Bishop Muyombo
The landscape of The United Methodist Church – or perhaps we should say the “heartscape” – has been changed by the events of 2019, judging by recent remarks of some leaders.
First, Lovers Lane UMC in Dallas has posted a heartfelt video of Bishop Mande Muyombo of North Katanga Episcopal Area in the Congo Central Conference (see above). He attended a Jan. 4 theological discussion for many General Conference delegates and other leaders at the church. Bishop Muyombo closed a segment of the discussion with a remarkable confession and plea for forgiveness for the harm caused to LGBTQ+ persons by the church’s stances.
Later in the week, the Rev. Rob Renfroe, president of the traditionalist Good News caucus, confirmed what many of us intuited: Traditionalists won the battle for tightening anti-LGBTQ+ restrictions at the 2019 General Conference, but they now realize that they lost the war for the hearts and minds of many United Methodists.
In a Jan. 9 article for Good News titled “Why I Support the Separation Plan,” Rev. Renfroe wrote: “Then, new elections were held for GC 2020 delegates. And we suffered real losses. Plus, we continued to hear that some of the African bishops were willing to adopt a regional conference plan that would allow the UM Church in the United States to have its own Book of Discipline and its own sexual ethics.
“So, even though we ‘won’ in 2019, there was no guarantee we would win in 2020. And even if we did, it would not really change anything.
“Looking at who was elected as jurisdictional delegates, it is unlikely that we will elect a single bishop who would be committed to the full enforcement of the Discipline. And our church structure and constitution have made it nearly impossible to remove a bishop who refuses to enforce the Discipline.”
These two instances would seem to indicate a possibility, slim though it may be, that “A Protocol of Reconciliation & Grace Through Separation” has a chance of being perfected and adopted at the 2020 General Conference in May. We can’t get too fizzy with hope, however, because there’s still a lot of ground to cover between now and the start of GC2020.
Whatever happens, let’s try to meet developments with Bishop Muyombo’s humility and Rev. Renfroe’s honesty.
In other news …
This week’s newsletter from the Reconciling Ministries Network contains news bites that are both encouraging and discouraging. Among them:
- The Supreme Court of the Philippines ruled against same-sex marriage "with finality," creating a more hostile environment for LGBTQ persons in the Philippines.
- Southeastern Regional Organizer Helen Ryde was interviewed by Blue Ridge Public Radio about their thoughts on the Protocol as a staff member at RMN and as a GC2020 delegate from Western North Carolina.
- Ten United Methodist churches in the New England Annual Conference are three months into an eight month-long discernment process about their relationship with The UMC. Among those interviewed by the Bangor Daily News is RMN Communications Specialist Ophelia Hu Kinney, who serves as part-time staff at HopeGateWay in Portland, Maine.
The newsletter includes a note about RMN’s support for “A Protocol of Reconciliation & Grace Through Separation”:
“RMN supports this Protocol for the opportunity it brings for repentance, reform, and reconciliation. [RMN Executive Director Jan] Lawrence is grateful for the invitation to participate in the conversation. The combined impact of the legislation needed to implement the Protocol, the Regional Conference Plan, and the Global Social Principles will prove far-reaching. The moratorium on anti-LGBTQ complaints and trials in the Protocol will lessen our anxiety in this era of the Traditional Plan while we work to remove the discriminatory language in the Book of Discipline and reform our United Methodist Church for the sake of witness and ministry.”
Media Mentions as of Jan. 10, 2020
The potential split of The United Methodist Church is still burning up the media-verse.
Impossible impasse – Plattsburgh Press Republican
Commentary: Tear down the walls that separate us – Delaware State News
Local church members weigh in on potential split in United Methodist Church – WRCB-TV
United Methodist Church proposes split over same-sex marriage, LGBTQ rights – msnNOW
One goal of Methodists' plan to split the church over same-sex marriage and clergy: Avoid lawsuits – Washington Post
Methodists propose split in gay marriage, clergy impasse – Philadelphia Sunday Sun
Who's right in Methodist church split over gay marriage? Hindsight always shows – Lexington Herald Leader
United Methodist Churches could see historic split – KTTC
Three local Methodist churches announce stand with LGBTQ+ as denomination nears split – KDRV
Queer and Christian – Oregon Daily Emerald