Posted on 11/03/2005 9:42:47 PM PST by kaehurowing
United Methodist bishops affirm church membership open to all
November 3rd, 2005 at 9:59 pm
By Tim Tanton*
LAKE JUNALUSKA, N.C. (UMNS) - Homosexuality is not a barrier to membership in the United Methodist Church, the denomination’s bishops said Nov. 2, two days after the church’s top court supported a pastor’s refusal to allow a gay man to join.
“While pastors have the responsibility to discern readiness for membership, homosexuality is not a barrier,” the bishops said in their pastoral letter to the people of the United Methodist Church.
In a ruling announced Oct. 31, the Judicial Council supported the Rev. Ed Johnson of South Hill (Va.) United Methodist Church in his decision not to allow a gay man to join his congregation. The man was a choir member and had been meeting with Johnson about transferring membership from another denomination.
Johnson was placed on a yearlong involuntary leave of absence by fellow pastors during the clergy session of the Virginia Annual (regional) Conference last June. The Judicial Council upheld Johnson’s action, citing the authority given to clergy by the church’s Book of Discipline. The court ordered that the pastor be reinstated to his previous status.
The ripple effect of the court’s decision was felt immediately in Lake Junaluska, where the Council of Bishops is holding its weeklong fall meeting. The council spent at least four hours in closed session working on a statement responding to the ruling.
“With the Social Principles of the United Methodist Church, we affirm ‘that God’s grace is available to all, and we will seek to live together in Christian community,’” the bishops said, quoting from the Social Principles in the Book of Discipline. “‘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 also affirm our Wesleyan practice that pastors are accountable to the bishop, superintendent and the clergy on matters of ministry and membership,” the bishops said.
The Council of Bishops unanimously adopted the pastoral letter in closed session.
The announcement of the court’s ruling caused “considerable conversation within the council,” said Bishop Janice Riggle Huie, who led the seven-bishop writing team that worked on the statement. Huie oversees the church’s Texas Annual (regional) Conference.
Many of the bishops had received calls and e-mail from pastors and lay people in their conferences who were “greatly troubled” by the ruling and were asking for clarification, she told United Methodist News Service.
“We wanted our response to be thoughtful, prayerful and to speak to the church,” she said.
As the bishops worked on the statement, it became clear that there was unity within the council regarding the membership of gays in the United Methodist Church, she said. “I don’t think it’s going too far to say the council is of one mind that gay and lesbian people can be members of the United Methodist Church.”
The Book of Discipline affirms homosexuals as people “of sacred worth.” It also holds the practice of homosexuality incompatible with Christian teaching, and it bars the performance of same-sex unions by the church’s clergy and in the church’s sanctuaries.
During oral hearings before the Judicial Council Oct. 27, the Rev. Tom Thomas of Virginia, speaking for Johnson, argued that the pastor “drew the line not at the homosexual person but at homosexual practice.” Johnson, who was at the hearing, did not address the court.
Virginia Bishop Charlene Kammerer defended the suspension of Johnson, stating that the Constitution emphasizes inclusiveness and not exclusiveness, and that only allowing participation in the church “amounts to second-class citizenship.”
In their pastoral letter, the bishops said they “uphold and affirm” that the church’s top legislative body, the General Conference, “has clearly spoken through the denomination’s Constitution on inclusiveness and justice for all as it relates to church membership.”
The bishops cited the Constitution’s declaration that all people shall be eligible to attend the church’s worship services, participate in its programs, receive the sacraments, be admitted as baptized members, “and upon taking the vows declaring the Christian faith, become professing members in any local church in the connection.”
“The invitation that this (Judicial Council) ruling gives to all of us is to think carefully about the meaning of United Methodist membership,” said Bishop Peter Weaver, president of the council and leader of the church’s New England Conference.
The ruling provides an opportunity “to think about how we are inclusive of persons who are in our communities and how we make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world,” he said. Making disciples is a theme of the bishops’ fall meeting and their focus for 2005-08. Weaver noted that earlier on Nov. 2, the council had heard a major presentation on evangelism by a Duke Divinity School theologian.
Regarding a pastor’s authority to make decisions about membership, Weaver said: “The local pastor does have authority, but it’s in the context of the theology and values of the United Methodist Church.”
The bishops will discuss other possible responses to the ruling as their meeting continues, he said. The meeting, which began Oct. 30, ends Nov. 4.
Weaver is already responding in his own New England Conference by setting up four regional opportunities for Christian conversation about the Judicial Council ruling.
The Council of Bishops comprises the top clergy leaders in the nearly 11 million-member United Methodist Church. The council has 69 active bishops and about 100 retired bishops from the United States, Africa, Europe and the Philippines.
*Tanton is managing editor for United Methodist News Service.
News media contact: Tim Tanton, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.
The full text of the letter follows.
A Pastoral Letter to the People of The United Methodist Church From the Council of Bishops
By grace you have been saved through faith.
-Ephesians 2:8
Grace to you from Jesus Christ who calls his church to welcome all people into the community of faith as it proclaims the Gospel.
The Judicial Council, our denomination’s highest judicial authority, recently issued a decision regarding a pastor’s refusing a gay man’s request for membership in the church. In the case, this man was invited to join the choir at the United Methodist Church in the community. As he became more active in the choir and the church, he asked to transfer his membership from another denomination to The United Methodist Church. Because he is a practicing homosexual, the pastor refused to receive him into church membership. The Judicial Council upheld the pastor’s refusal of membership.
While pastors have the responsibility to discern readiness for membership, homosexuality is not a barrier. With the Social Principles of The United Methodist Church we affirm: “that 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.” (Para. 161g, 2004 Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church)
We also affirm our Wesleyan practice that pastors are accountable to the bishop, superintendent, and the clergy on matters of ministry and membership.
The United Methodist Church is committed to making disciples of Jesus Christ with all people. We, the bishops of the Church, uphold and affirm that the General Conference has clearly spoken through the denomination’s Constitution on inclusiveness and justice for all as it relates to church membership:
“The United Methodist Church acknowledges that all persons are of sacred worth. All persons without regard to race, color, national origin, status, or economic condition, shall be eligible to attend its worship services, participate in its programs, receive the sacraments, upon baptism be admitted as baptized members, and upon taking the vows declaring the Christian faith, become professing members in any local church in the connection.” (Article IV, Constitution of The United Methodist Church)
We believe the ministry of the local church, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, is to help people accept and confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. We call upon all United Methodist pastors and laity to make every congregation a community of hospitality.
Nov. 2, 2005
Lake Junaluska, N.C.
Born a Methodist and now a (backslidden) Baptist. The Methodists haven't done much since they became "United" with the World Council of Churches. I figure giving birth to the Pentecostals was pretty traumatic. All in good humor, folks.
We see a trend here of denominations that are filled with rot -- confessing the rot in their beings.
I'm kind of inclined to belive the opposite -- that the church of this day has lost its way -- and has little or no understanding of the Gospels much less the bible. Instead of knowing God beleivers have chained their salvation to these corupt denominations beleiving that the Catholic church can save them that Martin Luther and his teachings can save them John Calvin and his teachings can saved them or Menno Simons and his teachings can saved them.
When in fact none of these died for their sins and purchased their souls through redemption.
It would sort of be like following Ted Kennedy, Robert Byrd and Harry Reid to gain American citizen-ship None of them are trying to lead people to the constitution, or making people become good citizens instead they seek to make their disciples the two fold children of hell that they are. -- And in denomination after denomination in fundamentalist evangelical and pentecostal circles we see this same two-fold child principal being worked out on almost a daily basis in articles posted on FR.
and when thse things occur do these people and their followers repent? No never they stiffen their necks and harden their hearts and resist entrenching themselves even further into these church and denominations. Sounds oddly like some verses in the book of Revelation about plagues the beast and people not repenting.
You do know I was being sarcastic? But I have heard similar sentiments, that the Bible is out of touch with modern society. It amazes me.
I am also amazed that a church would change its' policy and allow practicing gays become ministers. I am pretty sure Jesus mentioned churches that take this path.
When I attended college at SMU, at least half the theology students were openly homosexual. The United Methodist Church has essentially been operating under a don't-ask-don't-tell policy for the last 25 years when it comes to the clergy.
26If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, 27but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. 28Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30For we know him who said, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," and again, "The Lord will judge his people." 31It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Hebrews 10
We may all be sinners, but those who practice homosexuality are deliberately sinning.
Homosexual Agenda Ping.
I spoke too soon. Bad news after all.
Freepmail me and DirtyHarryY2K if you want on/off this pinglist.
I was there 15 years ago and lived in the theology school's dorm due to spacing issues elsewhere. Nothing like walking into the dorm hall bathroom and repeatedly interrupting homosexual activities. I moved out as soon as other space became available.
UMC's Board of Ordained Ministry may have a different policy than SMU on homosexuality. SMU had a gay student's association officially recognized by the university. By the early or mid-90s, I believe it was receiving its cut of student activity fees like College Republicans, Young Democrats, etc.
If UMC doesn't condone homosexuality amongs its clergy, one has to wonder why the screening doesn't occur as part of the admissions process to its theology schools?
Your post says it all.
Now why can't the open living in sin but it who I am and who cares what a private organizations policy is I want my may selfish people who want leadership positions simply understand it.
"United Methodist bishops affirm church membership open to all"
I guess Satan is now free to join the United Methodist Church, if he isn't there already.
That was a sacastic but powerful observation.
Incidentally many people say in sarcasm, and in jest, things that they really mean. -- only they shroud it in sarcasm and or jest to blunt the edge of an otherwise hard hitting truth.
Rush does that a lot.
I had no idea that Methodists had "Bishops."
I'm not trying to knock UMC. I'm just stating what I saw at SMU among the theology students. They might be the exception to the rule. For instance, married students were less likely to live in the dorm. I do know that when I lived there, there was plenty of homo hanky panky going on, it was out in the open, and certainly was not condemned by the school. From what I saw, the only programs that had more homosexuals at the time were the arts and music programs. No surprise there.
Aren't they PRO-CHOICE?
Dwindling membership forces United Methodists to Throw Open The Front Door while even a greater number leave by the back door.
They don't believe in Satan, or much else related to Christianity.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.