Resist Harm
The full-court press has begun to sway the 2020 General Conference to remove anti-LGBTQ+ stances in the Book of Discipline, and it has gained a remarkable coalition of supporters.
Uniting Methodists, long considered the most moderate of folks supporting continued unity in The United Methodist Church, has stepped up not only to join in the Resist Harm Movement, but to actively encourage others to join in refusing to comply with the restrictions against LGBTQ+ persons and same-sex marriages that go into effect Jan. 1, 2020.
From the latest Uniting Methodists newsletter:
"Join us in supporting the work of the Resist Harm Movement, of which Uniting Methodists is an organizational partner. The Resist Harm Movement stands firmly within our Wesleyan tradition of the wideness of God’s grace in a broken world in need of Christ’s love. In light of the Traditional Plan passed by the Special General Conference 2019, we cannot remain silent and thereby complicit with legislation that discriminates against LGBTQ persons and that meets pastoral care with punishment."
According to its press release and website, the Resist Harm movement has three goals:
- "To stand in solidarity against harmful and discriminatory UMC practices and language and in shared witness as a Church committed to justice for and in ministry with all persons.
- "To raise the visibility of United Methodists who seek a church that affirms all ages, nations, races, classes, cultures, gender identities, sexual orientations and abilities.
- "To support those directly experiencing harm because of the discriminatory and punitive provisions of the Traditional Plan."
Also according to its press release, Resist Harm organizers and supporters include virtually every centrist and LGBTQ-friendly group that has had a recognized voice in the struggle over the UMC's future:
- UMCNext,
- Reconciling Ministries Network,
- Methodist Federation for Social Action,
- Mainstream UMC,
- Western Methodist Justice Movement,
- UM Scholars,
- All Belong,
- Affirmation.
Central Conference Forum Pushes Against Dissolution
A group of concerned United Methodists from the Central Conferences, represented by the Rev. Lloyd T. Nyarota, has made a case over the past six weeks for rejecting all plans that would dissolve The United Methodist Church.
According to Rev. Nyarota's presentation to Central Conference bishops at the November Council meeting in Lake Junaluska, N.C., the group's aims are:
“ As United Methodists from Central Conferences, we seek to build and prosper a church whose members are connected globally, do mission together, respect contextual settings, celebrate diversity, and value honest, genuine, and mutual anti-colonial relationships in order to strengthen our core mission of evangelism, social witness and making disciples for Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.”
Rev. Nyarota made a similar presentation to the Philippines College of Bishops in which he reiterated the forum's opposition to dissolution of the UMC. The text of both presentations are published on United Methodist Insight.
Cynthia B. Astle serves as Editor of United Methodist Insight, which she founded in 2011.