The United Methodist Church and the Homosexuals
I grew up as a preachers kid (PK) in South Carolina. My dad attended Candler Theological Seminary at Emory University (Atlanta) and preached for 30+ years at Methodist Churches in Winnsboro, Columbia, Charleston, Georgetown, Hartsville, and Greenwood, SC, before retiring in 2018. As a result, I have a heavy Methodist influence coursing through my veins, but still feel comfortable in any denominational, nondenominational, and/or other spiritual place of worship. Even to this day, my dad is still one of the smartest and most well-read individuals that I know, but one's intellectual ability does not always reflect their Common Sense.
What's the difference between a Baptist and a Methodist? The Baptist won't speak to each other in the liquor store... but they will drink all of your booze. (sometimes you need a good truthful joke)
Growing up through my teens and early 20's, I knew that the Methodist Church cautiously welcomed homosexual members into its congregations but did NOT support anything beyond attendance. Many LGBT members were, are, and will be encouraged to live a "celibate life" in order to remain "in good standing" with many of their associated congregations. In my mid 20's, I read a book called "Is the Homosexual my Neighbor" by Virginia R. Mollenkott that gave me new hope in my desire to reconnect with the Methodist Church.
In 2010, I began attending St. Mark United Methodist Church in Midtown ATL and discovered a very progressive culture. At this time of my life, St. Mark was exactly what I needed. A way for me to reconnect and feel comfortable again in church. Once I adjusted to this new found comfort, I met a guy (Joe), got engaged, got married, and settled into married life in my Methodist Church. Once the "newness" of being out and married subsided, the exaggerated progressiveness of St. Mark jumped beyond my comfort zone, During this time, the church became more politically active which I see as an absolute "no no" for any church. In my opinion, St. Mark's message became "we are an LGBT church" rather than "we are a church that welcomes LGBT people," so we decided to stop going...
In 2017, Joe and I found a new home locally at Ebenezer United Methodist in Woodstock/Roswell and not long after, I accepted their invitation to join the Board of Trustees. At Ebenezer, we found a welcoming church that did not care whether we were a gay married couple, but whether we were good people. We also realized that we were not the only LGBT attendees. The church has around 150 members and I know of 4 current members that are LGBT which is roughly 3% of the congregation. Since our initial visit, we have invited others in our community to "come to the little white church on the corner."
OPERATIONAL INFO
The Methodist Church logo and tagline
The Methodist church operates very much like a political organization. Every few years, they gather their leaders from around the globe, pray, discuss topics, and vote on changes to the overall church, belief structure, etc. Local congregations are overseen by a pastor, that pastor is overseen by a DS (district superintendent), that DS is overseen by a bishop, and it goes on up the food chain. Each church is part of a conference (geography containing many Methodist Churches) that allows them to meet more often than every few years and reach out to others when they need guidance, assistance, etc.
One of the historical strengths of the United Methodist Church (UMC) has been its ability convert people from other countries into followers, also known as mission work. When Joe and I went to Fiji, I felt that the overwhelming majority of Fijians were Methodists. We sat on the wooden floor of a small Methodist church and sang with their congregation twice during our trip.
The UMC has been successful in colonizing Methodism throughout the world. So successful that around 40% of Methodist delegates now reside in Africa, Asia, and Europe. Around 50% of the delegates are from the USA. There are nearly as many Methodists abroad as there are in the USA.
To my knowledge, the UMC has always banned same sex marriages from being performed within its churches and has always banned LGBT persons from serving as clergy. A recent PEW Research study suggests that 6 in 10 Methodists in the USA believe homosexuality should be accepted by the church.
RECENT CONFERENCE (FEBRUARY 2019)
At the recent annual conference that wrapped up this week in St. Louis, the UMC delegates voted in favor of the "Traditional Plan" which reaffirms the church's position that "the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching.” The alternative to the Traditional Plan was the "One Church Plan" which would have created more inclusion of the LGBT community. This plan would have permitted LGBT weddings to be performed by ordained Methodist ministers within its churches and LGBT persons could serve as clergy.
... the General Conference of The United Methodist Church has definitively rejected the possibility of an institutional compromise between those who want to allow ordination and marriage for LGBT United Methodists and those who want to prohibit ordination and marriage for LGBT United Methodists, a proposal called the One Church Plan. Instead, the delegates to General Conference have adopted a plan that accentuates and strengthens the enforcement of the prohibitions against LGBT ordination and marriage, a proposal called the Traditional Plan. A plan offered by LGBT persons and allies that makes no mention of any restrictions based on gender identity or sexual orientation, the Simple Plan, was debated briefly and resoundingly defeated.
The vast majority of delegates from the United States, who make up around 50% of all delegates, were in favor of the One Church Plan or the Simple Plan. The vast majority of delegates from Africa, Europe, and Asia (the Philippines), who comprise around 40% of the delegates, were in favor of the Traditional Plan. This past Tuesday afternoon, delegates from around the world voted 438 to 384 to pass what was called the Traditional Plan, which maintains the church's rules towards the LGBT community.
MY COMMON CENSE on the GENERAL CONFERENCE
My Common Sense tells me that delegates from outside of the USA formed an alliance with the most conservative delegates from the USA and defeated all attempts to change the church's stance on the LGBT community. Many supporters of the LGBT community in the UMC are now whispering about splitting the church into 2 parts. Those parts could be divided by geography into The USA Methodist Church and The International Methodist Church. Like most of the developed world, strict Catholicism still reigns supreme even if the Catholic Church is not directly involved. If you want to know how the Catholics are doing, just turn on your national news. I was disappointed at the results of the recent conference but I do not plan to renounce my Methodism as a result. Here's why...
WHAT DO WE DO NOW...
I plan to go to church as usual this coming Sunday with my family....
The term "Ecclesia" (or Ekklesia) in Christian theology means a particular body of faithful people... Latin ecclesia, from Greek ekklesia had an original meaning of "assembly, congregation, council", literally "convocation".
I feel most comfortable sitting in wooden pews hearing the sound of pipe organs while receiving the occasional residual red lipstick cheek kiss from one of the many grandmas in the congregation. Even though our physical structure is too small to support a pipe organ, my ecclesia (my particular body of faithful people) is currently within the walls of Ebenezer United Methodist Church. It will remain there until I am told otherwise. Not because I want my family to be the political change within my church, but because that's where we feel at home with our kids. Ebenezer has a welcoming nature that is seldomly found at any church. Our "passing of the peace" during the middle part of the service where everyone gets up, walks around, and delivers well wishes to all attendees would likely last for hours if allowed to go on uncontrolled. Think of the Oscar or Grammy winner that continues to speak even after the "exit cue" music starts playing...
My hope will be that nothing changes as it relates to my "ecclesia," my Methodist Church. Joe and I are already married, we're morally married in a Methodist church during the same time period when marriage was NOT permitted, and I am not concerned whether or not we are allowed to have an LGBT pastor.
I want my kids to have a strong foundation of faith and as they get older, they can decide what that means in their lives. If the choose to attend Ebenezer or any other church as adults, I will consider that a parenting win!!
This past week, the Rev. Byron Thomas of the North Georgia conference compared the current Methodist LGBT dilemma to the church's earlier handling of race. "In 1939, the UMC was trying to figure out what to do with black people," Thomas said. At that General Conference in 1939, the Central Jurisdiction was voted into being (banning black people from the church). After that vote, "white folks stood up and clapped, and the black folks sat down and cried. I believe we are at another stand up and clap, sit down and cry moment," Thomas was quoted as saying Monday.
Just like the shifting social and political attitude towards black members many years ago, the Methodist church will again catch up with the LGBT community with the passage of time. Many of the conservative "Catholic light" delegates are much older and will not be around forever...
If I were the czar of Methodism, I would suggest that each congregation be allowed to form their own opinions on LGBT inclusiveness. I also believe that the congregations and their associated ministers that do not support the LGBT community should be allowed to do so. It would not be difficult for the Methodist denomination to separate their directory into those churches that are welcoming, those that are not, and publish them clearly on their website UMC.org.
While the greater United Methodist Church will only "mostly" welcome me and my family, I feel fully welcomed by Ebenezer United Methodist Church, and plan to be in church this Sunday. I will also pray for church leaders that God will grant them the wisdom and insight necessary to change policy and to create more "disciples of Jesus Christ."
If you want to share your story or have a constructive conversation about this or anything else, message me, and let's grab coffee or a beer.
Have a good one,
Dan
