Dear Church Family,
My heart hurts as I write to you about the results of the Special Session of General Conference. You may have seen on the news or on social media that a modified version of the Traditionalist Plan was approved with a 55% to 45% vote. This means that the discriminatory language regarding LGBTQ individuals remains in the Book of Discipline, that we are still banned from performing same-sex marriages, that the rights of ordination to the LGBTQ community are still denied, and the penalties for defying these rules have been drastically increased. These results will only further deepen the divide in The United Methodist Church.
There are no words. I'm appalled, enraged, and heartbroken. Our denomination used to be known for its social holiness... but the action of our GC was anything but holy. Please know that no matter what the traditionalists say, all of our LGBTQ siblings are invaluable to me and the life of the church! The love that we are called to experience and live out in our lives is not only for cisgender heterosexuals, but for all of God’s beloved children.
The package of legislation, adopted by a very narrow majority, was adopted with several provisions previously ruled by the Judicial Council to be unconstitutional. The Judicial Council, the Supreme Court of the UMC, has been requested to make a declaratory decision at their April meeting about the meaning, application, and impact of the legislation adopted. One very real possibility is that, due to the unconstitutionality of the plan adopted, the entire package of legislation could be set aside and declared null and void. Another possibility is that only the unconstitutional provisions will be set aside and the remaining portions without constitutional problems will be implemented.
What will that mean? … We just don’t know. We will have to wait and see. But here is what I do know.
Our church in Red Bank will continue to be as open and affirming as ever. We will continue to live out the inclusive love of God and welcome ALL. We will continue to study scripture, reflect on tradition, look to our experiences, and never turn off our reasoning brains as we seek to transform religion into love. We will continue our work to transform our Church and world into the full expression of Christ’s inclusive love. As we declared and unanimously adopted in our Reconciling statement in November of 2015,
We celebrate our human family’s diversity of sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, race, ethnicity, age, faith, history, economic status, marital status, physical and mental ability, and education. We affirm that all people are created in the image of God and as beloved children of God, all are worthy of God’s love and grace. We welcome the full equality and full inclusion of all people in the life and ministries of The United Methodist Church of Red Bank as we journey toward reconciliation through Christ. We recognize that there are differences among us, but we believe that we can love alike even though we may not think alike. We work diligently to make the larger United Methodist Church inclusive and welcoming of all. This includes affirming the same rights and privileges of marriage equality and the right to be ordained. We proclaim this statement of welcome to all who have known the pain of exclusion or discrimination in church and society. We invite all people to join us in our faith journey toward greater love, understanding and mutual respect.
Once we understand the implications of the legislation passed this week for us as a Reconciling congregation of the United Methodist Church, we will make the decisions we need to make in response.
I do not know what the future holds for us as a congregation or for me as a clergyperson within a denomination that keeps inflicting harm on its own family. We will need to take this a day at a time, knowing that we are not alone, but are held in the loving arms of our Lord.
May we all reach out in love and care to the LGBTQ individuals in our church, families, and communities. Let us take time to cry together for the harm our denomination keeps inflicting… and then once our tears have dried, let us rise together to continue the fight for full inclusion. May the Holy Spirit inspire us with the strength to continue our work of transforming religion into love.
In peace and love, Pastor Jess Naulty
