Comments on: Local Methodists keep up fight for LGBT inclusion

By: Richard H.

Richard H. — Mon, 07 May 2012 01:51:22 +0000

Doing a lot of reading now that I see the direction Methodists have taken in Tampa. I think we have made a mistake. I am not gay, but an over 70 year old man with 4 children. It seems to me that we our bigoted and this is one of the last movements or tenets to be changed. Seems the few scriptures people use to condemn homosexuality are right there with the same laws against working on Sunday, marrying a divorced person (adultery), etc. We seem to have dismissed what The Bible says about women ministers (except in Catholicism and the Baptist denomination). So just seems the church should be a little more loving and accepting…or do they want me to follow the example they are setting…and be spiteful and move my membership and money to a more loving church?

By: Katherine DeGrow

Katherine DeGrow — Fri, 04 May 2012 16:33:02 +0000

In 1972 I was a lay delegate to Annual Conference in Atlanta. At that time a contingency of gay and lesbian people made their presence known. They were promoting a statement of acceptance for the U.M. Discipline. It is hard to believe that 40 years have passed and we still marginalize and discriminate against some of God’s own children. By the way, they are our children as well.

By: James Simmons

James Simmons — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 20:35:45 +0000

The path that the UMC is following is very similar to the path of some other, more conservative denominations. It is a proven, documentable fact that America is becoming more secular. This is due in large part to the primary message of most conservative churches–a very hate-filled, fear-based (and false) teaching. Bottom line: the church is already destroying itself. The only question that remains is how much longer it will be.

By: Gary Olsen

Gary Olsen — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 19:16:46 +0000

When will all the good Christian folks realize that on this issue, the train has left the station?

By: Susan

Susan — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 15:34:41 +0000

Justin, thank you for your informative post.

By: Justin P. Nichols

Justin P. Nichols — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 14:48:20 +0000

As a lifelong United Methodist, I have always encountered extremely accepting clergy. While at St. Andrew UMC in Plano, my partner and I had a wonderful pastor who met with us regularly and was very affirming of our relationship. When we came to San Antonio for grad school we reached out to local Methodist churches, and a very kind pastor took us both to lunch and welcomed us to the congregation.

The American UMC is extremely welcoming all-in-all. For students of this issue, it is overwhelmingly the African delegates who block the removal of discriminatory language. Several years ago the UMC started evangelizing in Africa, which was rather successful. Now, since populations simply grow so fast over there, they are entitled to a lot of delegates at General Conference, and for the past several conferences, they have been responsible for blocking progressive efforts within the entire UMC. As a result you have official church policy which does not mirror the local churches we see here in the states.

The American UMC is shrinking slowly, and it’s a shame, but I have to say, for the first time in my life, I’ve considered leaving the denomination if it continues to let delegates thousands of miles away hijack the church’s mission of sharing a loving, accepting, and inclusive God.