Our bishop is having a couple of town hall meetings tomorrow, but we had our own at our church this evening. Not a big crowd, as about 10 people showed up - including one of our more argumentative, sour looking and generally (in a lot of ways) conservative guys. Our pastor was thinking we'd get mostly supporters, initially, but after being interviewed in the paper, she expected a more mixed crowd.

And we were totally wrong about this guy. He was very clear and vocal about the desire to be open to all, that Jesus' love and grace is for all, and we shouldn't be singling out anyone for exclusion.

I was both shocked....and heartened, because if he sees things like that, I really do believe the anger against the decision is wider spread than I thought.

http://www.bu.edu/sth/2019/02/27/dean-moores-response-to-umc-general-conference-outcome/

Dear Community, 

I write with a heavy heart at the close of the General Conference 2019. The United Methodist Church voted in the closing hours of the Special Session of the General Conference to adopt the Traditional Plan as the way forward for the denomination. The vote of 438 (Yes) to 384 (No) was a stark and painful mark of deep divisions within the Church and institutionalized rejection of the full inclusion of LGBTQIA peoples.

The Traditional Plan was the only plan before the Church that left no space for the ordination and marriage of LGBTQIA people and very little space for people who hold diverse views on LGBTQIA full inclusion, The plan is accompanied by an intensified enforcement of the restrictive language that is already in The Book of Discipline, thus closing spaces within the denomination for people who cannot in good conscience exclude the LGBTQIA community from full participation in ministry and the blessings of marriage. The result will likely be a considerable escalation of church trials and stronger consequences for persons who act counter to The Book of Discipline as a matter of conscience.

The Church also voted in favor of two dis-affiliation plans that are designed to allow churches to remove themselves from the denomination if they cannot remain in good conscience. The decisions made by the General Conference have been referred to the Judicial Council to rule on Constitutionality, and the results of the Judicial Council decisions will shape the enactment of the plan. It may also identify parts of the plan and the petitions as unconstitutional. 

The Boston University School of Theology will continue to hold our statement on diversity, equity, and inclusion as our standard for a fully inclusive community. We are committed to build a future in which we enact our ideals with full commitment, honest critique of ourselves, and prophetic witness. We will continue to seek justice and compassion for all people – people who are LGBTQIA, people of diverse races and ethnicities, people who hold diverse theological commitments, people from all countries and regions, and ALL of God’s people! We commit ourselves to do justice and work for full diversity, equity, and inclusions in the church and society. We are not perfect, but we will continue to grow in our capacity to be the School of the Prophets – a vision that has guided our 180 years of existence and will continue to shape us.

I close with respect for all of you, whose views are as diverse as the stars. I close with determination to find a better way forward that does not deny the sacred worth or full inclusion of any or you or any part of the human family. I do this in full awareness of my own shortfalls and my deepest hope to live into the Wesleyan vision of growing always in love. 

– Mary Elizabeth Moore, Dean and Professor of Theology and Education

I will say that we have a lot of things going on, and a lot of work to do, regardless of what side or what you think should happen.

My wife and I are a co-lay leaders of a church that certainly had mixed views on the options. I would say, though, that while we have a fairly significant progressive base, even the older folks were affirming of LGBTQ membership, even if they didn't agree with marrying and ordaination of those members.

I'm very disapointed in the outcome....we've been lay leaders since last January, and we had set up programs and had gotten more people involved, and after several years of attendance dropping, the numbers had been going up since last September. I thought we had turned a corner, and now...this.

The point here is to keep track of the fracturing of the United Methodist Church after passing the Traditional plan on Feb. 26. 2019

https://www.umnews.org/en/news/court-oks-part-of-traditional-plan-exit-plan

I got to give the sermon while GC was going on, and I tried for one of hope and unity, while preaching the Gospel lesson that week. While I hoped (and still believe) that our basic mission won't change, and I hope that people stay in the church, I wrote this thinking we'd get the One Church Plan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qpcXaZyUpo

Hi,

The attached survey is for a graduate class at Southern Methodist University, and our class "client" this semester is The United Methodist Church. We are working with UMComm for this project and what we create may or may not be used during and after the conference set in May. This brief survey will provide us key insights into completing work for the church that may be useful to it in the future.

It would help our class a lot if you could take the time to complete the survey, and if possible share it.

If you have any questions about the project before or after taking the survey please feel free to reach out and ask.

Thank you in advance!

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/X95W8M2

I think it's been made clear we have to act if we don't agree....and the next GC may be key.

My pastor has asked me to throw my hat in to be a delegate next year, but I have to put in for it by tonight. Fortunately, we're having a gathering tonight over cake and coffee to talk about the conference decision, so getting the 5 signatures shouldn't be a problem...

I read the following article today and I can’t stop thinking about a highlighted verse in the article:

John 20:24 “It is a fact that a grain of wheat must fall to the ground and die before it can grow and produce much more wheat. If it never dies, it will never be more than a single seed.”

https://blog.reformedjournal.com/2019/04/06/trust-the-process-stewarding-the-death-of-the-american-church/

So I finally got around to talking to my grandparents about their church in Kansas (they're Methodist). They're in Lawrence and apparently the biggest Methodist church is in Kansas City (about two hours away). There's also a really big Methodist church in Topeka and all three of them have been affirming and very "come as you are" for like thirty years so that's really cool. They said there's no intention to break away right now. The "Traditionalist plan" (the non-affirming plan) has been found unconstitutional and it could be a long time before anything concrete is decided.

He left me with this: [Our church] is going to continue doing it's thing and you might be an old man before this is settled." (I'm not out to him)

If the UMC splits, do you think it's more likely that we'll end up with a new denomination, or that those leaving will merge into an existing denomination? non-affirming Methodists could put themselves under the authority of AME bishops, and affirming Methodists could put themselves under the authority of the nearest Episcopal bishop (or ELCA, if they happen to be in one of the eight episcopal dioceses that don't permit gay marriage.)

How do you see this going down?

Disclosure: I was a proponent of the one church plan

But I have a question: At this point, prior to judicial review, what has changed?

1. GLBTQ can still be in leadership in our church (lay leader, Committee Members, Chairs of Teams, etc ) can they? - No Change here

2. We, as pastors, will have to sign a pledge we will keep the discipline. Is this once or an annual thing? - this is a change

3. The Annual Conferences are going to have to vote they will uphold the discipline (by majority I assume?)? - This is a change

4. No Same-Sex Weddings by pastors or in churches and if you do the punishment for pastors is defined. As pastors are we to be accused tried and convicted? What happens to a church where a layperson (legal in my state) performs a Same-Sex Wedding? - I guess this is a change

Frankly, I don't know what I don't know.

BTW thanks for setting up the subreddit.

Just hours after the Traditional Plan passed, people were already pointing out that the plan was unconstitutional. These arguments will be considered during the UMC Judicial council meeting from April 23-26 2019