We're Queer and We're Here in the UMC



Well, it's annual conference time again. Annual conference is the yearly (obviously) gathering of representatives, clergy and laity, from all United Methodist churches in regional conclaves called, confusingly, Annual Conferences. The annual conference is a time to celebrate ministry, ordain and commission new pastors, review budgets and do business, and set the direction of the conference for the future. During this time, my Twitter and Facebook feeds are abuzz with tweets and postings from many different conferences around the country. Most are of the self-congratulatory "rah, rah" type - "this worship is soooo inspiring", "wow, our Bishop really understands us", "we are doing such great work in the world." Rarer, however, are comments and reflections on how our church is failing in its mission to love the world, especially by letting down a large and growing percentage of our congregation who are LGBTQ and their allies.

 It breaks my heart that more people aren't angry about this. I mean really, righteously angry. In most Annual Conferences, people seeking ordination are forced to choose between God's call and being honest about who they are and who they love. Seriously, I can't even imagine having to make that decision - about having to LIE - in order to follow a path that God has so clearly set me upon. This can't be right. How could our loving, gracious God put such a flame in our hearts if pursuing it meant denying our own personhood? God couldn't. God wouldn't. The official policy of the UMC is wrong. Period. End of story. 

 At the 2016 General Conference, which is held every four years and brings together representatives of all global Annual Conferences, a decision was made to form a commission, called A Way Forward, to do a complete examination and possible revision of every paragraph of the Book of Discipline concerning human sexuality and explore options for resolving the conflicts regarding ordination and same-sex marriages. They will talk, and discuss, and listen, and propose, and be very, very earnest, but nothing will come of it. The global church is just too entrenched. Opinions are just too hardened. 

 In the past couple days, two stories have come out of two very different Annual Conferences that have caught my attention. One upsets me, the other gives me hope. 

 First, the reporting of the "resolution" of charges against Rev. Anna Blaedel by the Iowa Annual Conference for officiating at a same-sex wedding. I put quote marks on "resolution" because it isn't one. Nothing has been resolved, except that Rev. Blaedel gets to keep her clergy credentials for a couple more years and the Annual Conference gets to look as though they did something. 

 In short, all parties agree to disagree. Charges are dropped, but the Iowa Conference "urges United Methodist clergy to refrain from officiating at same-gender weddings" and "desires to avoid further Cabinet-initiated or conference-initiated complaints and trials regarding United Methodist clergy officiating same-gender weddings" until A Way Forward finishes its work. So they will wait, and wait, and wait. And in the meantime, LGBTQ people will be marginalized, their love denied and the calls questioned.  You can read the full text here: http://iaumc-email.brtapp.com/files/communications/170605%20just-resolution-final.pdf

The second story comes out of the Northern Illinois Conference and hits very close to home for me. This past Sunday, M. Barclay was commissioned as a deacon in the UMC. This is the last step in the process toward becoming fully ordained. What is remarkable about M's commissioning is that they are the first openly non-binary trans person to be commissioned in the United Methodist Church. And, what makes it personal, is that M is a member of my home church here in Austin, University United Methodist. They (M has chosen the pronouns they, them and theirs) began their journey here but were denied entry into the ordination process by the Rio Texas Annual Conference (then the Southwest Texas Annual Conference). M moved to Illinois in order to have a chance at continuing in their call. According to all who know them, M is an effective minister of the gospel and bears abundant fruit, which I thought was the criteria that John Wesley set for his ministers, not their sexuality. The Northern Illinois Annual Conference has been bold in this action. It remains to be seen whether this action will have any repercussions in the wider church. I applaud this brave step toward full inclusion and wish M great success in their ministry. Read M's thoughtful reflection here: https://www.rmnetwork.org/newrmn/queer-trans-deacon-getting/

 So I suppose there is hope. In Christ there is always hope. Hope is what gets us up in the morning and keeps us going. Hope is what leads people to take courageous stands. I have a tendency to get discouraged and frustrated. I have been so tempted just to throw up my hands and turn in my United Methodist clergy credentials and seek a church that is more inclusive. And yet, I know that the UM church is doing good in the world. It has its flaws and sins, like all human institutions. And without brave people like M and others who have come out as LGBTQ, as well as the 844 congregations of the Reconciling Ministries Network who are fighting for change, there is no hope for change. So, I guess I will, for now, err on the side of hope. I will hang in, hold tight, continue to voice my opinions and break church laws if I need to, in order to love. To paraphrase Jesus, love God and love each other, there is no greater law than these. Not even the United Methodist Book of Discipline. 










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