In Response to Keith Boyette

Layman Disputes WCA Leader's Claim of LGBTQ Inclusion

April 8, 2019

8:13 AM

Pew Research Center Chart

LGBTQ Acceptance

The Pew Research Center recently compiled this chart of Christian churches' varied stances on the acceptability of LGBTQ people.

Editor's Note: This post is a response to the article by Keith Boyette which was posted by the Wesleyan Covenant Association on April 5.

What hypocrisy!

"The United Methodist Church does not condone the practice of homosexuality and considers this practice incompatible with Christian teaching" (para 161G). The presence of this sentence in the United Methodist Book of Discipline makes it impossible for The United Methodist Church to say that it truly affirms LGBTQIA+ people. It totally negates the other "affirming" content in paragraph 161G. The UMC and the WCA will not be able to state that they unequivocally affirm LGBTQIA+ folks until that language is removed.

Congregations which are affirming accept LGBTQIA+ and straight people when they come to a community of faith and value their gifts and graces. It means that LGBTQIA+ and straight folks are fully included in the life of a congregation. LGBTQIA+ and straight people are provided equal opportunities to use their gifts within the church for the common good. In affirming settings, LGBTQIA+ and straight people can and do serve as worship leaders, communion servers, committee chairpersons, teachers, choir members, youth workers, lay leaders, lay members of annual conference, delegates to General Conference, etc. LGBTQIA+ folks should be as eligible for ordination as straight folks!

Churches which affirm LGBTQIA+ people love them and embrace them, just as they love and embrace straight members of the community of faith. Affirming settings provide an environment where LGBTQIA+ and straight folks can be open and authentically who they are within the congregation. They can sit together, hold hands, serve together, talk openly about their life together, have their children baptized, and be married by their pastor within the church facility.

The expectation is that affirming churches will be advocates for the equality of LGBTQIA+ people in the world around them and will fully include them in the life of the church. In affirming settings, LGBTQIA+ and straight people will have equal opportunities - with no exceptions!

It is not enough to simply welcome LGBTQIA+ people to worship services! The expectation is that LGBTQIA+ people will be affirmed and fully integrated as equal participants in the life of the church!

If LGBTQIA+ people are going to be welcome in United Methodist churches, congregations must be safe places for LGBTQIA+ people, their families and friends. Pastors cannot preach judgmental sermons and laity cannot make judgmental comments. LGBTQIA+ and straight people have to be free to be authentically who they are.

Thankfully, some United Methodist congregations are very affirming, welcoming, and safe communities of faith for LGBTQIA+ and straight people!

So, WCA leaders, are these the sorts of models you plan to implement to become welcoming and affirming of LGBTQIA+ people? What are you doing to actively identify and reform those UM communities of faith where LGBTQIA+ people are despised, judged, removed from positions they hold, or rejected by their families and church members? When will you consider these egregious practices chargeable offenses?

WCA leaders, I would hope you will seriously consider these thoughts and withdraw Keith Boyette's blatantly offensive article which makes claims not supported by realities across The United Methodist Church!

Tracy Merrick

United Methodist layman Tracy Merrick of Wexford, Pa., says he's "heavily involved" in several volunteer efforts including the Reconciling Ministries Network and the Western Pennsylvania Annual Conference. This post is republished with permission from his Facebook page.

Comments (10)

Comment Feed

Being Affirming

Christianity is not an affirming religion. It is a religion that causes one to change our sinful lives to one that conforms with the teachings of God, through the words of Jesus and his hand picked apostles. The teachings of modern rationalists are no substitute for those of Christ and his apostles. However all people regardless of who they are, what they believe, or what they have done are welcome in all of our churches. This is the policy of the UMC and the WCA. Of course if you are living a sinful life, whatever the sin is, we hope that you will change your ways and give up your sin. If you want a church that affirms everything, go to a Universalist Church. They believe everything is ok, of course they won't lead you to heaven, but to do that you have to change your life. Sorry.

Scott more than 5 years ago

WCA needs to compile a list of sins

Homosexuality has been elevated above all other sins in the eyes of the WCA. They ought to go through the Bible, decide which sins are 'relevant' today and which are not. I've noticed that a number of the conservative leaders are clean shaven, in opposition to Leviticus 19:27. What else are they doing, in direct opposition to God? [I don't subscribe to the literalist view, but neither do I subscribe to hypocrisy.]

JR more than 5 years ago

Not so forgiving

Back at GC 1872, the ME Church, passed rules against amusements. These included going to any kind of theatrical performance, the circus. dancing, cards and games of chance, gambling, and attending horse races even if not gambling. Under these strictures, a pastor or class leader would privately reprove the offender, who would be subject to trial if continuing in the offense. These quaint rules were revised in 1924 as they made the church look foolish in the public eye, but expulsion of offenders was still an option. The enforcement of church discipline is less strict today, but that could change. The current opposition could find themselves in difficulty as easily had they been caught doing the "bunny hug" or "shimmy" in earlier days.

David more than 5 years ago

If you are comfortable with your perceptions

of who you believe you are and you truly believe God is fine with your perception, then by all means do not expect a church grounded in historical Christianity to necessarily agree with you. You will most definitely be better off in a different church that has a completely different understanding of Christianity. When it comes to understanding God and ourselves, we do not all have to think and believe alike but those differences do require completely different churches.

betsy more than 5 years ago

And that is your view of the church and Christianity

The WCA has a completely different understanding and it includes all are welcome but there is a requirement for all to walk away from our broken perceptions of who we believe we are. And 2000 years of Christianity does not allow us to believe that people who engage in same gender sex or who believe that they can choose their gender are not in need of salvation from their own broken perceptions and inclinations every bit as much as a kleptomaniac or a serial murderer. It all goes back to whether or not you believe that even though God created the world and everything in it and called it good, humanity continually rebels and tries to take control of the situation. So yes, LGBTQ persons are welcome because they are of sacred worth because through Christ, God can heal everybody's brokenness and transform them into the truly human persons he created all of us to be. And although we strongly believe this, we recognize that there are others who disagree with us and we respect their right to do so because our understanding is that Jesus never forced anybody to do anything; he simply offered an invitation to a better life.

And by the way, I do not see the Anglican Church of North America on the list, neither were the Assemblies of God or the Wesleyan Church--all who stick with an historic understanding of sexuality and marriage and they are growing even as Mainline Protestant Christianity continues to crumble. And then there are the non-denominational churches which also maintain traditional beliefs and are doing just fine.

betsy more than 5 years ago

A very short list

Lots of other groups missing... other Wesleyan groups include Nazarenes, Free Methodists, Salvation Army, AME, AMEZ, CME; Reformed/Presbyterians such as Christian Reformed Church, Reformed Church in America, Presbyterian Church in America, Orthodox Presbyterian Church; Lutherans like LCMS, WELS. And the list just continues from there.

John more than 5 years ago

Wow

So now you are lumping in homosexuality etc in with kleptomania and serial murder?

Why not just go all the way old testament and find a bucket of rocks to work with?

JR more than 5 years ago

The 2000 years

I sometimes wonder what is so compelling about the past 2000 years in connection with church teaching on homosexuality. The teachers, clergy, and laypeople over these centuries have not necessarily had opportunity to see many models of lifelong, monogamous same-sex relationships or discipleship practiced by queer men and women. In this era more are starting to see the normality of such persons and relationship, that they are often marked by the same fruitfulness and, yes, flaws, as heterosexual Christians living out their family lives. It isn't clear that the Apostle Paul had that frame of reference either when he wrote passages expressing disdain for shocking forms of homosexual practices. I am careful not to discount the gravity of more conservative Followers who interpret Paul's words in Romans and I Corinthians as very much addressed to scenarios like today's same-sex marriages. Yet there are Scriptural grounds for exhorting each other to be disciples who welcome strangers and the marginalized and despairing; who fight for God's justice and mercy and extravagant love to be made more and more manifest in our communities and culture. In the Law, Prophets, Gospels, and Epistles it seems as if these themes constitute the Kingdom's ultimate purposes while teachings on cleanness and sexual norms reflect much of the local, contemporary settings. It is for reasons like these that many of Christ's straight followers take joy in seeing evidence that his remarkable purposes can be worked out in queer people's households and under their pastoral leadership.

Matthew more than 5 years ago

Decision was made

The liberal bias of the several so called leaders of the Methodist is growing weary. Decision was made at the general conference and will be reaffirmed in 2020. It would be more beneficial to all parties to split and concentrate on ministry. This continued fighting is accomplishing nothing and is harmful to all sides. Why resist a split? It is beyond me why some say we need to stay together.

Tracy more than 5 years ago

Blessings?

Are you sure that a church can't have some type of blessing ceremony? We don't really discuss it, but I see nothing that would prohibit if the local pastor wanted to do it. We support the legal rights associated with marriage being extended to all.

Reverend Boyette seems to be correct to me.

Anonymous more than 5 years ago