This week, the delegates of the United Methodist Church gathered for a special General Conference. Ostensibly, the purpose of this gathering was to focus on issues of homosexuality -- particularly whether LGBTQ+ people can serve as ordained clergy and whether the church can solemnize gay weddings -- that threaten to splinter the denomination.
There are strong and contradictory attitudes in the church, as has become increasingly evident in recent years. There have been multiple efforts to adjust church laws/rules: many have been trying to remove language that explicitly prevents the solemnization of gay marriages and ordination of LGBTQ+ individuals; others have been seeking to strengthen that language by making it more explicit. In the meantime, certain pastors and entire conferences have been flouting church laws/rules with regard to LGBTQ+ individuals. Others have been encouraging church judicial procedures against people who solemnize gay weddings or LGBTQ+ who serve as ordained elders.
In the global denomination, there seems to be a roughly 55-45% split between the two camps, with the majority of people opposing the acceptance of LGBTQ+-friendly practices. In the US, though, the majority seems to favor them.
In 2016, a group of UMC bishops were charged with creating plans that could prevent the denomination from fracturing because of this split over theology and policy. Delegates to this week's special General Conference voted down their main proposal, which would have allowed more autonomy for various conferences to decide what to do. Instead, they adopted a "Traditional Plan" that "reinforces the church's bans on same-gender unions and 'self-avowed practicing' gay clergy." However, this plan is likely to be ruled unconstitutional by UMC Judicial Council, which would nullify it.
So, this week's contentious and emotionally-charged General Conference will not change the UMC Book of Discipline in any noticeable way.
However, some believe that this is a notable victory for one side over the other in the denomination. "Conservative Christians Just Retook the United Methodist Church," reads the headline of an analysis in The Atlantic.
Personally, I think this is a case where nobody really wins. And the strong desire, by people across the theological spectrum and by people with different affinities for the institutions of the United Methodist Church, to have a definitive decision creates lots of loss. Any victory would be pyrrhic.
Those who support the fuller inclusion of LGBTQ+ individuals in the life of the church, including in marriage and in active ministry, have been reminded again that a majority of their church opposes them. For many in the LGBTQ+ community, it seems like an explicit rejection. Through social media and online articles, it is obvious that this is causing deep pain, understandably. There is speculation that many of these people could leave the denomination and seek other church homes, which is a loss for them (because some may leave church altogether for a while) and for the denominational church -- and not just numerically.
On the other hand, those who backed the Traditional Plan haven't really won, either. Not only is the plan unlikely to take effect, but they haven't really "taken back" their denomination either. Some progressive Methodists may leave, but in the short term, I imagine that most of them will do what they have been doing for several years. Clergy, including bishops, will solemnize gay weddings. More ordained clergy will come out of the closet. Some conferences will ordain openly LGBTQ+ individuals to ministry; almost certainly there will be others called to be bishops in the near future. These individuals and conferences will continue to dare the larger denomination to initiate church judicial proceedings against them, and the larger denomination will mostly avoid such church trials.
And, for all those who just wish the issue would be decided and go away... it's not, and it probably won't be any time soon. Practically speaking, the United Methodist Church has simply kicked the proverbial can down the road again. Many denominations have done this recently, including the Anglican communion.
I have tough news for people on all sides of this issue. It isn't going away. It is theologically challenging, pitting two particular views of Biblical teaching against each other. The wider culture, at least in the United States, is certainly moving away from the traditional moral condemnation of homosexuality.
Even more, no vote will solve this issue or make it go away... at least, not until after the church has reached a general consensus on it. One of three things will happen, ultimately.
1. The United Methodist Church will splinter, birthing different denominations based on this issue. (Sadly, it will be reminiscent of the church splits in the US before the Civil War over the issue of slavery and the Bible's teaching on it.) This is what many believe is the most likely outcome.
2. The large, worldwide denomination will come to some sort of shared belief on the issue (which is likely in the long term, but highly doubtful in the short term).
3. The denomination will find a way to maintain some unity, but will likely continue to see numerical decline in the US and Europe. Also, the debate will take a disproportionate amount of resources, which will limit the other ministry of the church.
Personally, I think some sort of American Methodist Church will form in the next 20 years. But it will not be a victory for anyone, even if conferences and congregations are allowed to leave with their buildings and investments. Sure, the subsequent denominations will be meaner and leaner, and more unified (at least for a time). And each side will claim victory because ultimately their church will be filled with people who mostly agree. However, it will be another black eye for the denomination, which became United after the northern and southern branches merged after the Civil War, will fail to live up to the hope of their name... and Christ's hope for the church as a whole.
The more I see these church debates, the more convinced I become that when we decide that there will be winners and losers in Christ's church, somehow everyone loses.
There are strong and contradictory attitudes in the church, as has become increasingly evident in recent years. There have been multiple efforts to adjust church laws/rules: many have been trying to remove language that explicitly prevents the solemnization of gay marriages and ordination of LGBTQ+ individuals; others have been seeking to strengthen that language by making it more explicit. In the meantime, certain pastors and entire conferences have been flouting church laws/rules with regard to LGBTQ+ individuals. Others have been encouraging church judicial procedures against people who solemnize gay weddings or LGBTQ+ who serve as ordained elders.
In the global denomination, there seems to be a roughly 55-45% split between the two camps, with the majority of people opposing the acceptance of LGBTQ+-friendly practices. In the US, though, the majority seems to favor them.
In 2016, a group of UMC bishops were charged with creating plans that could prevent the denomination from fracturing because of this split over theology and policy. Delegates to this week's special General Conference voted down their main proposal, which would have allowed more autonomy for various conferences to decide what to do. Instead, they adopted a "Traditional Plan" that "reinforces the church's bans on same-gender unions and 'self-avowed practicing' gay clergy." However, this plan is likely to be ruled unconstitutional by UMC Judicial Council, which would nullify it.
So, this week's contentious and emotionally-charged General Conference will not change the UMC Book of Discipline in any noticeable way.
However, some believe that this is a notable victory for one side over the other in the denomination. "Conservative Christians Just Retook the United Methodist Church," reads the headline of an analysis in The Atlantic.
Personally, I think this is a case where nobody really wins. And the strong desire, by people across the theological spectrum and by people with different affinities for the institutions of the United Methodist Church, to have a definitive decision creates lots of loss. Any victory would be pyrrhic.
Those who support the fuller inclusion of LGBTQ+ individuals in the life of the church, including in marriage and in active ministry, have been reminded again that a majority of their church opposes them. For many in the LGBTQ+ community, it seems like an explicit rejection. Through social media and online articles, it is obvious that this is causing deep pain, understandably. There is speculation that many of these people could leave the denomination and seek other church homes, which is a loss for them (because some may leave church altogether for a while) and for the denominational church -- and not just numerically.
On the other hand, those who backed the Traditional Plan haven't really won, either. Not only is the plan unlikely to take effect, but they haven't really "taken back" their denomination either. Some progressive Methodists may leave, but in the short term, I imagine that most of them will do what they have been doing for several years. Clergy, including bishops, will solemnize gay weddings. More ordained clergy will come out of the closet. Some conferences will ordain openly LGBTQ+ individuals to ministry; almost certainly there will be others called to be bishops in the near future. These individuals and conferences will continue to dare the larger denomination to initiate church judicial proceedings against them, and the larger denomination will mostly avoid such church trials.
And, for all those who just wish the issue would be decided and go away... it's not, and it probably won't be any time soon. Practically speaking, the United Methodist Church has simply kicked the proverbial can down the road again. Many denominations have done this recently, including the Anglican communion.
I have tough news for people on all sides of this issue. It isn't going away. It is theologically challenging, pitting two particular views of Biblical teaching against each other. The wider culture, at least in the United States, is certainly moving away from the traditional moral condemnation of homosexuality.
Even more, no vote will solve this issue or make it go away... at least, not until after the church has reached a general consensus on it. One of three things will happen, ultimately.
1. The United Methodist Church will splinter, birthing different denominations based on this issue. (Sadly, it will be reminiscent of the church splits in the US before the Civil War over the issue of slavery and the Bible's teaching on it.) This is what many believe is the most likely outcome.
2. The large, worldwide denomination will come to some sort of shared belief on the issue (which is likely in the long term, but highly doubtful in the short term).
3. The denomination will find a way to maintain some unity, but will likely continue to see numerical decline in the US and Europe. Also, the debate will take a disproportionate amount of resources, which will limit the other ministry of the church.
Personally, I think some sort of American Methodist Church will form in the next 20 years. But it will not be a victory for anyone, even if conferences and congregations are allowed to leave with their buildings and investments. Sure, the subsequent denominations will be meaner and leaner, and more unified (at least for a time). And each side will claim victory because ultimately their church will be filled with people who mostly agree. However, it will be another black eye for the denomination, which became United after the northern and southern branches merged after the Civil War, will fail to live up to the hope of their name... and Christ's hope for the church as a whole.
The more I see these church debates, the more convinced I become that when we decide that there will be winners and losers in Christ's church, somehow everyone loses.
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