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July 17, 2000
United Methodists in the Western states say they will continue working for full participation of sexual minorities in the life of the church, despite votes by the denomination's top legislative assembly regarding homosexuality.
Delegates to the July 12-15 Western Jurisdictional Conference almost unanimously approved a statement titled "We Will Not Be Silent," in which they resolved to "continue to be in ministry with all God's children and celebrate the gifts diversity brings."
"Certain actions of General Conference 2000 have caused tremendous pain for individuals and communities and have resulted in an attempt to suppress our prophetic and pastoral ministries among all people, regardless of sexual orientation," the delegates said in the statement.
The General Conference voted during its May 2-12 meeting to uphold the denomination's strictures against the practice of homosexuality. The church's Book of Discipline forbids the ordination of self-avowed, practicing homosexuals and the performance of same-sex unions in the church or by its ministers. It also declares the practice of homosexuality "incompatible with Christian teaching." The votes carried on margins of roughly 2-to-1.
"We cannot accept discrimination against gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender persons and, therefore, we will work toward their full participation at all levels in the life of the church and society," the Western Jurisdiction delegates said in their statement.
The statement, adopted July 14, was drafted by a committee that included people from all of the annual conferences (regional units) in the jurisdiction.
"I hope that this is a sign of hope for everyone whose heart is breaking," said the Rev. Sharon Rhodes-Wickett of Los Angeles during a news conference. The idea for the statement arose from a discussion between Rhodes-Wickett and the Rev. James Lawson, the renowned civil rights leader and United Methodist pastor from Los Angeles, following a July 13 episcopal address by Bishop Melvin G. Talbert.
"For me, the hope is to let folks in the church and who are no longer in the church know that just because the General Conference makes these kinds of decisions, the quest for justice is not over," Rhodes-Wickett said.
"We felt unresolved about General Conference," explained the Rev. Doug Fitch of Glide Memorial United Methodist Church in San Francisco. "We felt we had been cast aside, cast adrift by the general church in a real sense.
"We serve parishes where we have openly gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons who serve well and serve ably," Fitch said. They are affirmed in the local church, and being denied by the general church was a blow, he said.
The statement represented the deep disappointment in the Western Jurisdiction following General Conference. The West, which has about 450,700 members, is the smallest of the five U.S. jurisdictions and is viewed as being the most liberal and diverse.
"The 2000 General Conference caused us much pain in the West," said Bishop Talbert of the San Francisco Area in the episcopal address. "We lament the decision of the General Conference not to be more open on the issue of homosexuality and the matter of holy unions."
Talbert mentioned other General Conference actions not related to homosexuality. A decision regarding Judicial Council membership - which knocked a Western representative off the court - was "unbelievable," he said. "The change of the formula for how delegates are chosen for General Conference caused further marginalization in the West."
The General Conference delegates from the most heavily populated areas of the country effected a change in the denomination's rules that would give their areas more votes. This resulted in an increase in delegates for the largely conservative Southeastern and South Central jurisdictions.
"However, I'm hopeful," Talbert said. The General Conference did encourage parents of gays and lesbians not to abandon their children, he noted. And the West can increase its number of delegates significantly by committing itself to increasing membership by 100 percent in the next 20 years.
United Methodists in the West experienced General Conference as "an unrelenting rejection" of what they believe the church is about, Bishop Roy I. Sano of the Los Angeles Area said during a July 12 sermon at the jurisdictional conference.
He emphasized the need for talking with one another in the church, for seeing each other as children of God and ending the "demonization" of people on "the other side."
Throughout the jurisdictional conference, the delegates and bishops celebrated the diversity of the Western area and raised it up as a vision for Christ's church in the world today.
The complete text of the Western Jurisdiction's statement follows:
We of the Western Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church have heard the call of the prophet Micah "to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God." We have heard Jesus' invitation for all to come to the banquet table of God's abundant grace.
Certain actions of General Conference 2000 have caused tremendous pain for individuals and communities and have resulted in an attempt to suppress our prophetic and pastoral ministries among all people, regardless of sexual orientation.
The votes may have been cast but our voices will not be silent. Our jurisdictional vision calls us to be "a home for all God's people, gathered around a table of reconciliation and transformation."1 Affirming the statement of United Methodists of Color for a Fully Inclusive Church, "We acknowledge that there may be differences of opinion among us, but this does not require that we wait on justice."2 We cannot accept discrimination against gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender persons and, therefore, we will work toward their full participation at all levels in the life of the church and society. Valuing the voices of those who disagree, we will continue to be in dialogue as we journey together in creative tension. We will continue to be in ministry with all God's children and celebrate the gifts diversity brings. We will continue to feast at table with all God's children.
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.
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