UMC-Next Meeting Begins; Drew Opposes Anti-LGBTQ Stances

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Although legitimate church media are barred from the UM-Next meeting, some invited participants have begun reporting via social media from the May 20-22 gathering the Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas.

The Rev. Raquel Feagins, associate pastor of La Trinidad United Methodist Church in San Antonio, Texas, posted the following description of the UM-Next meeting, which we quote here with her permission:

"#UMCNext Summary Day One:

"There are around 600 participants from 54 annual conferences and others who are in leadership in the denomination, including some bishops and General Secretaries. There is a genuine desire to hear from all voices represented in the room to help shape the next steps for our denomination after the events of GC 2019.

"The meeting began by framing the work we will be doing together. There are four stated outcomes:

"1) To bring together a diverse group of church leaders from across the U.S. to strategize together about the future of the Methodist Movement.

"2) To respond with some urgency to the actions of the 2019 General Conference and the adoption of the Traditionalist Plan.

"3) To develop and share strategies for resisting the enactment of the Traditional Plan and/or energize a new movement in the Wesleyan tradition.

"4) To develop next steps for individuals, congregations, and annual conferences to take action between now and the 2020 General Conference.

"We had a powerful time of worship when we listened to testimonies, broke bread together, and praised the One who can transform and renew all things, fix the broken, and bring resurrection out of death. We share a commitment to a living God whose Holy Spirit is among us to bring love and justice to a hurting world. We come humbly before God not knowing all the answers but willing to listen to God’s Spirit.

"After worship we heard from speakers who reflected on the question of “What is God calling us to do?” One speaker sang the phrases, “Where He leads, I will follow. No turning back. No Turning back.” Another gave voice to the biblical call for justice and the need to repent of the various “isms” that stop us from being a people of God. Another spoke of reading Scriptures guided by the Holy Spirit as opposed to a literalism that takes clobber passages to harm and not edify. Another speaker gave testimony of his conversion experiences – it has not been a static, one-time deal but a life-time of learning by the guidance of God’s Holy Spirit. It has been both an evangelical and social conversion. We find Christ in the other, and through relationships with others, God can transform us. Relationship with others takes us out of our own echo chambers of prejudice and turns us into God’s beautiful orchestra. “We are called to be a sacred harmony of God’s people.” The last speaker stated that our charge is not to do less harm, but to “Do NO harm.”

"There are 5 principles that the convening team has laid out as common among those present at this gathering:

"1) We will not accept the Traditional Plan approved at General Conference.

"2) We are committed to being a church of justice and inclusion for all people.

"3) We call for the elimination of the incompatibility language and penalties in the Discipline regarding LGBTQ persons.

"4) We are committed to a Wesleyan vision of Christianity that passionately embraces both the evangelical and social gospel as we seen to follow Jesus Christ.

"5) We believe this vision is the path to a hope-filled future for the United Methodist Church.

"We had about an hour for table discussion and sharing in plenary. There are 78 round tables composed of individuals from across the connection. In 2 of those tables, are the bishops who are in attendance. I am in Table #28. We were asked to discuss one of the following questions:

"1) What renewal of the church excites you so much that you would support and work toward it? A new idea? Vision? Possibility? Way of being? Organization?

"2) What do you want to continue in the next phase/expressions of Methodism?

3) What would a successful transition to the next Methodism look like for your congregation/conference/group?

"There was opportunity for the various tables to share in plenary. Among the various conversations, tables discussed repentance, revival, mission, a sense of urgency, an acknowledgement that current structures have not been liberating, a call to eradicate systemic oppression.

"A number of people of color have called out the underlying racism and class bias in our structures, polity, and mission. The #2 Principle – "We are committed to being a church of justice and inclusion for all people" needs to list and address the real harm done to a number of us. The word "inclusion" is nebulous and an easy cop out, that in the end, may not lead to real action.

"We continue today in prayer, humility, and openness to the leading of God’s Holy Spirit."

In a follow-up email, Rev. Feagins noted: "This small group is trying to discern together, at times not perfectly, but with grace. I am hopeful at where this will lead."

Drew University opposes UMC's anti-gay stances

Trustees of one of the United Methodist Church's most prestigious institutions of higher learning, Drew University in Madison, N.J., have disclosed they are closely monitoring the school's official ties to the UMC in the wake of the adoption of the Traditional Plan. 

Drew is home to one of the 13 official United Methodist seminaries, Drew Divinity School. The university also houses the official archives of The United Methodist Church.

An news article on the Drew website stopped short of saying the university is considering "disaffiliation" with the UMC. The trustees' statement said:

“As those charged with honoring and advancing the rich legacy of Drew University, we have watched the developments taking place within The United Methodist Church with grave concern. We object to the decision of the Church’s General Conference to maintain prohibitions on same-sex marriage, exclude LGBTQ+ persons from the clergy, and increase punitive actions against those who resist these measures.

“Drew University has prepared individuals for the ministries of the Church for over 150 years. We have trained bishops, superintendents, general secretaries, and pastors to serve throughout the world. We sent forth missionaries who founded schools, universities, hospitals, and led movements of social transformation, most notably Henry Appenzeller, the first Methodist missionary to Korea. We count among our alumnae some of the first women to be ordained in the Methodist Church and the first openly gay bishop in The United Methodist Church. We are a leader in educating future faculty for theological seminaries around the globe, and have a long and proud history of empowering leadership for communities of color in the United States and a diversity of communities internationally. We’re home to the United Methodist Archives and History Center, which daily welcomes Methodist/Wesleyan scholars from far and wide. Our Methodist roots run deep and they continue to animate the values of this institution.

“Yet, our connection to the church has been severely undermined and compromised by the actions of the recent special session of General Conference. Throughout our history, our Wesleyan tradition has informed our commitment to welcome and prepare a diverse student body, faculty, and administration for leadership in the Church and in the world. We are proud to welcome, without reservation, students, faculty, and staff who are LGBTQ+. Our commitment to them will not waver, even as they rightly question our affiliation with a church that discriminates against them. Church statements affirming that all people are ‘welcome’ and ‘of sacred worth’ notwithstanding, the actions and proposed punishments of the Traditional Plan adopted by General Conference are harsh and severely harmful to LGBTQ+ persons and allies and to our entire community.

“The University will not support or enforce Church policies that discriminate against anyone. We will continue to educate and train leaders from all backgrounds, sexual orientations, and gender identities for leadership in the church and world. We will also continue to closely evaluate our relationship with The United Methodist Church, supporting efforts that seek to develop new expressions of Methodism. It is our intention to work with movements that are informed by an expansive theological scholarship and our historic Wesleyan values that respect diversity and fully welcome and value the gifts of the LGBTQ+ community.

“This is a sad time for the Board of Trustees and the University. We have welcomed, celebrated, and supported our relationship with The United Methodist Church, and will continue to do so, but cautiously until a more inclusive expression of Methodism emerges.

“This is our commitment to our collective past, present, and future.”

Pastor identifies overlooked group

In trying to help his congregation understand the turmoil going on in The United Methodist Church, the Rev. John Fanestil, pastor of First UMC in San Diego, Calif., came across a group that he thinks is being overlooked in current discussions. He calls the group "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," meaning they are people who don't want to talk at all about the inclusion of LGBTQ people in the UMC.

Rev. Fanestil posted the above chart on his Facebook page and gave Insight permission to publish it in a telephone conversation. He said he is considering developing study resources for local congregations around the concept.

Minnesota United Methodists get organized

Minnesota participants in the UMC-Next meeting this week aren't waiting for the event to end. The group sent out an email to its supporters in Minnesota asking for feedback. The online survey requests feedback only from those in that state, as legislation is to be presented to the 2019 annual conference session for forwarding to the 2020 General Conference.

Desert Southwest Conference sets information sessions

Thee Rev. Beth Rambikur, Director of Connectional Ministries for the Desert Southwest Conference, sent an email this week saying the conference has responded to requests from clergy and laity for more information about discussions on the UMC's future. She listed the following sessions:

  • UMC NEXT Desert Southwest Conference Zoom Town Hall: meet with the delegates at UMC Next to hear what is happening and ask questions. Tuesday May 21st at 6:00 pm. Register at https://dscumc.org/umc-next-town-hall-from-kansas-city/
  • Just the Facts: Understanding the changes to The Book of Discipline and how they impact your church. This is a paragraph by paragraph review of the 2019 changes in The Book of Discipline and Judicial Council’s ruling. (1hr) Webinar – Thursday, May 23rd 10:00 am or May 28th 6:00 pm (1hr) Register at https://dscumc.org/just-the-facts/
  • United Methodism 2.0: An overview of United Methodism, an interpretation of what is happening right now, and how YOU can get involved in changing the denomination: (2hrs) Webinar – Saturday, May 25th 9:00 am, Wednesday, May 29th 6:00 pm, June 6th  6:00 Register at https://dscumc.org/united-methodism-2-0/
  • 2019 Pre-Conference Briefing: Interested in knowing what will be happening at Annual Conference this year? Whether you are attending or not, you can participate in the pre-conference webinar and find out how what will be happening!  Tuesday, May 28th, 2:00 pm Register at https://dscumc.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_xt3Px3SLQWuFVJ7HhFLJYA
  • UMC NEXT Follow-Up Town Hall: After UMC NEXT, Tuesday, June 4th at noon. Register at https://dscumc.org/post-umc-webinar/
  • Connectional Ministry Listening Sessions/Town Halls: As our Conference navigates this post general conference world, we would like to offer opportunities for people to connect and share.  We will be offering three of these sessions before the Annual Conference. Thursday, May 30th @ noon, Tuesday, June 4th @ 6:00 pm, Thursday, June 6th @ 10:00 am.  Register at https://dscumc.org/connectional-ministry-listening-sessions/

"As more information and learning sessions become available, we will let you know, and as always the best way to be involved is through your local church," Rev. Rambikur wrote.

Media Mentions as of May 21, 2019

Drew trustees oppose Methodist ban on same-sex marriage, gay clergy – Morristown Green.com

Homosexuality and the New Testament - Guest Post by Jeff Siker – Patheos (blog)

Pokin Around: 7th-gen minister says United Methodists closer to schism over LGBTQ issues – Springfield News-Leader

ON RELIGION: Old fault lines in divided Methodism: part I – GoDanRiver.com

These DC Methodists Dream Of Being Ordained. The Church Won't Let Them Because Of Their ... – DCist

Local church takes a stand – Lexington Dispatch

Surrendering to bigotry at the Wesley Center – Iowa City Press Citizen

Fault lines in United Methodist Church go back decades – Knoxville News Sentinel

1985 Methodist report even more relevant today – NWAOnline

Mount Union parts with United Methodist Church – Akron Beacon Journal

Case for Separate Paths by Kent Millard and David F. Watson – Good News Magazine