The future is uncertain for the LGBTQ community in the United Methodist Church.
The United Methodist Church, which is the second-largest Protestant denomination in the United States, voted to maintain its traditional stance on the LGBTQ community during a Feb. 26 special session of the United Methodist General Conference in St. Louis.
The Traditional Plan was approved by a vote of 438-384, according to apnews.com. 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 that host same-sex weddings.
The Traditional Plan was one of three primary plans considered, the other two being the One Church Plan and the Connectional Church Plan. The One Church Plan would have kept the Methodist Church united while allowing each congregation and pastor to decide for themselves regarding sexuality and their level of inclusion in the church. The Connectional Church Plan would have allowed the Methodist Church to split into three categories: progressive, centrist and traditional, each of which would have had a different stance on sexuality.
KC Curry, religion junior, said students from the school of religion had to leave the conference early to return in time for classes, but they livestreamed the conference in the car.
“The presiding bishop said, ‘let the votes be put up,’” she said. “The Traditional Plan was obviously passed. The car ride was silent for quite some time.”
Jay Williams, religion junior, said, as a person who identifies within the LGBTQ community, he feels torn about his future.
“I’ve had conversations about leaving the Methodist Church because it doesn’t have room for people like me to serve,” he said. “But I know that if everyone leaves, we can’t make it a better place, and we can’t make it reflect God’s love the way that I see God loving everyone.”
Williams said he will continue fighting for the LGBTQ community in the church and wants those in the community to remember that many will continue to support them.
“You are beloved, you are of sacred worth, and no vote or any decision from the United Methodist Church could ever separate you from God’s love,” he said.
Curry said she identifies with the LGBTQ community, and there are many pastors in the United Methodist Church, particularly in Oklahoma City, who are affirming and inclusive.
“After seeing all the love and support on social media, especially on Twitter and from my pastors, I’m staying. I’m definitely staying and fighting and hoping that love will win one day,” she said.
A large sway in the vote came from international input from countries where non-traditional sexual identity is illegal.
“About 43 percent of the delegates were from abroad, mostly from Africa, and overwhelmingly supported the LGBT bans,” according to apnews.com.
Kendal Willis, religion sophomore, said she supports the Traditional Plan because it keeps the church together. If other plans passed, international churches would have had to leave the denomination, she said.
“We are a global church, and we want to stay a global church,” she said. “It really kept us true to our Wesleyan heritage.”
Willis said students who support the Traditional Plan want others to know they hope they can find peace with the decision and won’t give up on the church. She also said students who supported the Traditional Plan still love those who didn’t.
“Just because the plan they wanted passed doesn’t mean they love the people less,” she said. “Their hearts are with those who are sad right now.”
The United Methodist top court ruled that parts of the Traditional Plan were unconstitutional. It’s possible that the United Methodist Judicial Council could strike down the plan at the next council meeting April 23-26. Newly-appointed delegates will also vote on the plan again at the General Conference in 2020.
There are many unknowns in the church at this point, but a split is a possibility, said Dr. Charles Neff, vice president of university-church relations.
“I suspect that we’re looking at a future Methodist Church that is more of an affiliated group of Methodist Churches with a common Wesleyan heritage, one in which the global Methodist Church may be separate from the United States,” he said.
Blake Lemmons, political science/philosophy senior, is a fourth generation United Methodist pastor’s child. Lemmons said he and other allies of the LGBTQ community will continue to fight for inclusivity.
“I’m going to continue to fight to make sure they are fully included in the United Methodist Church, and my fight won’t stop until that’s changed,” he said.
Neff said he advises students who are struggling with the decision of whether to stay in the church to speak with their pastors and families to weigh the decision against their calling to ministry and whether the United Methodist church is where they want to live out that calling.
“I also believe that there is hope for the church, and I shall have hope that, coming out of 2019, it will mobilize enough people to change hearts and minds in 2020 to make the church more open and affirming to adopt something even closer to the One Church Plan,” he said.
President Martha Burger wrote a statement posted in the OCU Facebook group Feb. 26 informing students that OCU will remain committed to the United Methodist Church and will remain inclusive. Neff also posted in the group, stating that he and Dr. Elizabeth Horton-Ware, director of religious life, support full inclusion of all persons in religious life in the university.
“We want everyone, especially the LGBTQIA+ members of our OCU family, to know that we love, support, and affirm you as persons of sacred worth,” Neff wrote.
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