Nordic #UMC Opposes Traditional Plan, Seeks to Avoid Punitive Methodism

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Norwegian Response to GC2019

Last week, 88 professing members from 15 different congregations in the Norwegian Annual Conference (pastors, deacons and lay members of Metodistkirken I Norge) have presented formal legislation to the Norwegian Annual Conference 2019, that “The Annual Conference 2019 establishes a committee that will present to the annual conference 2021, possible alternative models that give LGBTQ + persons the same opportunity to enter into marriage and to serve in the Methodist Church in Norway, on the same basis as other members of the church.” In addition to the 88, a petition is circulating on the web where members and friends of the church can support the proposal. This petition has so far gathered 135 names, and it will continue until the AC starts in the middle of June.

While the numbers may be not impressive in an international perspective, the Norwegian Annual Conference has only 47 congregations, and the number of professing members are about 4,150. The total UMC population in Norway is approximately 11,500. A good effort!

Here is the original document and signatories. The following is an English translation provided by a member of a Facebook group “Nordic Methodists for a New Way Forward.”

Legislation to the 2019 Norwegian Annual Conference

BACKGROUND TO THE PROPOSAL:

Based on our interpretation of the Bible, and with the support of personal experience, we sincerely believe that God already blesses marriage between genders and that our church commits a great injustice by refusing to do the same. Furthermore, we are convinced that God himself calls both heterosexual and LGBTQ + persons, and believes that our church commits a great injustice by actively preventing people from following their godly call, whether to become a priest / deacon, or to marry, solely on the basis of their orientation.

After the General Conference in St. Louis, we realize that the Methodist Church in Norway, through its affiliation with the United Methodist Church, must live with the church’s current attitude to homosexual practices, and continue to refuse marriage and ordination of LGBTQ + persons.

Because we believe this is an assault on LGBTQ + people inside and outside the church,

… because we believe this is contrary to the basic message of the Church of God’s love for, and acceptance of, all mankind created God’s image,

… because we believe this is in the way of the Methodist Church being able to preacha credible message in today’s Norwegian society,

WE PRESENT THE FOLLOWING PROPOSAL to the Methodist Church’s Annual Conference 2019:

The annual conference 2019 establishes a committee that will present to the annual conference 2021 possible alternative models that give LGBTQ + persons the same opportunity to enter into marriage and to serve in the Methodist Church in Norway, on the same basis as other members of the church.

The committee’s mandate is to identify what opportunities the Norwegian Methodist churches have to achieve this, within or outside the United Methodist Church, and to promote concrete proposals. The committee will also describe how the Norwegian Annual Conference, if necessary, can leave the United Methodist Church. The Committee shall assess the consequences of the various alternatives, organizationally and economically.

In its work, the committee will keep itself informed of similar / parallel processes within the United Methodist Church in our own episcopal area (Nordic & Baltic Countries), Europe and the United States. The committee must consult these environments, among other things with a view to membership / affiliation with a new international methodist movement that may be established during the committee’s term of work. The committee will present a preliminary report / briefing on its work for the Annual Conference 2020.

The committee will consist of three ordained (pastors / deacons) and three lay members of the Methodist Church in Norway. These are chosen by priests and laymen, respectively, during the annual conference, but in a joint, open session. The committee constitutes itself and organizes its own work. In the case of voting, the committee’s leader has a double vote.

The committee will work with the greatest possible openness and transparency. To keep costs down, extensive use of digital communication is required, but the committee should be given a framework that allows up to three open meetings / hearings related to local churches in different parts of the country.

Your turn

We are seeing a rising tide of these now: first the German executive leadership of their central conference pledged to not follow the Traditional Plan, and now the Norwegian region has pledged to plan to override the Traditional Plan or to leave United Methodism altogether.

Our global church has some serious decisions to make if it wants to continue to be a global one.

Thoughts?

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The Rev. Jeremy Smith serves as lead pastor of First United Methodist Church in Seattle, Wash. This post is republished with permission from his blog, Hacking Christianity.