LGBT Covenant Services, Gay Marriage & United Methodist Church Links

This page contains links to a variety of web sites. Not all links go to organizations supportive of Affirmation's values. We radically reclaim the compassionate and transforming gospel of Jesus Christ and affirm a Gospel of respect, love, justice and mercy for all.

United Methodists

• Affirmation: United Methodists for Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Concerns.
• The Confessing Movement, This movement believes that "To "bless" committed same-sex unions as if they were valid holy matrimony would be a departure from the biblical understanding of marriage. Such liaisons must not receive the Church's blessing."
• Church Within A Church Movement. Organization commit ted as disciples of Jesus Christ to full inclusion of all persons without regard to status or economic condition and celebrating race, color, national origin, sexual orientation and gender identities.
• Good News Magazine "evangelical" caucus which regards "homosexuality" as a sin.
• Here We Stand: Calling the United Methodist Church to Embody God's Love and Justice
  Church leaders call on the United Methodist Church to "embody God's love" by ending discrimination against homosexual persons and reversing alarming Judicial Council decisions of October 2005.
• Methodist Federation for Social Action. MFSA unites activists within the United Methodist Church to take action on issues of justice, peace and liberation in the church, nation and world.
• Judicial Council Decisions The Judicial Council is the highest judicial body or "court" of The United Methodist Church.
• Methodist Students for an All Inclusive Church (MOSAIC). Comprised of young United Methodists, MOSAIC's mission is to hold The United Methodist Church to be the fully inclusive body of Christ..
• The Parents Reconciling Network. PRN's purpose is to present a visible witness of parents in support of ending the The United Methodist Church's anti-homosexual stance and providing their homosexual children the same rights as heterosexual United Methodists.
• Reconciling Ministries Clergy. RMC seeks to lead The United Methodist Church to a deeper level of spiritual and theological integrity in relationship to persons of all sexual orientations and gender identities and their full inclusion in all aspects of the church's life.
• Reconciling Ministries Network, a national grassroots organization that exists to enable full participation of people of all sexual orientations and gender identities in the life of The United Methodist Church, both in policy and practice.
• Transforming Congregations, regards "homosexuality" as a sin.
• United Methodist Key Links.
• United Methodists of Color for a Fully Inclusive Church. UMOC was founded in 2000, at a historic gathering of United Methodist people of color.
• United Methodist News Service, official UM news service
• United Methodist Reporter, independent UM newspaper
• Unofficial Confessing Movement News Page adds news regularly. Tends to be more extreme than official Confessing Movement.

United Methodist Theology and Doctrine

• Catholic Spirit, a Sermon by John Wesley.
• Doctrinal Standards and General Rules, including the Articles of Religion.
• 144 Sermons by John Wesley.
• A Caution Against Bigotry, a Sermon by John Wesley.
• Explanatory Notes by John Wesley (commentary on the Bible) .
• Finishing the Journey: Questions and Answers from United Methodists of Conviction
  As the rhetoric swirls today around the issue of homosexuality and the church, here is a guide where people of faith can turn to make their own way toward discernment. The writers are 15 vital United Methodist voices, most of whom are ministers and theologians. The publisher is Northaven United Methodist Church, a reconciling congregation in Dallas, Texas..
• Gay Marriage Resources, Reconciling Ministries Network.
• Guidelines for Civility in The United Methodist Church from Christian Unity document adopted in 1998.
• In Search of Unity Full text Christian unity document adopted in 1998 (except Appendix A).
• John Wesley and Religious Bigotry.
• On Fasting, a Sermon by John Wesley.
• On Schism, a Sermon by John Wesley.
• Our Theological Task.
• The United Methodist Social Principles.
• Spiritual Resources on Affirmation's Web .
• The Wesleys and Their Times and John Wesley: Holiness of Heart and Life, loads of material including all of John Wesley's sermons. Use the search engine to check out Wesley on the "means of grace," "orthodoxy," and his resounding emphasis on holiness of heart and life-- living out love of God, neighbor, and self.

Ecumenical or Interfaith (Include United Methodists)

• The Interfaith Working Group They say, "Our mission is to inform the public of the diversity of religious opinion on social issues where it is not widely recognized by providing a voice and a forum for religious organizations, congregations and clergy in the Philadelphia area who support gay rights, reproductive freedom, and the separation of church and state.".
• Partners Task Force for Gay & Lesbian Couples The web site has more than 150 documents on committed relationships. It focuses on legal marriage..