“What’s Going on in the UMC? – Article 1: Introduction”

During 2018, or at least a portion of it, since I do not know how many articles this series will be, I would like to take the opportunity to inform all of you about what has been going on in the United Methodist Church regarding our ongoing debate about this issue of human sexuality.  In a nutshell, the debate centers around whether the UMC should change its rules and allow homosexual persons to serve as pastors and allow same-sex marriages.  However, as we will see in the coming months, there are a lot of moving parts to the debate.  This first article will give just a very brief introduction of the series and set some ground rules for future discussion.

First, let us be upfront about our own positions, and try to understand and fairly represent the positions of others, even if we do not agree with them.  For my part, I believe that the current position of the UMC regarding sexuality should not be changed. There are people I love in these churches, and in the UMC, who are on the other side of this debate, which is what makes this discussion so difficult.  I understand and respect the position of those who do not agree with me.  I believe that their position is driven by a desire for love and justice and I continue to love them as brothers and sisters in Christ even if my understanding of the authority and meaning of the Bible differs from theirs.

Second, I would suggest that rather than continue to try to convince each other that we are right and that they are wrong, now the time has come for us to talk about if and how we can continue to work and worship with each other as United Methodists and Christians while each following our own convictions.  Therefore, other than the preceding paragraph, I will not be making, or entertaining, any statements or debates about the rightness or the wrongness of the issue itself.  Such things will only keep us from the more important conversation of how we move forward and would distract me from presenting to you the current information in the most unbiased way I can.

Third, this discussion is about the United Methodist Church, not about any other group or society as a whole.  We will leave aside any debate about this issue in the larger political, legal, or social arenas.  For the record, I fully support the full civil rights of LBGT+ persons in the secular world, that falls under loving our neighbors.  In the church, we love each other and hold one anther accountable to the Christian life; outside the church, we just love.

If you can agree to be held accountable to these rules, and to hold me accountable to them, then I invite you to read on and become part of this conversation with me in the coming months.  The easiest way to engage is through the comment section of my blog at https://pastorbrianoliver.blogspot.com/.  However, you can always call, write, or just talk to me in person.

Over the course of the coming months, I will be sharing information and opinions from various sources and I will try to be as fair as I can.   Next time, I will outline some of the history of this debate to help us understand how we got where we are.