Bishops Call for Recommitment to UMC Unity, not Schism

UPDATE 2:19 p.m. 5-17-2016: Mark Holland, Great Plains Conference, moved to ask Council of Bishops to meet today and propose a non-binding model that would allow the General Conference to have a path toward unity. Asked for recommendation to be returned on Wednesday morning.

Tom Berlin, Virginia Conference, said, "We have a difficult and painful situation around issues of human sexuality. We would like you all to lead us, which is why you've been elected. [Give us] a concrete proposal, including a called General Conference which is within your authority, it would be a blessing.

Sergey Kim, Central Russia Conference, spoke against. "I hear we want to make changes but the changes could cause some consequences. We need to weight the cons and pros."

Jerry Kulah, Liberia Conference, spoke against. "I think we have rules, and I think we should follow the rules and no compromise the integrity of General Conference."

Adam Hamilton, Great Plains Conference: "We are in a stuck place. Bishops, you are our leaders, you can give us non-binding recommendations as spiritual leaders; you have the right to call a special General Conference. How do we reorder our life so we can move forward? Come back with a suggestion so we don't leave Friday having accomplished very little.

Richard Hoffman, Western Pennsylvania Conference: We respectfully ask you to vote no. We stand at a crossroads as a church.

Delegates voted 428-364 in favor of sending the request for a non-binding recommendation to the Council of Bishops.

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Despite widespread social media rumors of a separation plan, the Council of Bishops, through its new president, reaffirmed its commitment to United Methodist unity even as it acknowledged publicly that the bishops themselves are divided over the same issues that have split delegates to the 2016 General Conference.

Speculation had run rampant May 17 through social media that the bishops would call for a special General Conference on amicable separation in 2018. Rumor also said that during the interim, a moratorium would be imposed on prosecutions of clergy who perform same-sex marriages, or who publicly self-identify as gay or lesbian. Same-sex marriages are legal in the United States, but are still banned by The United Methodist Church.

A Washington Post article by Michelle Boorstein cited overnight social media posts by pastors such as the Rev. Chris Ritter of Geneseo, Ill., and Rev. Douglas Damron of Toldeo, Ohio, that reported a proposed amicable separation plan was in the works. When he stood to speak on behalf of the Council of Bishops, however, Bishop Bruce Ough, newly installed Council president scotched the earlier reports.

"Collectively we have a broken heart," said Bishop Ough. "This brokenness emanates from issues of human sexuality, the interpretation of Scripture, LGBTQ inclusion, and despair over the decline of the church in America.

"Your bishops are charged with spirit and temporal oversight. We have been on our knees in prayer, had intense holy conversations, and deeply considered how to maintain unity and bring healing to church. We have been in dialogue with leading voices within different groups, with delegations and with conference officials, prayerfully listening and waiting on the Holy Spirit. Our conversations have unintentionally contributed to anxiety via social media."

During both his remarks and a following press conference, Bishop Ough declined to identify the organizations or people with whom the bishops had been consulting. He said that he and his predecessor in office, Bishop Warner H. Brown Jr. of Sacramento, Calif., has been meeting with representatives. One group, Good News, issued a statement on the morning of the bishops' remarks acknowledging its participation in the talks.

Bishops don't legislate

In his remarks, Bishop Ough stressed that the role of bishops, according to the United Methodist Church's constitution, is to serve as presiders, while General Conference is the body that legislates. As a result, the Council of Bishops declined to present a plan for amicable separation, choosing instead to advocate for the unity of The United Methodist Church and plead with General Conference to do likewise.

"At the same time, we remain open to new and innovative ways to remain in unity," Bishop Ough said. "We need new beginnings, new structures for mission and witness. So much of who we are and how we work together is working. And yet so much needs to adapt to new realities."

As he finished, the bishop invoked God's Holy Spirit to "break through, set us free, revive and renew our United Methodist movement, mend our broken hearts.

"We belong to God and one another. I urge you, as we've been encouraged this week, to join your bishops to walk humbly to seek justice for all, to do no harm, do good and stay in love with God. Let us redouble our efforts even now to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."

During a press conference after his remarks, Bishop Ough expanded on what the Council of Bishops seeks to accomplish.

'Remarkable spirit'

Bishop Ough cited a "remarkable spirit of holy conferencing" during sessions with caucus leaders prior to and during General Conference. He demurred on whether his remarks signaled the end of talks about splitting the denomination, saying the Council remains "open to more dialogue" on all aspects of church unity. He denied that the rumors about a separation plan represented a breach of confidentiality, saying that participants had been freed in final talks to discuss topics with their respective constituencies. He also denied that the refusal to bring forth a specific plan for amicable separation represented a failure of the bishops' leadership.

"Everyone wants us to lead, providing we lead in their direction," Bishop Ough, provoking laughter from the gathering. "Our intent was to acknowledge that we are broken, but that the Council of Bishops believes we are called to maintain the unity of the body of Christ."

Throughout his remarks, Bishop Ough stressed that from his perspective, the work of unity across the church requires all United Methodists to develop stronger, deeper relationships with one another.

"But in order to develop those kinds of relationships, we need to create spaces for conversations that don't carry recriminations," the bishop said. "You can't be honest with someone for fear they're out to get you."

'Church of the middle'

Bishop Ough said he believes that United Methodism is a "church of the middle." In other words, he said, he knows that both clergy and laity go about their vocations aware that the church isn't working well, that they want it to work well, and that they want to be a part of making it work.

"You don't create unity through structure," the bishop said. "You create unity through relationships and you need space to create those relationships. Most structure proposals don't get at the core of what's needed to resolve our issues. As long as we keep imposing rules on one another, we can't get to the place where the Holy Spirit can lead us."

In response to United Methodist Insight questions, Bishop Ough said that extending the experiences of holy conferencing to annual conferences and local congregations would require both commitment and spiritual practice. He also acknowledged that changing the UMC from a culture of politics to a culture of spirituality demands changing the "narrative" of United Methodist life. As an example, he cited a spiritual experiment he has been trying in his own Dakotas-Minnesota episcopal area.

"We've been praying for the Holy Spirit to break through," the bishop said. "We must come to a broader vision of God."

United Methodist Insight Editor & Founder Cynthia B. Astle has reported on General Conferences since 1988.