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April 29, 1998
Following its meeting in Minneapolis April 24 through 26, the national council of Affirmation, United Methodism's caucus supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered (LGBT) concerns, has sent greetings to the denomination's Council of Bishops. The brief message* acknowledges a shared "struggle to discern how to remain faithful witnesses to God's love... in the present circumstances." The Affirmation leaders also prayed that the bishops would be guided by the Holy Spirit to "lead and nurture a church in which all God's people are truly welcome and all pastors continue to shepherd all one hundred of the flock."
Affirmation spokesperson Morris Floyd said, "With God's help, our bishops can lead us through this challenging time for the denomination. We welcome their effort to find a path all United Methodists can walk together, despite important differences in understanding God's will."
"Furthermore," Floyd said, "we continue to be troubled by those who apparently think that United Methodism needs to be defined by the imposition of one theological creed on all and a punitive approach to dissent. This is not the United Methodist way. John Wesley emphasized the Great Commandment as our most important guide and affirmed diversity in theological opinions. Respect of difference in belief has long been a mark of Methodism."
Floyd said believes that United Methodists "ultimately will accept the decisions of some clergy to celebrate covenant services for same-gender couples." He pointed out that over 150 clergy signers of the "Statement of Commitment"** have concluded that they should participate in covenant services after prayerful reflection on many factors, including Scripture, tradition, reason, experience, and even the United Methodist Discipline. He called on the bishops to consider the testimonies of the signers, available on Affirmation's web site at http://www.umaffirm.org/soc/. New testimonies are being posted regularly as they are received from the signers.
The Rev. David Lull, of the New York Annual Conference, for example, observes, "You cannot have it both ways: Either everyone is fully invited into the life of the church, including all of its rites and ministries, or they are not. Denying gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgendered persons access to the church's rites that bless loving relationships between two persons committed to life-long fidelity to each other does not welcome them fully into the life of the church."
The Rev. John Auer of the California-Nevada Annual Conference says that the challenge to be willing to respond to the pastoral needs of lesbian and gay couples for covenant services, "coincides gracefully with the 30th anniversary of my call to seminary. That call became my call to confession of Jesus Christ to be my personal Savior and Lord (whom I name also Liberator and Leader of my life) as a 25 year-old seminary student kneeling for confirmation on the hard wooden floor of a tiny urban church of mixed and joyful followers of Jesus, called Parish of the Holy Covenant in Chicago." With Julie, his wife of 30 years, Auer affirms, "We are so thankful for the Christ who says, 'Let the children come, let ALL the children come,' and for the Spirit who just keeps on leading us into covenants of many kinds with one another, covenants simply unkeepable by the letter of any law."
According to the Rev. Susan Ross of the Oklahoma Annual Conference, "the statement disallowing holy unions in the Discipline contradicts, I believe, other disciplinary (and biblical!) mandates, and certainly the thread of reconciliation and hospitality that runs through the scriptures and through our UM tradition. That's why I signed the Statement of Commitment. I do not take lightly the idea of standing "over against" the Discipline, even if it is standing over against a part of the traditionally non-binding Social Principles. But I have also not felt this strongly a call to take an action in a long while. It is simply what I must do. The Staff-Parish Committee of our congregation knows I have signed, and they have read the Statement. I have received from them only supportive response. They may not agree with me, but they support me, and I am blessed by their care."
Finally, Robert Millner Adams of the Wisconsin conference says: "If my denomination accepts liturgies blessing buildings, animals, ball parks, and church closures, I think it appropriate to bless covenants between persons who love each other and are making a lifetime commitment to each other. Such commitments are a rare gift.I do not feel defiant about all of this. I just feel it is time to stand, as an expression of my lifetime commitment to Jesus of Nazareth and the One who is bringing us all into being. I pray daily for the unity of God's people in the Spirit that was in Jesus Christ."
*Complete text of the Affirmation greeting to the United Methodist Council of Bishops:
"The national council of Affirmation has been in session in Minneapolis, Minnesota these last few days. With you, we struggle to discern how to remain faithful witnesses to God's love in Christ Jesus in the present circumstances.
"We pray that the Holy Spirit will continue to guide and inspire your deliberations in the coming days, that you may lead and nurture a church in which all God's people are truly welcome and all pastors continue to shepherd all one hundred of the flock."
**Complete Text of Statement of Commitment
We, the undersigned clergy of The United Methodist Church, have watched for many years as General Conference actions have added increasingly condemnatory and exclusionary language to The Book of Discipline concerning the full participation of gay and lesbian persons in our denomination. The 1996 General Conference added the words, "Ceremonies that celebrate homosexual unions shall not be conducted by our ministers and shall not be conducted in our churches," (paragraph 65.C) to the Social Principles of the church.
We understand the Social Principles to be instructive and legally non-binding. Nevertheless, we recognize the directive tone of this addition and make public our opposition to it by declaring that we will not be bound by it.
We reaffirm the statement contained within the "In All Things Charity" document, "To withhold rituals of support and accountability for committed relationships is unconscionable. The standards for preparation and celebration of [covenantal unions] with same-gendered couples should be the same as for weddings of heterosexual couples."
As an independent voice of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer people, Affirmation radically reclaims the compassionate and transforming gospel of Jesus Christ by relentlessly pursuing full inclusion in the Church as we journey with the Spirit in creating God's beloved community. We affirm a Gospel of respect, love, justice and mercy for all. Affirmation is an activist, all-volunteer, not-for-profit organization with no official ties to The United Methodist Church.
Copyright © 1998-2007 Affirmation: United Methodists for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Concerns.