On the eve of The United Methodist Church’s quadrennial General Conference, hundreds of clergy members took a stand for equality by coming out as LGBTQ individuals. Over 100 deacons, pastors, elders and aspirants of the denomination penned a letter publicly, requesting the Church to lift its restrictive legislation and accept that all individuals are made in the image of God.

Published online by Reconciling Ministries Network, the letter surfaced only days before the Church’s policymakers were to meet in Portland, Oregon for a 10-day conference to preside over approximately 1,000 legislative petitions of which at least 50 were related to homosexuality.

“LGBTQ people and their families exist in every church in every continent of this denomination. They are seeking to remain in faithful relationship with you, even when you refuse, because they know God's tender mercies and great faithfulness,” the letter read in part.

Roughly 80 percent of the 111 signatories came out as homosexuals to their supervisors for the first time last month.

“May we find the body of Christ stronger at the end of our time together, not weaker or more deeply harmed. May we provide a powerful witness of finding unity even in our differences to a world fractured by fear and mistrust,” concluded the letter.

Among those who signed the letter was 48-year-old Reverend Laura Young from Westerville, Ohio. Speaking to Atheist Republic, she described how signing the letter rid her of a spiritual burden.

“I signed the letter because I think that the 'don't ask, don't tell' policy that's been operating in the church and in our society is damaging to a person's soul,” she said.

An ordained minister, Young also serves as executive director for Ohio Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice.

“The policies of the United Methodist Church ask LGBT people to live in secret and hide our light. God calls us to shine our light brightly, and it's time to change these unjust policies,” she added.

Days before the letter was penned, African delegates pledged to stand firm on the Church’s existing rules on gender identity and sexual orientation. In the past, Methodist leaders in Africa have expressed concern that American churches may be preaching the gospel differently from what they first received.

Reverend Jerry Kulah, a delegate of Liberia Conference told the Church on May 10 that African delegates continue to oppose the changing of the law that states homosexuality is incompatible with Christianity even though they are aware that same-sex marriage is now legal across the United States. He said in the United States, cultural Christianity was beginning to replace Biblical Christianity.

“It's not an issue of the church law remaining the same. It's an issue of what the Bible teaches, and the Bible teaches one man, one woman for life, as far as marriage is concerned,” Kulah said.

Under the existing law, clergy members who have openly come out as homosexuals could be removed from the ministry.

Less than a week after roughly 100 clergy members collectively came out as homosexuals, hundreds of the their colleagues called for the Church to stop discriminating on grounds of gender identity or sexual orientation.

“We, the undersigned clergy of The United Methodist Church, believe it is time: time for us to end the practice of requiring LGBTQ clergy and clergy candidates to hide their most authentic selves,” read a second open letter that was penned by Reverend Ginger Gaines-Cirelli, Reverend Gil Caldwell and Reverend Frank Schaefer and published by Reconciling Ministries Network.

Within a week, as many as 1,592 clergy members had already voiced their support for the proposed change.

“The current language prohibiting LGBTQ people from serving as ordained clergy is discriminatory, unjust, unChristlike, and inconsistent with both holy scripture and the best of our United Methodist heritage,” the letter read.

This letter too seemed to pressure the Church to change its current stance that holds homosexuality to be incompatible with Christianity, prohibits pastors and churches from officiating same-sex weddings and bars self-avowed practicing homosexuals from being ordained.

The letter also drew a parallel between discrimination faced by LGBT individuals at churches and discrimination previously faced by African-Americans.

“Our history attests to the ways that we have allowed scriptural interpretation to justify discrimination against beloved children of God in the past,” the letter read. “The Bible has not changed; interpretations of it have.”

Until the proposed change has been incorporated, the letter’s signatories pledged not to fill any position left empty by the removal of an LGBT clergy member so that the Church feels compelled to examine all candidates for the ministry irrespective of their gender identity or sexual orientation. They also pledged not to support any action that would place an LGBT clergy member on leave of absence upon someone filing a complaint based on his or her gender identity or sexual orientation. The signatories believe any of these two actions could cost them their credentials as well as jobs.

The United Methodist Church is one of the few Protestant denominations that continue to prohibit same-sex marriage and bar LGBT clergy. Presbyterian Church (USA), Episcopal Church and Evangelical Lutheran Church in America have already voted in favor of such bans being lifted.

After 44 years of debating this issue, the Church finally voted by a narrow margin on May 18 to allow bishops to appoint a commission that would re-evaluate the existing rules concerning LGBT clergy members and same-sex marriage.

The delegates voted 428-405 during the Church’s quadrennial General Conference and it was seen by most as a last minute attempt to save the denomination any schism. LGBT Methodists and their supporters criticized the development as a way for the Church to buy more time and avoid disciplining over 100 clergy members and aspirants who came out as gay or lesbian just before the conference. Many conservatives also expressed disappointed as they struggled to understand why the Church was still arguing over what they believe to be a clear conflict with their religion. The United Methodist Church’s Book of Discipline, which is the denomination’s governing document, says the “practice of homosexuality” is indeed “incompatible with Christian teaching”.

The United Methodist Church is the third most popular religious denomination in the United States, after Roman Catholic Church and Southern Baptist Convention. With approximately seven million members in America alone, the Church has a worldwide membership of 12 million, with individuals ranging from conservative evangelicals to theological liberals. The reason that the Church continues to oppose LGBT clergy members and same-sex marriage is that it has active branches in Asia and Africa, which have rapidly grown more conservative as opposed to America that has witnessed steady liberalism.

While casting their vote in favor of the commission, the delegates said they had heard from many members how the rules in the Book of Disciple are written in a language that is unnecessarily hurtful, contradictory and inadequate for a church as global and diverse as this one.

“The commission should undertake a complete examination and possible revision of every paragraph in our Book of Discipline regarding human sexuality,” they said.

At the same time, the denomination’s top bishop dismissed reports implying the Church was falling apart over this issue. A day earlier, Bishop Bruce Ough urged church members to stay united.

“I have a broken heart, and collectively we have a broken heart. Our hearts break over pain, anger, disunity we observe and experience in our beloved United Methodist Church, and frankly, within our council,” Ough said of the Council of Bishops he heads. “The council is not advancing any call for the disbanding of the denomination, though at the same time we remain open to new and innovative ways to remain in unity … perhaps new structures for our United Methodist Church. So much of the church is working and yet so much needs to adapt to new realities. Many voices believe we are out of time.”

The Church’s policymakers, who have been meeting in private, reportedly considered breaking into progressive, moderate and conservative factions.

Most recently, a petition signed by over 5,000 people, pressed the Church to allow LGBT individuals to join the clergy as well as recognize same-sex marriage.

“Immediately stopping all such actions is the only way to ensure the work of the special commission has credibility and can work towards a solution or set of solutions that will finally mend The UMC,” the petition, which was started by Reconciling Ministers Network, reads.

The petition has acquired more than 6,000 supporters and requires a little over another 1,000 to reach its target 7,500 signatures.

Photo Credits: Daily Mail