor would act towards us? The gospel affirms that despite our continual falling short of keeping what Jesus called “the greatest commandment,” we are still loved by God.
Here is a place to begin the conversation: with the mystery of God’s grace, with the affirmation of baptism, with the hope of a church as inclusive and loving as God.
These issues have been the subject of legislation written by the General Conference, a representative body meeting once every four years that is comprised of delegates elected from each Annual Conference in the denomination. Delegates come from all over the United States, but there are additional delegates who represent African annual conferences that are a part of the denomination. African Christians, who tend to be culturally much more conservative than Americans, have voted with delegates from more “conservative” regions of the U.S., providing a narrow (but narrowing) plurality in favor of disallowing full equality to our gay and lesbian members.
This has been the most vexing issue facing the denomination for many years. Sexual orientation has divided the church at all levels, including the Council of Bishops whose silence has been deafening. They have not even been able to make a statement as simple as this: “We confess that we are not of one mind on the issue. Nevertheless, we are committed to listening to and respecting one another in our disagreement ... and we urge the church to do the same.” There has been little constructive conversation around the issue of sexual orientation.
Until now.
A gay man was refused membership in the South Hill United Methodist Church in South Hill, VA. He had been singing in the Choir and attending worship, and he expressed a desire to become a member of the church. The church’s senior pastor, the Rev. Ed Johnson, was not willing to receive the man into membership because of the candidate’s self-avowed, practicing homosexuality. The congregation’s associate pastor filed a complaint against Rev. Johnson, and ultimately Rev. Johnson was placed on involuntary leave by an 80% vote of the clergy session of the Virginia Annual Conference.
The Judicial Council (the “Supreme Court”) of the United Methodist Church disallowed that disciplinary action, ruling on the narrow grounds that the local church pastor—not the District Superintendent or Bishop—has the prerogative to discern readiness for church membership. It ordered that Rev. Johnson be reinstated and that he receive back salary that he had forfeited.
In response to this ruling, the Council of Bishops spoke. Finally. They made a pastoral statement. They gave a word of guidance to the entire church. They found their voice:
While pastors have the responsibility to discern
readiness for membership, homosexuality is not a
barrier... We call upon all United Methodist pastors
and laity to make every congregation a community
of hospitality.
The Bishops quoted the Book of Discipline:
God’s grace is available to all, and we will seek to live
together in Christian community. We implore families and
churches not to reject or condemn lesbian and gay members
and friends. We commit ourselves to be in ministry for and
with all persons.
We have gotten to the heart of the matter (finally). As significant as are ordination and marriage, baptism is a much more significant place to begin a theological conversation. Baptism is the sign of the inclusive love of God who created us and loves us all. Baptism is the sign of God’s acceptance of us flesh-and-blood humans. God loves all of us, even though we fall short of the goal of keeping God’s law.
Please keep in mind the primary expression of God’s law. According to Jesus, it is the commandment to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. Who among us is able, always and everywhere, to love our neighbor, to act towards our neighbor in the way we would hope our neighbor would act towards us? The gospel affirms that despite our continual falling short of keeping what Jesus called “the greatest commandment,” we are still loved by God.
Here is a place to begin the conversation: with the mystery of God’s grace, with the affirmation of baptism, with the hope of a church as inclusive and loving as God.
posted by David Ourisman at 12:37 PM
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