United Methodists Meeting this Week-end

The second largest Protestant denomination meets this week-end to decide the future when it comes to homosexual relationships.  Right now, the official policy of the United Methodist Church is that "homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching.”  But on the ground, individual churches have adopted different approaches.

I don't envy the folks who are meeting this week-end to try to come to some sort of consensus/compromise.  No matter what happens, there will be angry, angry outcomes.

I know this truth because of what happened in my own Lutheran expression, the ELCA.  In 2009, I thought the compromise was admirable, even though I wanted a less wishy-washy outcome.  Essentially, ELCA pastors can now be in committed same-sex relationships, but individual churches can choose not to call them.  Similarly, the ELCA will not condemn same-sex relationships, but individual churches don't have to host same-sex weddings or be welcoming in less obvious ways.

The UMC group meeting this week-end will choose from 3 possible outcomes, according to this article in The Washington Post.  The first option will be something similar to the ELCA option:  "One of the proposed plans, endorsed by the UMC’s Council of Bishops, would remove that language from the church’s law book and leave decisions about same-sex marriage and ordination of LGBT clergy up to regional bodies. This proposal, called the One Church Plan, would open up many options for those who support the LGBT-inclusive practices, but it would not compel individual churches or clergy to engage in those practices."

Another option would be to stick to the traditional teaching and to be stricter about enforcing the anti-homosexual stance.

But there's a third option:  "A third option would create three branches of the church reflecting the different approaches to LGBT issues. One branch would maintain the current bans, another would expect all its clergy and regional groups to support full LGBT inclusion, and the third would neither forbid nor require the inclusive practices. This plan would take several years longer to implement than the others."  I can't even imagine how to handle that increased bureaucracy that would come just from setting up that plan.

I am reflecting how few friends I have that come from the UMC tradition--I have a few back in the Carolinas and Tennessee.  But there are none in South Florida to my knowledge.  I can't imagine that I have friends down here who are closeted UMC members.  Most of my South Florida friends come from the Catholic tradition, even though few of them are still part of it.

For those of us with UMC friends who may be struggling with the decision of the larger church body, this article about how to support them may help.  It's good advice regardless of the question at hand.  We are so often not skilled at walking beside people during a crisis.  I'm guilty myself:  I want to fix things--quickly--and keep moving along.

One of the wondrous things about my late middle age is that I'm more sympathetic to my failures, which makes me determined to do better, but also gives me some gentleness (usually) when it comes to my own failings and the failing of others.  I don't lose days or weeks or months in recriminations anymore.  I understand that most people are doing their best to the best of their ability. 

I will keep our UMC compatriots in prayer this week-end.  May they be at their best.  May the Holy Spirit move in them and through them.  May they discern the best path for their worshiping body.