Pastoral Ponderings–New Wineskins?
I recently walked into a Veterans organization to ask a few questions—and for an organization that, like many churches, has long been having a decline in seeing newer, younger faces (and in that context, mine is still a younger face!), you would think they would be eager to see and welcome a stranger stopping by. But it felt much more like an almost hostile environment, as if I was invading some secret ritual (like drinking at a bar??).
Contrast that experience to what I heard of from our currently running United Methodist General Conference dealing with several very contentious decisions. One of our denomination’s leading pastors, who was giving video updates of the proceedings, said “This Conference is different, it’s special, there’s such a sense of joy and hope” filling the air of the 800 some delegates from around the world—in contrast to the past 8 such conferences he had been a part of across almost 40 years. Our Bishop’s brief message echoes that same sense.
Among other things, he was reporting last night that a legislative committee’s much-anticipated work pertaining to LGBTQ issues would be going to the full vote this morning that could reverse the past fifty years of restrictive language pertaining to many of God’s children. He pointed out with his collection of Methodist “Disciplines” (the book containing official UM rules and policy) going all the way back to 1808–spanning more than 150 years of dramatic growth in the denomination–that our Methodist policies never had any restrictive language about gender issues until 1972. It was in that year that our United Methodist policies changed to include restrictive language pertaining to gender issues—which also roughly corresponds to when the denomination (along with many others) started showing significant and consistent patterns of decline.
The first part of that official vote happened this morning, with some 93% of delegates from around the world in favor of removing restrictions on ordination, and allowing for (though not requiring of any church nor pastor) marriage and full inclusion of church members identifying as being in the LGBTQ+ world.
Many of us, including Karol and I, know, love, and care deeply for persons and family members falling under this umbrella—have you ever thought of these loved ones as less loved by God? I doubt it! Please remind ALL of God’s children, that we are ALL welcome at Christ’s table, and welcome to fully be a part of the life of our churches.
Keep being a blessing to all God’s family—Pastor Jim
Bishop Malone’s less than 4 minute update– https://vimeo.com/941746069
UM News article with more detail– https://www.umnews.org/en/news/40-year-ban-on-gay-clergy-struck-down