The Morning After

So I've been living with my grief over the work of this week's called General Conference in St. Louis and attempting to work through that grief. Thinking clearly is difficult in the midst of grief as the thinking is governed by the emotions. But here are a few of my random thoughts - just statements, not necessarily clearly developed theses.

*I am grieving because the General Conference took a stance which I believe is out of step with the spirit of Jesus. The UMC (by a small majority - only 53%) declared "homosexuality is incompatible with biblical teaching" but forgot that a critical, judgmental spirit is incompatible with the teachings of Jesus.

*That truth about a critical, judgmental spirit flows both ways. I can grieve, but if I am to be faithful to the teachings of Jesus, I dare not engage a critical, judgmental spirit toward those represented by the 53%.

*The stance taken by this General Conference regarding LGBTQ+ issues is not new. The incompatible statement was first made in The Book of Discipline in 1972. The hard, punitive line about disobedience is new as is the expressed sentiment "if you don't agree, leave. If you won't conform, get out! We don't want you!"

*Conservationism and/or fundamentalism by nature is divisive. That mindset cannot tolerate disagreement. It thrives on certainty - black and white, either-or thinking. Agreement and conformity are the basis of belonging. BTW - fundamentalism is a spirit. It exists on either end of the theological spectrum - conservative and progressive/liberal.

*This General Conference does not reflect The UMC I know and love. The UMC I love emphasizes grace, not judgment and condemnation. "Grace is central in The UMC."

*The positions taken by this General Conference are the result of careful planning and manipulating by longtime conservative elements in The UMC: the Good News movement, the Wesley Covenant Association. As a colleague in the North Texas Conference observed, we progressives want to believe the best about people so we rely on conversation (Christian conferencing) and negotiation that allows all to sit at the table. We trust the power of biblical truth to offset human nature. We trust a positive spirit will help us make progress. The conservatives chose to turn to strategies, planning, organizations, legal maneuvers, etc. out of a desire to win. They had a "battle plan" that worked.

*The conservative element in the denomination intentionally courted the African delegates and other delegates from outside the US - some 40% of the delegates. In all likelihood, based on their role in this General Conference, the African delegates will continue to grow in their power and control in the denomination.

*A mistake in the One Church Plan strategy was changing the definition of marriage to being between two adults. African delegates again and again emphasized that the Bible spoke of marriage as between a man and a woman, using Jesus' words about divorce in Matthew 19:3-9 to support this position. That change of definition of marriage offended many in the US as well as those outside the US. The One Church Plan was seeking a home run in relation to LGBTQ+ issues rather than just getting on base with a base hit. (I am aware this statement will be like sour grapes in the mouth of many progressives. The reality is progress is made in baby steps, not giant steps. Instead of progress - a home run - we struck out.)

*This General Conference does not reflect or predict the death of The UMC. It does reflect a denomination under the control of conservatives, but 47% of the delegates representing that percentage of us and more were in vocal opposition to the actions taken. I heard that 70% of the US delegates supported the One Church Plan. They represent a majority of United Methodists in the US. In 25-30 years, these stances will be reversed ... if we don't loose the young clergy and young adults and if the African constituency does not gain more power and representation. (Please do not hear my words as placing blame on the African delegates. They represent a constituency of The UMC that is significantly different in culture and theological perspective - differences with which we must come to terms.)

*I struggle with the question: do I want to be a part of a denomination that intentionally condemns and excludes a specific group in society? I have not found peace with an answer, so for now, I choose to be faithful to God's call on my life. I choose to live as a follower of Jesus, proclaiming God's grace and forgiveness, in The UMC. I choose to help The UMC be something different that what this General Conference defined us as being. I choose to love who Jesus loved, the way Jesus loved.