Posted on 05/01/2009 4:26:34 PM PDT by JoeProBono
The United Methodist Church's top court recently ruled that clergy, both active and retired, cannot perform same-sex marriages or civil unions.
Performing such services is "a chargeable offense," Bishop Beverly J. Shamana ruled last Friday. UMC's Judicial Council affirmed her decision.
The council further ruled that an annual conference, or regional body within the UMC, "may not negate, ignore, or violate provisions of the Discipline with which they disagree, even when the disagreements are based on conscientious objections to the provisions."
The council’s ruling was on a resolution passed by the California-Nevada Annual Conference last year, months after the California Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage. Along with providing pastoral ministry to same gender couples, the resolution would allow retired clergy to perform marriage ceremonies for gay and lesbian couples.
More than 80 retired United Methodist clergy from northern California had offered to conduct same-sex marriage ceremonies on behalf of clergy who cannot perform them.
They signed a covenant stating, "We must not deny ministerial services to anybody because of their sexual orientation. We will witness that United Methodists in California-Nevada Annual Conference do have Open Hearts, Open Minds, and Open Doors and we will not tolerate the exclusion of gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered people from our ministry."
More than 80 retired United Methodist clergy from northern California had offered to conduct same-sex marriage ceremonies on behalf of clergy who cannot perform them.
They signed a covenant stating, “We must not deny ministerial services to anybody because of their sexual orientation. We will witness that United Methodists in California-Nevada Annual Conference do have Open Hearts, Open Minds, and Open Doors and we will not tolerate the exclusion of gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered people from our ministry.”
I guess these gentlemen would like the Methodist Church to jump off the Epicopal cliff too.
ping
The current clergy want it to go over the cliff too. Our church, located in a town in missouri, population of about 1200, and our “preacher” would not allow any anti-abortion signs that say “choose life” in the church lawn in January because they “might offend people”, and we should tell people we are praying for them, because that might offend them. Then he says that Jesus didn’t ever offend or upset people. I told him he was an idiot.
And he obviously never read the Scriptures, where folks were all the time getting upset with Jesus over what He did and said!
I know, that was why I told him he was an idiot.
Exactly. The gospel is an offense to unbelievers as in 1 Peter 2:7-8-
‘7 So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone,” 8 and“A stone of stumbling,
and a rock of offense.”’
“Open Hearts, Open Minds, and Open Doors”
Reminds me of an excellent column former UMC-er turned Baptist Mike Adams wrote called
“Open Hearts, Open Minds, and Open Legs”
http://townhall.com/Common/PrintPage.aspx?g=79d81ff6-f108-4104-9ed8-45e7a29a5846&t=c
I so glad the family members and friends I had who were United Methodist saw the writing on the wall and left for more Biblically orthodox churches.
*snort* Some people are SO open-minded that it seems like their brains have fallen out!
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