Special to United Methodist Insight
To my disaffiliating clergy and lay colleagues,
Grace to you and peace from God through our Lord Jesus the Christ, who is the author and indeed the giver of life.
Vincent Isner Photo by Vincent Isner
Vance P. Ross
The Rev. Dr. Vance P. Ross
Hearing and observing claims of “disobedience” and “broken vows” as reasons for leaving the connection, I wonder where the displeasure was/is regarding this baptismal vow: “Do you accept the freedom and power God gives you to resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves?”
Clearly preceding sexuality issues in the UMC are the sin sick, condemned spiritual/ theological, socio/economic atrocities of 1. land theft and 2. labor theft.
To be abundantly clear, I mean the benefits received from the wholesale annihilation of Native peoples on these shores and the terrorist kidnapping and torturing enslavement of Black people. Therein lies the economic legacy received that is not discussed when making property and asset claims.
My dear friends, if contending for the faith is really at issue, when—in the next 11 months—shall we discuss restoration of what was stolen?
This cannot be ignored, not by those who claim to seek scriptural holiness.
I, for one, await your reply for a discussion of how we address this as followers of Jesus Christ.
Take good care, keep the faith and, as always,
Be well!
Vance P. Ross
The Rev. Dr. Vance P. Ross serves as senior pastor of Central United Methodist Church in Atlanta. To reproduce this content elsewhere, please contact the author via the church website.