Dianne Tobey ordination
The Rev. Dianne L. Tobey at her ordination in the East Ohio Annual Conference. (Courtesy photo)
Today, as on most Sundays, I got up early and dressed in my clergy shirt, put on my collar, and drove to church. I checked in with the accompanist and the media folk, said hi to a bunch of others, made sure my time with the children stuff was ready, and checked over my sermon one more time. I prayed. I heard hard news about one of my favorite parishioners (yes, we do have favorites). I put on my robe and chose my Guatemalan stole with the symbol of the United Methodist Church at the bottom. And I went upstairs to lead worship and preach and pray and sing with the congregation who call me their pastor.
I never take these Sundays for granted. I have dreamed of being a pastor since I was in high school. I work hard at being a good one. I love being a pastor. I love serving people and serving God.
But only 66 years ago I could not have served the United Methodist Church in this way. Women were not allowed to be ordained in the Methodist Church until 1956, the year my own mother graduated from high school. When my friend and mentor the Rev. Barbara Troxell was ordained, the newspapers wrote about the “lady pastor.” In her first appointment, her gender was not revealed until the church had accepted her appointment.
Thankfully, the Methodists were able to see that denying women ordination was denying their gifts, given to them by God, for the church.
I am unabashedly a United Methodist. I have considered other denominations, but time and again I come back to the people called Methodist – where we are encouraged to use our brains to reason, our hearts to love, and where grace is paramount. I am someone who values vital piety and social action – I love the liturgy and I love that the church is called to be in the world serving others in the name of Christ.
I have been hurt by the church. I have been hurt to know that the church has played an active role in racism and sexism. I have been hurt every four years when I observe General Conference and see that once again the church has denied full membership to LGBTQIA+ persons. I have been hurt when, as a member of secretarial staff at Annual Conference, I have had to count the votes of those who stood up to say that they believe that people I love do not have the right to marry in the church, effectively denying their full personhood.
And yet I have stayed and I will continue to stay. This is my church. To leave would be to allow it to be taken over by those I believe do not understand what it means to love a God who is by very name and nature love. I will stay, and I will continue to work for the full inclusion of ALL God’s children. That is what it means to me to #BeUMC.
The Rev. Dianne L. Tobey serves as pastor of Christ UMC – Cleveland in the East Ohio Conference of The United Methodist Church. This post is republished with permission from her Facebook page. To republish this content elsewhere, please contact the author.