Shaking the Dust
On February 25th, United Methodist delegates to our General Conference Special Session voted to preserve the status quo of our Book of Discipline's current bans on ordaining LGBTQ clergy and officiating at or hosting same-sex marriages. While I am not surprised, I am deeply disappointed. There was strong support for a plan (called the One Church Plan) that would not force any pastor or church to perform same-sex marriages, nor did it force anyone to change what they believe about the Bible, but would allow individual conferences to decide if they would ordain LGBTQ pastors, as well as allowing churches to host and pastors to officiate at same-sex marriages. In other words, instead of allowing for theological differences around 4-5 verses in the Bible (the only references to homosexuality found in the Bible, and two of those are disputed as to whether they refer to homosexuality at all), the theological and political right wing of the church muscled its way to force its interpretation upon the entire United Methodist Church and its members.
I believe it is time to organize a Progressive Methodist Church, or to join with fellow-hearted folks in a Progressive Christian Alliance, and boldly proclaim and live according to a faith of personal and social transformation. I believe there is a very particular reason that the early Gospel writers put in all those stories about the Pharisees and other religious leaders opposing Jesus and his pointed rebuke of them (Matthew 12:33-37; 15:1-9; all of chapter 23). It is a warning to all who follow Jesus that small-hearted legalists in every age will find ways to preserve the status quo of power-and-domination politics and authoritarianism. In the quest for an ordered, disciplined way of life, the people called Methodists have forgotten that order serves the goal of being perfected in love, not being perfected in submissive obedience to a rule book that is the product of political maneuvering.
In our discussion of General Conference, it needs to be pointed out that this was the culmination of the efforts of the Institute on Religion and Democracy for the past 40+ years. They have targeted the mainline denominations for years, specifically around LGBTQ+ issues as a means to assert a right-wing politically-defined and motivated takeover of denominations that in the 60s began to work together to create a better society. Funded by extremely deep-pocketed donors, they funded the Good News movement in the UMC, and helped orchestrate the smackdown of the Southern Baptist Convention. (Bill Moyers did a splendid exposé about 30 years ago.) They have formed Conservative "Gospel" organizations within the UCC, Disciples of Christ, and they helped orchestrate the heresy trials of Lutheran professors at Concordia Seminary. I attended Yale Divinity School with the daughter of one of the "heretical" professors, and heard about it from a first-hand perspective. The Missouri Synod swung permanently to the right wing as a result. This movement is allied (same backers, same money) with the movement represented by Karl Rove and Newt Gingrich that engaged in creating the Conservative Newspeak that equated "liberal" with everything bad, and transformed the GOP into a right-wing, racist, white supremacist-loving political cabal catering to the whims of the very, very wealthy. It is a program that has been carefully planned and skillfully executed. We also have a president that is the pinnacle of this forty-year plan. This reality needs to be named. We struggle against powers and principalities that are embodied in very real human beings and policies and publications. (Walter Wink's Powers trilogy informs my thoughts on this point.)
The right wing will not be satisfied with compromises. There is no meeting ground. They insist upon all others meeting them only on their own territory, and under the terms they define. But by their fruits we know them. Not all who cry "Lord, Lord," will inhabit the Realm of Heaven. They have made friends by way of unrighteous mammon, and therein their hearts reside. It is time to leave their territories and shake the dust from our feet.
Craig and others, With you and a few million others, I am quite discouraged with the actions of GC. I do not claim to know what the near future will bring, but I can guess. The UMC has informally split, and the split will continue to grow for decades, if not a century or so.
ReplyDeleteIn that splitting process, many things will happen. Family parents and siblings will continue to turn against one another. Congregations will split, and new congregations will spring up across the street from each other.
There will be bishops of variant denominations sharing office spaces.
ALL Methodist groups will continue to wrestle with the issue of gender identity, and none will do a superior job of walking hand in hand with Christ and with one another.
This is all incredible sad, Some folks have lobbied for years to split the UMC, based on purely religious superstition which is the same basis on which racism survives. Some have built up their own seminaries, accepting teachers and students and administrators purely on the basis of their decision to shut many of God's People.
I am embarrassed by this move. I can see no good coming out of this. And I do not know what I shall do. In the big scheme, that part does not matter. I have even given some thought to opening an email campaign inviting everyone to transfer to a new denomination. Call it Methodism. Or to invite Conferences to come along entire. Or to simply transfer my membership to one of the Methodist denominations around the world which seems welcome variant gender identities without question. Maybe the AME. Or one of the African groups. The AME is most likely..
Anyway, the hope I live with is that Methodist groups will get over this deep sin, and move toward marching hand in hand with each other,, and with Christ.
Indeed, Karl. The image that is coming to mind is that of an old car finally giving up the ghost. When the vehicle you are driving is worn out, it's time to get a new one. Any denomination is simply a vehicle to bring people into a deeper relationship with God, and a deeper understanding of themselves and what it means to be human. When a denomination loses that focus, it's time to change vehicles. What matters is the journey, and our companions on that journey.
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