Dear First Church Friends,
The United Methodist Church will soon hold an important meeting, called the General Conference, where delegates from around the world will discuss, debate, and possibly decide our denomination’s stance and practice on two issues related to human sexuality…
- Will we maintain our current stance on the ordination of pastors, which does NOT allow for the ordination of LGBTQ persons, or will we change and allow it?
- Will we maintain our current stance on marriage, which does NOT allow our pastors to perform same-gender weddings, or will we change and allow it?
That likely sounds fairly straight forward, and, you may have an opinion about the right answers. But, these questions have deeply divided our church for decades. Furthermore, because we are a global church, with a global structure, representing a wide-range of theological perspectives and values, these two questions are not as easy as voting “yes” or “no.”
Some believe it is a time for change, and for full-inclusion for all people.
Some believe there should be flexibility, allowing different churches, pastors, and regions to adopt different practices.
Some believe it is time for the denomination to formally divide, or to allow those who cannot agree with our current or future practices to leave.
And, there are numerous nuances and possibilities within each of those perspectives!
Suffice it to say, the upcoming General Conference MIGHT vote to make changes to make our denomination more inclusive of LGBTQ persons OR to maintain our current stances and practices, while increasing accountability. Or, the General Conference may not agree to make any decision at all.
The General Conference will be held February 23-26, 2019, in St. Louis, Missouri. If you are interested in watching the General Conference, a live-feed will be available at
http://www.umc.org/who-we-are/general-conference-2019-live-video-stream-english
. If you would like to learn more about the General Conference, go to
http://www.umc.org/topics/general-conference-2019-special-session
. Also, our Bishop, Ken Carter, has prepared an excellent list of resources related to this topic and the General Conference, at
https://www.flumc.org/blogdetail/bishop-ken-carter-shares-resources-reflections-12746179
. If you are interested, I encourage you to look at each of these.
Also, I’m confident this will be reported by the major news outlets and on social media. Based on the past, I can’t promise the reports will be entirely accurate. In fact, I’m sure there will be misreporting, hyperbole and errors. So, please, don’t believe everything you hear on the news or around the water cooler. I promise I will share updates on my social media accounts, and that I will let you know if any formal decisions are made. If you are confused or curious, and have a specific question, email me at vance@welovefirst.church, and I will try to answer your question as honestly and accurately as possible.
One final word. While this is an important conversation, with potentially significant impact on our denomination, NO decision will impact First Church in the near future. Any change that is approved will take years to implement. In the meantime, the work of First Church will continue. NOTHING will happen to your church without your full awareness, and opportunities to become informed and ask questions.
For now, will you pray for the General Conference, the delegates who will be attending, and the United Methodist Church? Whatever happens, or not, in these upcoming days, may God lead us, protect us, and guide us into greater fruitfulness for his Kingdom! And, may First Church continue to be the great church it has been for the last 50 years, and for the next 50 to come!
