This week, the United Methodist Church is gathering for its 10-day quadrennial General Conference in Portland, Oregon. Normally, this would be a typical religious event, but this meeting is different than most.
One day before the conference, a tribe of more than 100 UMC faith leaders, including Methodist leaders in central Ohio, declared themselves as gay, lesbian, transgender, and intersex in a letter published online addressed to the United Methodist Church.
In the letter, local pastors, deacons, elders, and candidates for ministry described their frustrations with being a part of a church that has unforgiving regulations against homosexual individuals that prohibits clergy members from being their true selves.
“While we have sought to remain faithful to our call and covenant, you have not always remained faithful to us,” the letter reads. “You have required that we not bring our full selves to ministry, that we hide from view our sexual orientations and gender identities. As long as we did this, you gladly affirmed our gifts and graces and used us to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world in the varied places you sent us.”
The far from affectionate love letter is part of the Reconciling Ministries Network’s “It’s Time” campaign that advocates for LGBT equality within the Methodist church. Reverand Laura Young of Westerville, who signed the controversial letter, explained that the church has given clergy members no choice but to publicly express their distaste with the religious group.
“The United Methodist Church urges us to hide our light under a bushel basket, and God calls us to shine our light brightly,” she said. “The don’t-ask-don’t-tell policy is damaging to a person’s soul, and we can’t allow it to go on any longer.”
I agree with Young 100 percent. Clearly, these individuals have suffered to the point of complete desperation. These men have served the church for so long, all while being indirectly shunned for their unique sexual identities. I for one am proud of these men for putting their foot down and demanding equality. After all, it’s 2016; it’s time religious institutions practice love for all people.
“Sin is sin, there are no levels of better or worse, and yet we don’t have language in church doctrine specifically condemning adultery, lying, prostitution, gambling, or any other sin which we know exists within the population of Christian church goers.”
For a segment on the division of the United Methodist Church from PBS’s “To the Contrary,” see the video below:
Featured image via Getty/Spencer Platt.
