A call for unity

My dad sent me an article by two United Methodist pastors in North Carolina. They make a plea for unity because they don't want to see the denomination split over homosexuality. As part of that they call for everyone to follow the Book of Discipline the rule book of the church.

To our opponents they say that the issue will be at the forefront of General Conference for a while, so when it changes the Book for more equitable treatment of sexual minorities, you must follow that, in the same way you demand we follow what is there now.

To us they say in the same way we must follow what the Book says now (including bans on same-sex weddings) and work for it to be changed in an orderly way.

While I like the idea of telling our opponents who demand our compliance now that they must comply later, I don't buy the second point.

As I saw when I attended a General Conference two years ago in Tampa, the denomination has a very large African delegation and they're not going to allow change soon – not in 2016 and probably not in 2020. The American part of the denomination can't wait that long. Those growing up in the denomination now don't want a church that discriminates against their friends. Delaying a welcoming church will drive them away.

So how do we lessen Africa's influence? There are proposals being prepared for the 2016 General Conference to do just that. But without our open rebellion and defiance there won't be the urgency to pass such proposals. We will prove to American conservatives they have two choices – split from the Africans or split the denomination.

First Sunday Programs in July and August

There will be no First Sunday programs in July and August. In previous years the attendance was too low to be worthwhile. See you in September!

Refrocked!

Frank Schaefer, the United Methodist pastor who was defrocked last fall, has been reinstated. That action was taken by a Committee on Appeals for the Northeast region. Schaefer and his defense team had asked for the appeal. The appeals committee did not say anything about the guilty verdict, but said the punishment – defrocking – was too severe because it was based on what Schaefer might do (perform another same-sex wedding) not on what he had done. The proper punishment was a 30 day suspension, which the committee declared has already been served. He is now owed back-pay.

Bishop Peggy Johnson of Eastern Pennsylvania will return Schaefer to a church in her area. She probably cannot return him to his previous church. Schaefer also has an offer to work under a bishop in California.

This case could be appealed to the denomination's Judicial Council. So far, no one has said such an appeal will happen.

Conservatives are annoyed and say this strengthens the call for a denominational split.

Talk of a denominational split

The United Methodist News Service has a couple articles of interest posted to the news section of the denomination's website. The first is about the book Finding Our Way, Love and Law in The United Methodist Church edited by Neil Alexander and retired Bishop Rueben Job. The book is about what the denomination should do with the issue of homosexuality and the "incompatible with Christian teaching" phrase in the Book of Discipline. The editors handed out related topics to a diverse group of eight active and retired bishops across the world, including Bishop Melvin Talbert, who performed a same-sex marriage back in October, and Bishop John Yambasu of Sierra Leone in Africa. The good news: none of the eight bishops is calling for the denomination to split.

However, beyond that the opinions vary widely. For example, Yambasu wrote:

Just as God instructed the Israelites to pass on the Ten Commandments from one generation to another, so the church in Africa has passed on this teaching from generation to generation. For us now to be told by the church in the United States that what we were taught in the Bible is not true could be traumatizing to African Christians.

Alas, keeping the current teachings is traumatic to gay Africans. I'm well aware, however, this speaks to a view of the Bible as unchangeable, that teachings are (and supposed to be) the same through history because God doesn't change.

Yambasu continues, denouncing "any attempt by the church or by individuals to perpetuate any form of discrimination or hate against homosexual or heterosexual brothers and sisters."

From the news article:

Fort Worth (Texas) Area Bishop J. Michael Lowry writes that those who disobey church law on homosexuality are practicing a form of “unintended colonialism,” overruling the represented convictions of United Methodists outside the United States.

I'm not quite sure what he means by that. I think he means we in America are trying to impose our view of sexual minorities on Africans, and that is not a good thing. Alas, to me it comes across as branding progressives with colonialism while conservatives want to keep doing the same to us.

Lowry doesn't want a split, but he does call for a reorganization.

Perhaps the form will be more of confederation than a connection. Perhaps our order admits and permits regional differences in doctrine. Perhaps we have no option other than to "trust God" even as we struggle.

Bishop Talbert wrote that the Bible should not be used "to dehumanize or demonize anyone." He added:

The Bible is our book, too. Through the Bible we experience the liberating and redeeming love and grace of God, which embraces all humanity and creation — excluding none from the distribution of God’s grace.

Even with these calls to avoid a split, editors Job and Alexander acknowledge a split remains a possibility.

The second article examines all of the things that have happened recently that have fueled talk of a split and elevated stress levels.

On May 7 a group of more than 50 United Methodist pastors from the San Antonio area called for a split. On May 22 a group of 80 pastors from "traditionalist" churches (Texas? nationwide?) also called for a split. While they say the issue of homosexuality is the deciding factor, the need for the split goes much deeper and reaches into many areas of theology, such as whether the Bible is the infallible word of God.

In April, Good News the unofficial conservative group within the denomination said the "widespread disregard" for the Book of Discipline and the lack of enforcement (lack of trials) makes the denomination "untenable."

Talbert's disregard for church law happened last October and a complaint was filed, but nothing appears to have happened since.

Rev. Thomas Ogletree officiated at his gay son's wedding and instead of punishment there was "just resolution." Bishop Martin McLee, presiding over Ogletree, called for no more trials. McLee also dismissed charges against Rev. Sara Thompson Tweedy. She is in a lesbian relationship, which is banned by current church rules. Pastors in Washington state received only a 24-hour suspension for officiating at same-sex weddings.

In contrast, Bishop Scott Jones of the Great Plains Area declared that if 100 of his pastors perform same-sex unions there will be 100 trials.

Frank Schaefer was defrocked, and while he waits for his appeal to be heard, he is traveling the country declaring support for changing church law.

More than 15 conferences (regions), such as California-Nevada Conference, the Western Jurisdiction (covering the western states), and individual churches have passed declarations saying they cannot follow current church law. First United Methodist Church of Oneonta, NY announced it will withhold apportionments (payments to the conference) until discriminatory language is removed from the Book of Discipline. The group Love Prevails has called for members to give their offering to LGBT advocacy groups rather than local churches.

At the end of the book mentioned at the top of this post, Bishop Job has three recommendations for what to do between now and the next General Conference in 2016. One of them is to have a moratorium on both same-sex unions and church trials. I profoundly disagree with that suggestion and see it as both unjust and as handing a win to conservatives. I'm also confident in saying such a moratorium ain't gonna happen.

First Sunday Program, June 1

The June program will discuss the press conference last week in which 50 clergy declared their support for marriage equality. Our speaker will be Rev. Beth Rakestraw of the Metropolitan Community Church. We may also have a legal advisor to discuss Michigan's marriage equality case before the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Our schedule will be a bit different this month. Our gathering time for fellowship and refreshment is at 7:00. However, our program will be at 7:15 and will be in the parlor (where refreshments are served). All of this is in Nardin Park United Methodist Church, 29887 W. Eleven Mile Rd., Farmington Hills. That's just west of Middlebelt.

Report of Frank Schaefer's visit to Ann Arbor

I was in Ann Arbor yesterday to hear Frank Schaefer speak. He is the United Methodist pastor who was defrocked last fall. Though much of his story was told in the news, it is good to hear it from his perspective. The event was recorded and should be posted to YouTube sometime soon. Here is my summary of the evening.

Frank opened with scripture. I think it is from 1 John. There is no fear in love. Perfect love casts out fear.

When Frank's son Tim was young the father took the son to Annual Conference in eastern Pennsylvania. At that session there was a huge and contentious debate about how to treat gay people in the denomination. At the time Tim was beginning to realize he is gay and hearing all that hate speech (as Frank now calls it) from the church was devastating to the young boy.

Sometime later Frank got an anonymous call saying Tim was suicidal. Frank and his wife had no clue. They quickly assured their son he was loved, no matter what.

By 2007 Tim grew up, went to college, fell in love, and asked his father to officiate at his wedding to Bobby. Frank immediately said yes, first out of love for his son and second because Tim would have been crushed by a second big rejection.

But Frank was conflicted. He knew he had violated church law. He had warned the bishop and district superintendent what he was doing and got no response from them. But Frank also wanted to keep his job. He had a family to feed and three more kids to get through college.

So Frank never mentioned the wedding to his congregation. He never pushed gay issues, though he did talk about inclusion. His wife pushed him to do more, but he needed to protect his job. He regrets his timidity now.

Even the talk of generic inclusion and general progressiveness annoyed the conservative members of his church. So when he welcomed a lesbian couple to the church there was open dissent. Someone found out about the forbidden wedding and filed a complaint with the bishop. Frank said it was the son of a conservative couple who was in the military and who Frank saw only once a year. "Nothing personal," the man said.

There was mediation. A lot of conservatives were initially on his side. He did it for his son, after all. But that support was given with the assumption Frank would express a bit of remorse and ask for forgiveness. Frank didn't do that. Many initial supporters turned their backs. On to a trial.

Frank knows the Book of Discipline is quite conflicted in what it says about sexual minorities. He was annoyed that he was not allowed to balance the good parts against the bad. At least not directly. He and his legal team devised a story comparing the incident to the Good Samaritan parable with Tim cast as the victim at the side of the road. Through the story Frank made the points he wanted to make.

But the lawyer for the church was a fire-and-brimstone speaker and told the jury if they didn't convict they also would face Hell. During this Frank's many supporters, wearing rainbow stoles, stood in protest. Frank was convicted. He thought he had prepared himself for that, but was still devastated.

The second day of the trial was to determine punishment. This time Frank could call witnesses. One was an eloquent champion of social justice. Another was a scholar of the Book of Discipline. The last was Tim, who poured out his pain at hearing all that hate speech as a young boy. The audience was moved to tears. The jury chatted during the testimony.

During the lunch break Frank spent time alone in prayer. He was still fearful of losing his job and being unable to support his family. He and his legal team had prepared a finely crafted response allowing Frank to walk an ambiguous line. But then he realized a few things. First, the church had to stop its bullying. Second, Jesus had given up everything and was unjustly accused while Frank was only asked to give up his job. Third, he could draw strength from all those rainbow stoles. This was a moment of perfect love.

So he gave a different closing statement, calling on the church to end its hate speech. He put on his own rainbow stole. He could see the church lawyer thinking, "Gotcha!" The lawyer asked Frank directly -- will you pledge to never do another same-sex wedding? Frank said he could not make that pledge. With that his job was over. And with that Frank finally felt free.

Frank's summary: The official church defrocked me. The Reconciling Church refrocked me.

Since the trial he has been warmly embraced by the Reconciling Movement and has not lacked for money or work. Gays and allies are hungry for Frank's message. A bishop in California has offered Frank a job being a pastor of a local church. They're still working out details, though Frank expects to start working there in July. Until then his schedule is packed with speaking engagements.

Don't hesitate to stand for love.

Then came a Q & A session. Here is some of what Frank said:

Even if the denomination splits, we need to talk to LGBT youth in conservative congregations.

There is no bridge between progressives and conservatives through theology. That bridge will come through personal and emotional connection.

Frank is for religious freedom. If a congregation does not want to perform same-sex ceremonies, they should not be forced into doing them. But those who want to do them should be allowed.

How do we make the Book of Discipline not be a problem? By putting people above the book, by going back to John Wesley's primary rule of do no harm, by recognizing the Discipline isn't the highest authority.

Every congregation should be asking: Why is our message no longer meaningful to young adults?

What can laity do? Prod your congregation to declare itself to be Reconciling. Put up a booth at the area pride festival because people want to know where they can be safe in worship.

First Sunday Worship, May 4

This month we will be having a worship service. The speaker will be Rev. Rick Peacock, known to many of us for his work on social justice and with Methodist Federation for Social Action.

Gathering time is at 7:00 with the service at 7:30. We will be at our usual location in the chapel and nearby parlor of Nardin Park United Methodist Church, 29887 W. Eleven Mile Rd., Farmington Hills. That's just west of Middlebelt.