The international United Methodist Church held a special session General Conference last week in St. Louis, Mo. The intended purpose of this conference was to find a way forward for the denomination on the issue of human sexuality. Like the culture at large, the United Methodist Church (UMC) is divided on how to handle same sex marriage and the inclusion of LGBTQ+ clergy in ordained ministry.
Rairdon
“Our hope was to find a compromise that would provide for contextualization of ministry for each local church and conference given their cultural situation,” said Jerry Rairdon, Lead Pastor at Noblesville First United Methodist Church.
No such compromise was found. Instead a plan was approved with a majority vote of 53 percent that keeps in place the current restrictions that appear in the denomination’s Book of Discipline.
“The plan contains a number of enforcement provisions which the UMC Judicial Council has ruled unconstitutional,” Rairdon said, “so at this time we have a plan approved which is both hurtful to the LGBTQ+ community and unenforceable by the church. We recognize that some may be relieved because these rules back their understanding of scripture, but we encourage everyone to show compassion towards the hurt this causes for LGBTQ+ persons of faith and people who desire a more inclusive church. I believe this General Conference has created a new resolve for persons who see this issue from differing perspectives, and these groups are meeting now to discuss their place in the future of the United Methodist Church. We will monitor these developments and keep our congregation and the community informed along the way. Together, we will find a way forward that is appropriate for our community.”
Rairdon added, “Noblesville First United Methodist Church has a vital and growing mission to this community, and we will not let events we cannot control stop us from the important work of feeding the hungry, housing the homeless, encouraging the hopeless and offering the love of Jesus Christ to all persons, with no exceptions!”