Many of you know that I received my theological school education at a United Methodist seminary, although I wasn’t and never have been United Methodist. It was 25 miles north of where I lived at the time. I still value the outstanding education I received there. Even more, I treasure the warmth and acceptance, the community, I found there; I belonged, with my “heretical views,” not despite them. That sense of belonging and community is one of the reasons church is so heavily about human community for me.
Through the years, I have continued to follow the affairs of that denomination with interest. Most recently, I’ve watched with concern the ongoing debate over full inclusion of LGBTQI persons in the denomination. It’s a dispute that has alternately simmered and boiled for many years. A vote at the 2004 Annual Conference was overwhelmingly in favor of remaining united, even in their disagreement. Even then, though, leaders sensed that remaining united was fast becoming untenable. At the Annual Conference in 2016, the denomination had struggled without success to reach a consensus.
The kettle pretty much boiled over after a February 2019, meeting in which the global church voted against full inclusion. There would be no ordination for openly LGBTQI persons, nor would same-sex marriages be officiated by Methodist clergy. Those who did could face removal. Seminaries and churches weighed in heavily on both sides of the issue, and a significant proportion of clergy announced their availability to officiate same-sex unions despite the ban. My seminary and many of my Methodist clergy friends were firmly in favor of full inclusion.
Legislation calling for an “amicable separation” has been submitted ahead of the denominational global gathering in 2020. The proposal would divide the historically united church in two. A significant proportion of United Methodist churches in the United States favor full inclusion, as do the laity. A strong majority of those in other parts of the world do not, and that’s where the conflict comes in. Leaders are debating a division into liberal and conservative organizations prior to the 2020 annual conference.
Although the issues are clearly different and at first glance may seem unrelated, the situation reminds me of what we’ve experienced in our own congregation, and some of the comments from United Methodist leaders ring true for me. The Reverend Keith Boyette, president of the Wesleyan Covenant Association, the conservative group, is saddened when he thinks of their division, but observes “it would be sadder to me if we remained mired in continual escalating conflict.” That situation prevents the church from focusing on being the church and living out its mission. “We’re distracted from that in many ways because we’re consumed by this conflict,” he notes.
I’ve sensed a lot of this among our members and friends. Few are celebrating Reverend Seth’s forced resignation, but most, I think, would agree the conflict that has swirled around his ministry among us has distracted us from our mission and made it hard to hold onto our vision. It has been hurtful, rancorous and divisive for everyone concerned. It feels consuming.
And it offers possibility, if we can reach out and grasp it. As one person put it of the United Methodist situation, “it’s a breaking up, yes. But it’s also a breaking open. And there’s a lot of potential there.” This, it seems to me, is our challenge: to avoid getting bogged down in the hurt, rancor and division so that we can see and realize the potential that is present underneath our pain. We must be able to say with Reverend Boyette, “We’re done fighting. Let’s find a way to release each other and go forward, and pursue the vision we each have.” Can we creatively imagine what our church will be on the other side of this pain? Can we envision a new wholeness? Reverend Seth’s resignation and eventual departure will “release” both him and us in a structural, formal sense. Can we genuinely release each other in an emotional and spiritual sense? For all of us to move forward, that must happen.
My hope for all of us is that we can come into this new year with renewed hope, renewed commitment to the well-being of our beloved community and of Reverend Seth, and to each other, for the good of all.
With Renewing Hope for a New Year,
Rev. Julia