[Dialogue] Fwd: [UMNS-ALL-NEWS] UMNS# 284 *CORRECTION*-California United Methodists react to same-sex ruling

[George Holcombe]

Things are beginning to stir.  Jurisdictional Conferences will be  
coming up soon across the U.S. and will bear watching, not simply as a  
denomination but as a barometer of the changes beginning to occur in  
the culture.

George Holcombe
14900 Yellowleaf Tr.
Austin, TX 78728
Home: 512/252-2756
Mobile 512/294-5952
geowanda at earthlink.net


Begin forwarded message:

> From: NewsDesk <NewsDesk at UMCOM.ORG>
> Date: July 9, 2008 4:17:53 PM CDT
> To: UMNS-ALL-NEWS at UMCGROUPEMAIL.ORG
> Subject: [UMNS-ALL-NEWS] UMNS# 284 *CORRECTION*-California United  
> Methodists react to same-sex ruling
> Reply-To: NewsDesk <NewsDesk at UMCOM.ORG>
>
> Editors: RESENDING story #284 to CORRECT order of tagline in the 1st  
> graf.
>
>
> California United Methodists react to same-sex ruling
>
> Jul. 9, 2008
>
> NOTE: Photographs are available at http://umns.umc.org.
>
> A UMNS Report
> By Marta W. Aldrich*
>
> On the heels of a California Supreme Court ruling that opened the  
> door to same-gender unions, two United Methodist legislative bodies  
> in California have approved gay-friendly statements that are  
> stretching the denominational promise of "open hearts, open minds,  
> open doors."
>
> The church's California-Pacific Annual Conference, convening June  
> 18-22 in Redlands, approved three measures that support same-gender  
> couples entering into the marriage covenant. Each "encourages both  
> congregations and pastors to welcome, embrace and provide spiritual  
> nurture and pastoral care for these families," according to a June  
> 27 letter to the conference from Bishop Mary Ann Swenson and other  
> conference leaders.
>
> That same week in Sacramento, the California-Nevada Annual  
> Conference approved two measures on the same issue, including one  
> that lists 67 retired United Methodist clergy in northern California  
> who have offered to conduct same-gender marriage ceremonies. The  
> resolution commends the pastors' work in offering continued ministry.
>
> The statements are the strongest yet on the issue by California  
> United Methodists and have drawn cheers from gay rights advocates,  
> who say the church and its pastors should extend to same-sex couples  
> the same level of support it provides heterosexual couples.
>
> Others say the conferences are on the verge of breaking a  
> Scripturally based covenant with the rest of the 11.5 million-member  
> worldwide denomination. The United Methodist Church, while affirming  
> all people as persons "of sacred worth," considers the practice of  
> homosexuality "incompatible with Christian teaching." Its policy  
> book, called the Book of Discipline, prohibits its pastors and  
> churches from conducting ceremonies celebrating homosexual unions.
>
> The denominational statements were affirmed last spring during split  
> votes by General Conference, the church's top legislative body. The  
> assembly, which met April 23-May 2, convenes every four years and  
> represents United Methodists worldwide.
>
> That same month, California's high court overturned a voter-approved  
> ban on same-sex marriage, making California and Massachusetts the  
> only U.S. states to allow gay couples to marry. California began to  
> issue licenses June 16.
>
> Pastoral choices
>
> The actions by United Methodist leaders in southern California  
> reflect the struggle by pastors and churches to minister to same-sex  
> couples in the wake of actions by both the General Conference and  
> the state's high court, according to the Rev. Frank Wulf, pastor of  
> United University Church, a United Methodist/Presbyterian  
> congregation in Los Angeles.
>
> "This recognizes that our pastors and our churches are already  
> struggling with these decisions," said Wulf, who helped to author  
> the resolutions. "It's an attempt to honor the choices they make."
>
> One resolution reads in part: "While we recognize that we are  
> governed by the Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church,  
> we support those pastors who conscientiously respond to the needs of  
> their parishes by celebrating same-gender marriages, and we envision  
> compassion and understanding in any resulting disciplinary actions."
>
> The second resolution acknowledges the May 15 court decision, and  
> the third opposes a November ballot initiative in California that  
> would reverse the court ruling and amend the state constitution to  
> bar gay marriage.
>
> In northern California, the California-Nevada Conference voted to  
> support both the court ruling and the pastoral alternative offered  
> by some retired clergy. "Some of our clergy will choose not to  
> perform same-gender marriages, for various reasons, but would like  
> to keep a continued ministry with families and loved ones of same- 
> gender couples," the resolution states. "…Retired clergy in our  
> conference are now available to perform the marriages as an aid to  
> the congregation and pastor. …"
>
> Bishop Beverly Shamana, who presides over the conference, declined  
> to comment on the action. Responding to an elder's call, she has  
> sent a ruling to the denomination's top court on the question of how  
> the conference can authorize and commend its clergy to conduct an  
> act that might violate church law. The Judicial Council is expected  
> to consider her ruling when it convenes in October.
>
> Ongoing conversation
>
> The latest developments in the California conferences trouble United  
> Methodists who view such actions as a challenge to both Scriptural  
> authority and the church's covenant through its Book of Discipline.  
> They note that General Conference has repeatedly affirmed its stance  
> on homosexuality and homosexual unions.
>
> "We've made it clear we adhere to biblical teaching and Christian  
> tradition," said the Rev. Eddie Fox, director of evangelism for the  
> World Methodist Council. "Ninety-eight percent of Christians around  
> the world believe marriage is between one man and one woman, so  
> we're not out of step in our ecumenical relationships with  
> Christians around the world."
>
> At the most recent General Conference, Fox helped lead the effort to  
> keep the church's stance on homosexuality intact. He argued that  
> "God created the maleness and the femaleness" and that this "order  
> of creation is, at the very heart, one of those essential doctrines  
> for us in our church."
>
> "If we don't have a clear, consistent statement on this, it will  
> result in confusion in our church," Fox said in a July 7 interview  
> with UMNS. "These are the Social Principles for the whole church,  
> not for one church." The Social Principles, contained in the Book of  
> Discipline, detail the church's position on homosexuality and other  
> social concerns.
>
> The Rev. Maxie Dunnam urged all pastors and churches to act on the  
> church's definition of marriage instead of secular definitions. "The  
> church is called to be prophetic in opposing that in the culture  
> that is clearly out of step with what our United Methodist Church,  
> the church universal and the Christian faith affirms," said Dunnam,  
> chancellor of Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Ky.
>
> "I would hope that people would recognize the pain that their action  
> will cause for the whole church, especially as we seek to be a  
> global church."
>
> The Rev. John McFarland was among California-Pacific members who  
> questioned the wisdom of the body's decisions and the processes  
> being used to discern God's voice.
>
> "This topic is not being debated based on Scripture," said  
> McFarland, pastor of Fountain Valley (Calif.) United Methodist  
> Church. "It's being debated primarily on experience without regard  
> to tradition, reason and Scripture." Scripture, tradition,  
> experience and reason are the four themes cited by Methodism's  
> founder, John Wesley, as illuminating the Christian faith.
>
> "Even though wonderful and caring people practice same-sex behavior,  
> the discussion does not end there. What concerns me is how far we've  
> gone from trusting the Bible as the Word of God," said McFarland. He  
> noted that 2 Timothy 3:16 says "all Scripture is inspired by God and  
> profitable for teaching, reproof, correction and training in  
> righteousness."
>
> Interpretation vs. authority
>
> Proponents of conference actions suggest the issue is not biblical  
> authority, but biblical interpretation.
>
> "It is our UM tradition to interpret Scripture with attention to its  
> context and purpose," said the Rev. Sharon Rhodes-Wickett, pastor of  
> Claremont (Calif.) United Methodist Church.
>
> "We create misunderstandings when we choose some texts to be  
> understood as literal and others not," she said. "We once excluded  
> women as clergy based on Scriptural authority; we once justified  
> slave-holding based on Scripture. We're doing the same thing now  
> with regard to homosexuality."
>
> Wulf said the church's unity does not necessarily lie in the  
> unanimity of practice in all things. "We are fallible human beings,  
> and our covenant is imperfect. We all know that because we get  
> together every four years to adjust it," he said of the church's  
> General Conference.
>
> "To those of us in the West who feel a calling to offer a different  
> kind of message to same-sex couples, there is a sense in which the  
> whole church wants to hem us in and prevent us from following that  
> calling," Wulf said.
>
> "… We know the world is in flux, particularly on this issue," he  
> said. "So we do this--not as an act of disrespect to the people of  
> Africa or the people of (other parts of the United States)--but as a  
> way of speaking the Christian Gospel compassionately to a group of  
> people who deal with this every day."
>
> *Aldrich is news editor of United Methodist News Service.
>
> News media contact: Marta Aldrich, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5470  
> or newsdesk at umcom.org.
>
> ********************
>
> United Methodist News Service
> Photos and stories also available at:
> http://umns.umc.org
>
>
>
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