Baltimore-Washington Clergy OK Two LGBTQ Persons for Ordination

May 29, 2019

5:09 PM

Two LGBTQ persons, Joey Heath-Mason and T. C. Morrow, were approved for commissioning as ordained clergy in the Baltimore-Washington Annual Conference May 29, according to a Facebook post from Jan Lawrence, executive director of the Reconciling Ministries Network.

Joey Heath-Mason

Mr. Heath-Mason, a married gay man, currently serves as a chaplain at UMC-related American University in Washington, D.C. Ms. Morrow, a married lesbian, works with the National Religious Campaign Against Torture in Washington.

Ms. Morrow’s congregation, Foundry United Methodist Church, celebrated her approval in an email from its Sacred Resistance ministry team:

“We celebrate the decision of the clergy of the Baltimore-Washington Conference who today voted to approve the Board of Ordained Ministry’s recommendation to accept T.C. Morrow as a provisional member of the Order of Deacon in The United Methodist Church. We have been blessed by T.C.’s faithful and consistent answer to God’s call on her life and rejoice that we are companions together on this journey. Please join us in celebrating God’s continued call on T.C.’s life by joining us for the 2019 Ordination Service at 7PM on Friday, May 31st at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront Hotel (700 Aliceanna Street, Baltimore, MD 21202) in the Grand Ballroom.

Photo by Steven D. Martin

T.C. Morrow

T. C. Morrow

“We invite you to surround T.C. with your prayers as she continues to offer herself in ministry. We ask you to join us in prayer for the Baltimore-Washington Conference as they continue to lead with conviction and for all LGBTQIA+ persons who faithfully offer themselves for the work of ministry in The United Methodist Church. We ask you to join us in prayer for our United Methodist Church as we all live faithfully in making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.”

Previously Ms. Morrow had been approved by the Baltimore-Washington board of ordained ministry, but her commissioning has been delayed for three years because of The United Methodist Church’s ban on ordaining LGBTQIA+ persons. Last year, when Bishop LaTrelle Miller Easterling refused to allow the BWC clergy session to vote on Ms. Morrow’s candidacy, noted ethicist J. Philip Wogaman, a longtime advocate of LGBTQ inclusion, surrendered his clergy credentials in protest.

Bishop Easterling’s ruling on the clergy session vote subsequently was overturned by the United Methodist Judicial Council, which reviews all rulings of law made by bishops.

Susquehanna RM Communion

Sweet communion offered

How’d you like to have Holy Communion where they make chocolate? Susquehanna Reconciling United Methodists will sponsor Eucharist at noontime Friday, May 31 in Hershey, Pa., during the 2019 Susquehanna Annual Conference (central Pennsylvania and southern New York). Because Hershey’s claim to fame is its famous chocolate factory, the convention center names its rooms accordingly. Reconciling United Methodists will gather in the Chocolate Lobby, and may their fellowship be sweet.

Media Mentions as of May 29, 2019

Three United Methodist pastors and their delight in ministry – The Christian Century

Our church welcomes all children of God – Sentinel & Enterprise

Old fault lines widen in divided Methodism – Greenville Daily Reflector

Comments (6)

Comment Feed

Lack of integrity

How does one make a vow before God that you have no intention of keeping and then believe that you are a Christian?

Virginia more than 5 years ago

over and done

If this doesn't send the message that we must separate nothing will. The fight is over and time to divide in peace. There will be no “ridiculous one church” plan now or ever!

Tracy more than 5 years ago

Why?

So why did we spend millions of dollars to hold a special conference if progressives were planning to do what they want all along? I think tradionalists should probably wake up and realize that this war has been lost. Not lost due to numbers, because the laity is clearly more traditionalist than the elitist leaders in the UMC; however, the bishops and out of touch clergy have made their decision they are going to rule from the top down, no more votes needed. They already tried to tip the scale in favor of the one church plan. Since that failed, now they just plan to ignore the vote because it didn't go their way. Traditionalists would be best to simply leave the UMC now. The money shouldn't matter anymore, this is about principle. The progressives who have taken over the UMC have zero principle, zero respect for the laity, and many of them are new age atheists who will sink the UMC anyway whether we're in the boat or not.

Daniel more than 5 years ago

Nice.

It's one thing to disagree; it's quite another for the leaders of our Church to not follow its own legitimately determined rules. Their refusal to recognize a legitimate decision by GC illuminates where they intend to go with schism. They have determined that God was not at work at GC, that the majority of the UMC is wrong about the Church's teaching, and that they have no intent to seek a gracious splitting of the institution.

These leaders simply do not have the authority to make this decision for the Church. What is the line in the sand on this rule-breaking? Are any and all standards subject to nullification by leaders and and boards who have no authority to set those standards? Where does it end? By the nullification standards now being practiced it appears that no standards and rules have to be followed. If you are a leader and if you disagree with the church's rules- well, just don't follow them. Anarchy now rules the UMC.

td more than 5 years ago

Candidates

Of course they did. Two more people to purge. Let's see them try that after 1 January.

Kevin more than 5 years ago

No Consequences

I'm sure they will and nothing will done. Are traditionalist Methodists going to learn that progressives play by different rules, rules for radicals. They will resist until they get their way or we leave.

Daniel more than 5 years ago