United Methodist leaders soon will decide how members of the LGBTQ community may fit in the church.
A special session of the United Methodist General Conference will take place Feb. 23-26 in St. Louis. Leaders will decide at the conference “whether, how and which churches within United Methodism will allow openly gay clergy and same-sex marriage rites, and whether homosexuality is ‘incompatible with Christian teaching,’” according to religionnews.com.
The session follows an official letter from the United Methodist Church Council of Bishops published Dec. 28 apologizing to the global LGBTQ community about how they’ve been treated by the church. The letter was met with praise and backlash.
“Demeaning and dehumanizing comments and attacks on LGBTQ persons in conversations related to the upcoming February Conference are a great tragedy and do violence to hearts, minds and spirits,” the council’s letter reads. “When you suffer, the whole body of Christ suffers. Together, we need to work to resist hate, violence, and oppression of persons.”
Addison Saviers, religion sophomore, said she supports the Council of Bishops publicizing the letter.
“This is now an issue we’re having to address in 2019 because no one wants to talk about it, so the fact that the United Methodist Council of Bishops would be willing to talk about it and take a stance on it is a really big thing, because, currently, no one as big as them has done so,” she said.
The debate about LGTBQ clergy, membership and weddings has been happening for years.
“I’m taking a UMC studies course, and I didn’t realize how long we’ve been putting off this kind of decision,” said Madison Waller, religion sophomore. “That was kind of sad, but I’m also proud of the United Methodist Church for taking this step because I’m excited to see how it will affect United Methodism and Christianity as well. I’m hoping it will encourage other denominations to take that step forward.”
Dr. Charles Neff, vice president for university-church relations, said the letter hopefully will pave the way for how the LGBTQ community will be treated in the future.
Neff said the conflict within the church comes from two stances in the domination: that all persons are persons of sacred worth and are permitted to be full participants in the life of the church, but also whether homosexuality is compatible with Christian teachings.
“This has mainly come into play on the side of clergy. Clergy are not allowed at this point to be self-avowed homosexuals, and they’re not allowed to perform same-sex unions in the church,” Neff said.
Much of the pushback surrounding the issue began after the 2015 Supreme Court decision to legalize gay marriage, said the Rev. Elizabeth Horton-Ware, director of religious life.
“This has prompted people who have that same theological view to step forward and say, ‘if the government will honor it, there’s no reason for us not to.’ There’re also people who say, ‘just because the government honors it, doesn’t mean that’s who we need to be as a church,’” Horton-Ware said.
The United Methodist Church has seen a large national cultural shift in matters related to LGBTQ, particularly in western regions, Neff said.
“Our western jurisdiction, which is basically Colorado and everything west, is really pushing the issue. In 2016 they elected an openly lesbian bishop of Colorado. That has raised concerns in other parts of the country,” he said.
More than 99 different proposals were submitted to the United Methodist general conference as possible plans regarding this issue, but three main proposals are being considered, Horton-Ware said.
The One Church Plan:
This plan keeps the Methodist Church united, but allows each congregation and pastor to decide for themselves regarding sexuality and their level of inclusion in the church.
The Traditionalist Plan:
This plan strengthens existing language regarding sexuality in the Book of Discipline, the official book of law and doctrines for the United Methodist Church, and enforces penalties related to clergy who perform same-sex unions or churches who host same-sex weddings.
The Connectional Church Plan:
This plan allows the Methodist Church to split into three categories: progressive, centrist and traditional, each of which will have a different stance on sexuality.
The One Church Plan is the primary recommendation from the United Methodist Church Council of Bishops. But bishops from around the United States and the rest of the world have spoken out in favor of other plans.
The session will bring together a diverse group of Methodists, Neff said.
“This is a worldwide gathering. It’s United Methodists from America, Africa, Asia, South America, and Europe. It’s a variety of theological positions and opinions,” Neff said.
Saviers said many students from the United Methodist studies class in the Wimberly School of Religion will attend the general conference. Both she and Waller said they support the One Church Plan.
“The One Church Plan gives people an opportunity to express their theological beliefs,” Waller said. “We’re not really pushing anyone out of the church that way, we’re letting them decide for themselves. Hopefully, maybe in the future, we’ll be able to make it even more inclusive, but I think for right now this is the best option.”
Waller said the people she surrounds herself with are accepting of the LGTBQ community, but she recognizes that Oklahoma, as a conservative state, might not be as accepting.
“The core of United Methodism is very progressive, and a lot of people just don’t really see that in United Methodism. It’s like they joined the denomination blindly, almost, not really knowing that United Methodism tries to move with the times,” Waller said.
It’s possible officials at the conference won’t reach a decision, in which case they will have to meet again later, Saviers said.
“Some churches are LGBTQ-affirming, some are not,” she said. “You can’t really push anyone out of the Church, because that’s against the first affirming thing of what we stand for, is that everyone is a child of God.”
Neff and Horton-Ware said they don’t know which plan will be chosen.
“It’s hard to say at this point what the results will be. Each of the plans brings with it a different scenario or possibility,” Neff said. “I think some churches and clergy will ultimately decide not to remain in connection with the UMC as a result. Chances are, regardless of which one passes, the church will go through a transformation in the coming years, and we’ll find ways to navigate through those changes as clergy, as churches, as a university, as an annual conference.”
John Vick, religion junior, said, regardless of the decision, United Methodists will uphold the values of the Church.
“While I don’t know what decisions will be made at General Conference, I do know that the people called Methodists will continue to love God, love others and make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world,” Vick said.
Neff said he and Horton-Ware will work with the community through any changes in the coming months.
“We will help to facilitate dialogue to work through whatever decisions are made, recognizing that OCU has its own ethos, its own wonderful spirit and traditions, and that those will be honored and cherished regardless of the results,” he said.
Horton-Ware said she and other officials at OCU will continue to accept the LGBTQ community.
“I know that each individual who is part of our community is a blessed and beloved child of God. The participation of students who identify within the LGBTQ community adds to our community richness,” she said. “We are a diverse theological community with members of the LGBTQ community participating fully. My expectation is that I will continue to lead in that way.”
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