May 4, 2006
The United Methodist Church never ceases to surprise me, from the "Open Minds, Open Hearts, Open Doors" public relations campaign to our constant willingness to reach deep in our pockets for mission and disasters. The most recent Judicial Council decision not to reconsider its earlier ruling to allow a pastor to deny church membership to LGBT Christians is, well, amazing.
The majority on the Judicial Council, who imply they represent the majority of United Methodists, insist they are following the letter of the law and that it's time to put the matter to the rest. Amazing. The law wins over the gospel. The majority decides for the minority. Somehow, I don't think this is put to rest.
What has been put to rest by the latest decision is what big picture the "Majority" of the Judicial Council is operating under. They seem to be so fearful of non-heterosexuals in the church that they are willing to go against the very core of Christianity and the Methodist movement.
Meanwhile, our brothers and sisters in the United Church of Christ have been trying to run advertising to show that not all churches are narrow minded, exclusive, judgmental and puritanical, as the media tends to show. The UCC commercials show a sanctuary full of people, then unexpectedly a mother with a crying baby are flung up in the air by an "ejection" pew, followed by a gay couple, a single man, a person in a walker, and then person after person. The commercial ends with "God Doesn't Reject People." What a powerful message - a message that secular media have rejected by and large because it's viewed as too controversial.
And yet here in the UMC, the people who brought us "Open Minds, Open Hearts, Open Doors", the denomination's ultimate authority, the Judicial Council, has mandated closed minds, closed hearts, and closed doors.
The decision of the Judicial Council was not unanimous. There were four voices of dissent. Click here to view source The fact there is dissent and truth-telling on the Judicial Council, and by the grace of God, allows me to stay in the UMC.
The organization for which I am a national co-spokesperson, Affirmation: United Methodists for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Concerns, continues to witness, act and testify to the lives and ministries of LGBT United Methodists. We believe that the latest Judicial Council ruling makes clear the level of fear and intolerance in The United Methodist Church. The Judicial Council apparently now allows pastors to deny membership to LGBT people, but it is not much of a prophecy to declare that God will rise up LGBT children born of Heterosexual members. The UMC can continue to eject us, but God doesn't reject us.
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The Rev. Ken Rowe is a clergy member of the Minnesota Annual Conference and is co-spokesperson for National Affirmation. Located in San Francisco, he is on the steering committee for United Genders of the Universe and is community co-chair of the city's anti-syphilis campaign.
For more information on Affirmation, http://www.umaffirm.org, email umaffirmation@yahoo.com or post letters to Affirmation, P.O. Box 1021, Evanston, IL 60204.