Photo by Paul Jeffrey, UMNS
LGBTQ Demonstrators
Demonstrators supporting the removal of the UMC's anti-LGBTQ stances held communion after the vote to retain them at the 2012 General Conference
In his commentary on the "One Church Plan" in the "UMNS Weekly Digest" (June 8), Bishop Robert Schnase (San Antonio, Tex., Area) selects option one of three in keeping our church together. Bishop Schnase says that this plan will allow freedom for all conferences, churches, officials and individuals to decide how the denomination and gay members relate to each other. Such practices as gay marriage wIll be allowed, but not imposed. As Bishop Schnase puts it, everyone will be given "flexibility to reach their missional context" and thus ensure unity in our denomination.
This immediately leads me to wonder how well we really understand the evangelicals, or even traditional conservatives in our midst. How can they support a model that allows everyone to stand side by side with those whose position they devoutly reject, whose Biblical view is totally unacceptable?
Unity is not a priority for those who see certain doctrines and Biblical platforms as paramount and ongoing principles for the church. As the dissenters might well argue, the church is not about each trying to help the other "reach their missional context." Even liberals can affirm this, if they are strictly honest with themselves. While we should have love and goodwill toward those who do not share our inclusive vision, I doubt we want to be complicit in helping them spread their contrary view throughout the denomination.
There are several ways to split the church, and I see the "one Church Plan" as one of them. I am opposing the plan, however, not because I believe we need to keep United Methodists together at any cost. In fact, I contend we should be realistic and ready to expect separation.
I join with those who find something disingenuous about an effort that allows us to pretend we are united, when we are not and haven't been united, substantively speaking, for a long, long while. A more forthright and principled position is for us to declare we seek a fully inclusive church, with no apologies and with no judgment of those who disagree, and simply let the door swing for those who in good conscience cannot remain. This action will inevitably bring painful agitation in the transition, but will ultimately relieve us of the crippling chaos we now have, all the accommodating and fruitless schemes, the endless, debilitating and very costly debates.
The Rev. Gilbert Vieira of Petaluma, Calif., is a retired clergy member of the California-Nevada Annual Conference