May 1, 2024, was a historic day for the United Methodist Church. Our General Conference, meeting in Charlotte, NC, voted by a 93% majority to remove the restrictions from the Book of Discipline regarding the ordination and marriage of LGBTQ+ persons. The statement that “homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching,” which had caused controversy and instigated church division for 52 years, was likewise eliminated. For many, this was a day of rejoicing, an act of justice long delayed. For others, it was a decision that increased anxiety about our future. It was the top story on our local 10:00 news!

As with any big decision, the actions of the General Conference need explanation. What the General Conference did was not to advocate gay ordination or same-sex marriage. They simply adopted neutral language that returns to the norms of the pre-1972 Book of Discipline. The ordination of persons called to ministry is a matter for the Annual Conference, and the performance of weddings is a decision for the local church and individual pastors to make. This is how the United Methodist Church (and its predecessors) operated before restrictions regarding homosexuality were imposed. 

The new language prohibits penalties for churches or pastors, whether they choose to do a same-sex wedding, or whether they choose not to. Decisions regarding weddings will be left up to the prayerful discernment of faithful people in the context of what makes sense for their ministry and mission field. There is no longer a hard and fast rule for the entire worldwide denomination of The United Methodist Church. 

What does this action mean for First United Methodist Church of Fort Smith? Already people are willing to spin scary scenarios to try to draw people away from our church, as some have done for years. Here’s the real deal:

We will not be forced to do anything that we do not feel fits our context, ministry, and mission. Nobody is going to force us to accept a gay pastor, unless and until we are ready to do that. People who feel called to ministry will continue to be assessed by the Annual Conference for their gifts and graces for ministry and their high moral standards. If a person is approved for service, he or she will be appointed appropriately to a church that promises to be a good fit with a reasonable chance for success. A process of consultation accompanies every appointment.

We will not be forced to do same-sex weddings. The wedding policy must be passed by the Administrative Board, and the pastor decides whether a couple should be married in the church. The Annual Conference is developing a discussion guide for churches that wish to consider allowing same-sex weddings in their churches. Under any circumstance, it is a matter for conversation and discernment.

One of the great learnings of the past few years is that The United Methodist Church is not a monolithic organization. It is spread out over four continents and many social contexts. It makes sense to try to do effective ministry in the context of a particular mission field. One of the other actions of the General Conference was to start the process of regionalization, allowing the United States, Africa, Europe, and the Philippines to tailor their ministry somewhat to their own cultural context, in order to better achieve our mission.

What we are seeking is not uniformity (which brings division and chaos), but unity (which brings peace). In this new day for the UMC, where can we still be united?

We are united in our core doctrines and beliefs. The Articles of Religion and other foundational documents that form the basis of our Wesleyan theology have not been changed. We are still a people of grace and good works founded on Scripture, read through the lenses of tradition, reason and experience.

We are united in our love for Jesus Christ, for one another, and for the world. We still believe the most important rule of life is the Great Commandment of Jesus, to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and mind and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself.”

We are united in our mission “to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” This is a mission which is both evangelistic and compassionate, combining the gospel of grace with works of mercy to impact our local communities for Christ.

One word of warning, as you read about the implications of the General Conference. Pay attention to your source. There will be many who try to use this historic decision to continue to spread fear and disinformation and tear down our church. Get your news from a good source: umnews.org, umc.org, resourceumc.org, and arumc.org/umcgc. Or talk to your pastors, or to Brandon Bates, our youth minister, who is an elected delegate to the General Conference.

For First United Methodist Church of Fort Smith, we will continue to love one another, to be a big tent that includes people of diverse opinions, to welcome anyone who wants to know Jesus Christ better, to do ministry in as excellent a way as we can, and to impact our community for good. Our Bishop, Laura Merrill, said in her excellent statement that “This is a good time … for conversation. We are entering a new chapter as a church, and we must proceed with care for each other, to guard the health of our body and its members.” (See her full statement at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xsm4FcU4Cs. ) 

I love our church. There is so much good happening. I love The United Methodist Church. I have never been prouder to be a United Methodist than I am today. May God bless us and keep us as we move into a new future! 

Rev. Dr. William O. (Bud) Reeves

Senior Pastor

First United Methodist Church