Is the United Methodist Church About To Demand All Congregations Accept Non-Celibate Gays?
In 2005, the Rev. Ed Johnson, who was then a senior pastor at South Hill United Methodist Church in Virginia, refused to let a sexually active gay man to join the congregation. Yes, the right to even sit in the pews — not conduct the sermon. Looking back on it, neighboring churches have the sads.
So they’ve asked the United Methodist Church’s highest court, the Judicial Council, to reconsider the decision, which it will do in October at its annual meeting. If it says Johnson was wrong five years ago, the Council will be ruling against itself; at the time it said the local pastors have the power to decide who can join the church.
Like the Episcopal and Lutheran churches, United Methodist is in the middle of its own split about the gays. Join us in October when we reveal the exciting results at the live finale!
this ought to be interesting
Important to note is that there are a number of “reconciling churches” in the UMC which have been campaigning on this for years, as well as making inclusion a part of their mission statement. Looking forward to seeing how this goes, but the UMC as a whole isn’t likely to approve…
If we’re gonna get all Old Testament here shoudn’t all the non virgins be banned from the pews also??????
I find it hard to understand how a Christian church can in good conscience exclude anyone from its services. Perhaps the local pastor could exclude someone from being a member of the church (form being buried in the churchyard, etc.), but I can’t see how he could keep that person from attending services.
Christ ministered to sinners: those are the people whose souls you’d be wanting to save, aren’t they? So if the pastor considers a sexually active homosexual, ipso facto, to be a sinner, who is he to deny the sanctifying grace of the Word and Christian community?
Ugh. I wish these people would get their ideology straight.
The rainbow church graphic is from the First United Methodist Church of Palo Alto, California. The church really flies rainbow flags out front. It has been a “welcoming and reconciling church” since 2000. http://www.firstpaloalto.com/
@PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS: What about the adulterers?
@Kevin (New Jersey, US): I believe, despite Queerty’s wording, that the case WAS about membership rather than attendance.
I grew up in UMC, my parents are still members, and my mother is on the board of the local church. It is truly sad. The denomination flatly refuses to minister to gay people, or to allow gay people to help in the ministry. We are basically not welcome to do anything other than sit in a pew and give money.
My mother claims their church welcomes gay people. But, it is not a “reconciling” church. The last time I visited, I asked their pastor about it. He visibly withdrew.
As long as gay people are not welcome as couples or as ministers, we are not really welcome in those churches. They want the money, but not the whole person.
I grew up in a “Christian” church, not first Christian the one that is more conservative. I did not go to Church for years because my upbringing taught me I was going to hell anyway so my thought was why waste my time.
Now have rediscovered my Christian faith and I attend a Church that accepts me as a gay Christian.
I thank God for the United Methodist congregation I have joined. I am proud to say I am a gay Methodist. While no congregation is perfect and not all Methodist churches are as open and accepting as the one I go to I feel the Methodist church is the best fit for me to grow in wholeness and holiness.