Almost Lent, 2019
Dear Friends,
By now many of you will have heard that at General Conference in St. Louis, United Methodist Church (UMC) delegates voted to continue to exclude LGBTQIA persons from ordination, and to tighten existing sanctions against clergy who officiate at same-sex weddings. While more than two years ago the New England Conference (UMC) became the first of five conferences to vote to be in “non-compliance” with this portion of their Book of Discipline, this new vote pushes the UMC ever closer to schism over who may be included in the ministry and mission of the church. It is a painful time for the UMC and for those whose full inclusion in the Body of Christ has once again been deferred. I invite you to join me as we hold them and the church universal in prayer.
In the course of our Open and Affirming conversations, I think the most frequently asked question has been “Why do we have to talk about this? We already say we welcome all people! It's there in our mission statement, right?” Right. We do. It is. As it is with most every church in the country. The sign out front says “All Are Welcome!” But the reality is that our LGBTQIA relatives, friends, co-workers, neighbors, don't necessarily feel welcomed because the headline is always Church Excludes Gays. So that's the message people hear.
In our United Church of Christ, our congregational polity (how we organize and govern ourselves) tells us that we can – and in fact must – make these sometimes difficult decisions for ourselves. There is no body that can tell us what we must believe or how we are to be the church. Indeed, our tradition tells us that the local church is autonomous – able to govern itself – but because we gather in association with others, our individual actions have impact well beyond our doors.
That's why it is so very important for us to have these conversations with honesty and integrity, and for all of us to participate. That's why it's so very important for us to share our hopes and dreams and even – maybe especially – those things that scare us. It's important for us to be able to name everyone who because of who they are might feel excluded from God's love and care, and to strive to create a safe place of welcome here for them.
God loves you. No matter what. Let's spread the good news!
See you on The Way,
Brad
Dear Friends,
By now many of you will have heard that at General Conference in St. Louis, United Methodist Church (UMC) delegates voted to continue to exclude LGBTQIA persons from ordination, and to tighten existing sanctions against clergy who officiate at same-sex weddings. While more than two years ago the New England Conference (UMC) became the first of five conferences to vote to be in “non-compliance” with this portion of their Book of Discipline, this new vote pushes the UMC ever closer to schism over who may be included in the ministry and mission of the church. It is a painful time for the UMC and for those whose full inclusion in the Body of Christ has once again been deferred. I invite you to join me as we hold them and the church universal in prayer.
In the course of our Open and Affirming conversations, I think the most frequently asked question has been “Why do we have to talk about this? We already say we welcome all people! It's there in our mission statement, right?” Right. We do. It is. As it is with most every church in the country. The sign out front says “All Are Welcome!” But the reality is that our LGBTQIA relatives, friends, co-workers, neighbors, don't necessarily feel welcomed because the headline is always Church Excludes Gays. So that's the message people hear.
In our United Church of Christ, our congregational polity (how we organize and govern ourselves) tells us that we can – and in fact must – make these sometimes difficult decisions for ourselves. There is no body that can tell us what we must believe or how we are to be the church. Indeed, our tradition tells us that the local church is autonomous – able to govern itself – but because we gather in association with others, our individual actions have impact well beyond our doors.
That's why it is so very important for us to have these conversations with honesty and integrity, and for all of us to participate. That's why it's so very important for us to share our hopes and dreams and even – maybe especially – those things that scare us. It's important for us to be able to name everyone who because of who they are might feel excluded from God's love and care, and to strive to create a safe place of welcome here for them.
God loves you. No matter what. Let's spread the good news!
See you on The Way,
Brad