Pastor Craig's ConSpiritu Blog

PROGRESS  Noun: a forward or onward movement (as to an objective or to a goal) : ADVANCE 3: gradual betterment especially  : the progressive development of humankind; and the verb: : to move forward : PROCEED 2: to develop to a higher, better, or more advanced stage. ( Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary) In a previous post, I stated that it is time to talk about becoming a Progressive United Methodist Church. I am ambivalent about starting yet another denomination or setting up yet another institution that will need to do all the self-preservation things that institutions do. But I do know that it is important to talk about what it means to be Progressive as Methodists and as Christians. Given the definition of Progress above, it should be clear that to speak of “Progressive Christianity” should be redundant. The fact that we have to use “progressive” as a qualifier of “Christianity” gives witness to the fact that all too often, a Christian veneer has been placed...

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 ...