The Messenger
June 9, 2014 Volume XXIV, No. 6 Nationalchurch.org
Reflections on the Past and Moving Forward by Kerm Towler
This past year or so has been a banner year on the issue of LGBTQ issues. Not all good but not all bad. AND THE
Rev. Chris Holmes Begins June 15!
Join Rev. Chris Holmes (son of former Senior Pastor Rev. Dr. William Holmes) as he leads a preaching series on Spirituality and the Arts. On Wednesday evenings, join us for hands-on programs that will reflect the theme of the previous Sunday’s sermon. These are intended to be intergenerational and interactive, and will include the creation of a mural of creation on moveable panels. No artistic skills are required. All are welcome! June 15 Spirituality and the Arts June 22 Art and Sacred Design June 29 The Art of Movement July 6 The Art of Pottery
The political side has seen great strides. The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was repealed and the many tax and other benefits laws at the federal level were made to a whole bunch of people who went without previously. Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT) was struck down which allows military members to be themselves. On the other side, states are enacting legislation legalizing discrimination based on religious freedom. On the religious front, it is even more of a mixed bag. It seems like not a week goes by on my Reconciling Ministries Network Face Book feed that some church or other group is declaring itself to be a reconciling ministry. Our “legal beagle” team of Don Crane, Ned Bachman and Nate Kline produced a very good primer on the issue of clergy trials, which was given to the Reconciling Ministries Network for their use. Copies are available at nationalchurch.org/ stop or at the Reconciling table Sunday mornings. I am grateful to them for their fine work. The other side is that clergy were/are being prosecuted and formal complaints have been filed for others. Frank Schaffer’s trial in Pennsylvania put a national face on the issue. Tom Ogletree’s trial in New York resulted in a decision not to hold a trial but, instead, to hold a holy conversation around the matter, with Rev. Ogletree providing perspective. And proof that God has a sense of humor, a plucky young “self-avowed” lesbian was twice removed from the ordination track in Texas and twice appealed her case to the Judicial Council to be restored to the process. The Judicial Council agreed with her, despite being a bastion of conservative thought, on grounds that the local conference violated the Book of Discipline procedures. There are two more trials on the docket. One is a bishop-who authored the “incompatible with Christianity” clause of the book of Discipline-and now has become the face of the Biblical Obedience campaign after performing the marriage ceremony of two men. Another is in Texas involving a United Methodist Minister who married two men. In other parts of the country, UM clergy are working on the issue as part of a network but have to do so “under the radar” due to local and ecclesiastical hostility. On a more local level, our Reconciling committee introduced legislation to the Annual Conference imploring them to stop the trials and it was affirmed. Other congregations are introducing legislation as well. Read more about the results below. Clearly, we have come a long ways on the journey and have a long ways to go. What can you do? • Become a Reconciling United Methodist. Numbers count. Go to rmn.org for more information or contact Suzanne Forsyth, SuzanneForsyth@aol.com, Ellen Bachman, ellenbachman@comcast.net or Kerm Towler, flautobasso@yahoo.com. • Write the Bishops to support the full inclusion of LGBTQ folks in the life and ministries of the Conference. Go to nationalchurch.org/stop to find a list of Bishops and their addresses. • Join us in October for a concert under the direction of international organist, Dr. Eileen Guenther. More information to follow.
Report on 2014 Annual Conference: 5 Resolutions in Favor of LGBTQ Inclusion Passed
The Baltimore-Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church (BWCUMC) met in Baltimore, Maryland for its 230th annual session May 29 to 31. More than 1500 delegates from 640 congregations in Maryland, District of Columbia and West Virginia gathered for worship, prayer, and support of the local and global work of the United Methodist Church. The delegation from The Metropolitan Church included Kate Murphey Payton, Janet Craswell, Phil Potter, Jim Pollock, Donald Crane, Julian Blair and Ellen Bachman. The conference theme, Building Bridges of Love, was undergirded by Bishop Matthew’s inspiring sermon in the opening worship service, and by reflections on the story of the Good Samaritan, as we sought greater understanding of how we may serve as neighbors. (Continued on page 5)