This morning, the day of Beth's birthday, started off wonderfully with Bishop Fisher's sermon... but I should have known that it wouldn't last. Right now, I can't even remember what we did before lunch. I do remember that a few of us went out together to lunch. But after lunch, it all began...
All of a sudden the petition came up. Do we accept the petition to say that we as United Methodists understand that we are divided on an issue? Or do we condone homosexuality and say that it is "incompatible with Christian teaching"? This phrase now makes me sick.
A quick explaination: when a petition has a minority report, that is, when 10% of a committee chooses to rewrite a petition within 2 hours of the petition's adoption or rejection, the plenary first perfects the majority report (the initial petition coming from the committee) without debate, then perfects the minority report, votes on the minority report, and then there are two options. If the minority reports passes, it replaces the majority report and it has to be voted on again as the main report. If passed, it replaces the old language. If it does not pass, the original language remains. If the minority reports does not pass, the majority report is then voted on, and either passes or fails.
After much debate, the majority report about accepting that we are divided was perfected. Then we moved onto the minority report. I will type in full text what that says in another post. To make it short, we voted on the minority report, and it passed, but then someone called a point of order because we never actually suspended the rules to be able to vote on it. After that was taken care of, I mentioned to Kurt that if the minority report does pass, I would probably be out of there because I would be crying. Well, the minority report did pass, about 40% against it and 60% for it. I waited for it to be adopted again as the majority report, which it was. I had already started crying, and after the final report I left the room.
I felt, and still feel, betrayed by the church. We are called as United Methodists to have open hearts, open minds, and open doors. Today, in not just this instance but in others as well, we have shut the doors on homosexual people. Today, the United Methodist Church ruled that pastors still have the final decision over the membership of their church and that homosexual people cannot be ordained.
I am greatly upset. I felt bad for the people in the stands who were wearing their rainbow stoles and singing "Jesus Loves Us". They would stand before we voted, and they continued to sing even while we continued with other matters. They left at one point, and I wondered why.
After I ran out of the plenary room, I questioned how anyone who is homosexual or an ally can remain with the church. I just did not understand. Pastor Heather came out to talk with me. She said something very wise, something that I will remember probably for the rest of my life. She said that she had fallen in love with this Church, and that if she left, there would be no hope for the ones she leaves behind. If she left then there would be no change. That is why I am still here. I love God, and I love this Church. I was not able to say this earlier, but I have hope for the future. Sadly and tearfully, the future must come in four years, but I can have hope that one day it will come...
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