As noted previously, the UMC Council of Bishops had recommended that the denomination adopt a One Church Plan with regards to LGBTQ members, leaders, and family. In a nut-shell, local conferences would be allowed the option of allowing same-sex weddings and LGBTQ ordination. Or they could maintain the current practice of barring such things.
But it was clear pretty early during GS 2019 that the traditionalists were not going to allow the One Church Plan or anything resembling LGBTQ affirmation. The Traditional Plan -- after lots and lots of testimony -- ended up getting approved by a majority of the GS 2019 delegates. Much of the Traditional Plan was deemed unconstitutional, but that didn't stop them from voting on it. But same-sex weddings won't be allowed in any UMC church or property. Ordination of LGBTQ clergy will be forbidden. Conference and churches will need to regularly affirm the anti-gay portions of the UMC's Book of Discipline. If they don't for any reason, then they will be forbidden from using the denomination's name, logo, or funds. Clergy who are found guilty of officiating at same-sex weddings will be sentenced to mandatory strict punishments for their offenses. And don't even attempt to get ordained if you are part of the LGBTQ communities!
I honestly don't know where things go from here. I know that Methodist churches like my home church will be discussing it this weekend. I've been told that the United Methodist Church is still a great place of worship for LGBTQ people. But it really doesn't feel that way.
Frankly, I'm surprised that I'm as bummed by this week's general conference as I am. I grew up in the UMC. I was confirmed in the UMC. I worshiped there for two decades. I still worship there when I go home to visit family. I left the UMC because of its anti-gay policies and joined the UCC, largely because I just wanted to raise my family in a denomination that had already finished debating LGBTQ inclusion.
But I found myself watching GS 2019's livestream for large chunks of time and following the conversation's on Twitter. I still feel Methodist and I guess part of me wished for a chance to return to the denomination of my birth someday. Plus, there's something very depressing and dehumanizing about watching people as they coldly rationalize why people and families like me should be cut out of the community.
So the final vote in favor of the Traditional Plan -- while expected -- really did hit me harder than I ever expected.
It didn't help that one of my aunts -- my father's sister -- posted a link to a Religion News article about the UMC's Traditional Plan vote. In the comments, she wrote "Love the sinner, not the sin. Romans 1:26-28." Frankly, I expected better from her. She was the first of my family outside of my mother to show any interest or affection towards our son when he first came to live with us. Husband mark and I have gone out of our way to maintain relationship with her and her husband. I honestly didn't expect that type of response from her of all people.
Her response really gutted me this week. I ended up posting one of those awful "public notice to all my friends and family" posts on Facebook, telling everyone how messed up it is when they spout of the "love the sinner, hate the sin" claptrap. I pointed out that their sin is my family and my husband and is sacred and special. And then I removed the post a few hours later, but not before the aunt in question saw it and apologized. It's not that I regret communicating the message. I'm just embarrassed how I communicated it.
Here are a few final things that stuck in my heart this week following the United Methodist Church's 2019 General Conference...
* Jeffrey "JJ" Warren, a queer delegate from Upper New York, gave one of the most rousing speeches for LGBTQ inclusion of the entire long weekend. You can see his passion here (along with the rousing cheers afterwards), but here are the words:
Good afternoon, Chair. My named is JJ Warren from the beautiful Upper New York Conference and I am a lay reserve delegate. I want to speak for this motion because I think there are subtleties that can slip through, that we may not be aware are unconstitutional. And for me and the younger generation that is the church now among you and who want to be the church together with you for the future as well, we desire a church that seeks the justice of God. A church that doesn't waste its money on a conference and come out with no decision because it was unconstitutional. The pain that would happen from this crucifixion of putting the nails in our Methodist Church. The pain of this death might be worth a resurrection but I'd like to see first if that can happen together without being called unconstitutional with whatever we decide. So I support this motion to put this before the Judicial Council so that we together can make a decision for the church. Hopefully one that ensures that wherever we are, the United Methodist Church continues and allows people to feel their calling that God has put on their heart no matter whom they love. So that is my support.
And as someone who has grown up in our church, as someone who is gay and goes to the least religious college in the U.S., my evangelism on campus has grown. We have brought people to Jesus because they have not heard this message before. They didn't know that God could love them because their churches said God didn't. And so if we can be a church which brings Jesus to people who are told they can't be loved, that's what I want our church to be and that's the Methodist Church that I love and I want to be a pastor in one day. I want to be a pastor in the Methodist Church because I love our tradition! I love all of you! We are the church together! This is the body of Christ and we are stronger together than we are apart! And no plan to separate us can unite us like God's love! We are the church! We are God's children! Let us be the church together!* It occurred to me several times that several clergy identified as queer (or gay, or lesbian, or whatever) on the livestream. Given that the Traditional Plan passed, should we expect all of those individuals to be hauled up on charges of violating the UMC Book of Discipline for being self-avowed homosexuals? More than a few traditional Twitter folks confirmed that each and every one of those clergy should indeed to charged and defrocked. And more than a few progressive Twitter folks floated the question of whether the UMC would survive a death of a thousand court cases.
* It still amuses me and horrifies me that there is such a thing a church court within the United Methodist Church.