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By Ann Craig
Rev. Gil Caldwell, historic civil rights leader in the UMC, pointed out recently that conservative, and sometimes progressive, United Methodists have used LGBTQ issues as a smoke screen and a distraction from racial issues. Rev. Caldwell urges us to learn and remember our history. I want to reflect on this history as a white woman who works to be anti-racist and works against homophobia.
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This is big! But it still has to be presented to the General Conference in May, 2020, in Minneapolis, and approved. Watch for legislation to come from Annual Conferences in either regular session or special session.
Related stories: Washington Post, Jan 3; New York Times, Jan. 3; UMNews, Dec. 16; Press release, Aug. 19; UMNews, July 29.
Press Release; Protocol text (PDF); FAQ
Diverse leaders’ group offers separation plan
By Sam Hodges
Jan. 3, 2020 | UM News article
A diverse, 16-member group of United Methodist bishops and other leaders has offered a proposal that would preserve The United Methodist Church while allowing traditionalist-minded congregations to form a new denomination. The separating group would get $25 million in United Methodist funds and would keep its local church properties.
Details are in a 9-page “Protocol of Reconciliation & Grace Through Separation,” released January 3 along with an FAQ and press release.
Read more: Breakthrough: A Mediated Agreement Allows Traditionalists $25M To Leave
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The Love Your Neighbor Coalition is producing a daily newsletter at GC19, and distributing it only electronically, via e-mail and websites. So if you want timely updates from us, send us your e-mail address. See the "Donate" block on the right. Otherwise, you can check the LYNC website, LYNCoalition.org for the daily newsletters and ours at UMAffirm.org.
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By Rev. Kennedy Mwita, UMC District Superintendent in Kenya & Conference Statistician
Introduction: Rev. Kennedy Mwita will attend GC2019 and Affirmation members and friends are invited to a reception on February 23 in St. Louis. Exact time and place will be announced on Facebook. Here is his story:
Born in 1975, I am the first in a family of six children from the Moheto Village in Migori County, Kenya. I am married to Francisca Elnora Mwandau and we are blessed with four children. I studied computer science at Nakuru Institute of technology, i studies General Agriculture, Livestock and Marketing at Puwani University. I taught in high school, studied Divinity at Africa University-Zimbabwe. I was ordained an elder in full connection in 2013.
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By Israel Alvaran
I am speaking as a person in exile from my country, the Philippines. The Philippines is my home, not just a central conference. Home is very important to me. I live in San Francisco but I only use the word “home” for my home country. Sometimes I cannot even say I am going back “home” when I return to San Francisco.
The church is my spiritual home. Yes it is an institution and I do not want to preserve an institution that is harmful, but I see the church as a gay man and a clergy person as home and it shapes my advocacy. People continue to be harmed but no one is going to force me out of my church home. I am at home in the United Methodist Church, not because someone said so, but because of my baptism. My baptism makes me part of this community. Unfortunately, people in the church have not always fulfilled the promise of unconditional love.