I'm sorry...

For all the lesbian, gay, transgender, and bisexual people out there, I'm sorry. I'm sorry the United Methodist Church has let you down once again. I'm sorry that we cannot be open and welcoming to everyone. I'm sorry...

The only thing I can say is that I have hope. After the minority report passed, I felt betrayed. I could not understand... but I want to say again something that Heather told me. How can I make a difference, how can I CHANGE THE CHURCH if I leave? If I leave because the Church has betrayed me, then who will be a voice for those who do not want to leave, but want to be fully accepted as well.

Plus, I can't leave. I love this Church. I have grown up in this Church, and many people I know are a part of this Church. Instead of giving up on the Church, I choose to stay and wait for change.

I am sorry that you have to wait four years. I am sorry that we have made you wait, but please, please stay with me. There are people, atleast 40% of Church people, who accept you for who you are. There are pastors, churches, district superintendants, and even bishops, who support and accept you.

So I ask you, please stay standing with me. For we will stand together, and in four years, we will try again for change, for a future with hope...

Human Sexuality, Majority Report

I'm sorry if I have this wrong. It was a whole mess of amendments and motions (what's new?), but if you think it should be something different, please just let me know:

We recognize that sexuality is God's good gift to all persons. We believe persons may be fully human only when that gift is acknowledged and affirmed by themselves, the church, and society. We call all persons to the disciplined, responsible fulfillment of themselves, others, and society in the stewardship of this gift. We also recognize our limited understanding of this complex gift and encourage the medical, theological, and social science disciplines to combine in a determined effort to understand human sexuality more completely.

United Methodists, along with other Christians, have struggled to find principles for applying traditional teachings to contemporary understandings of human sexuality. We recognize that sexuality is part of the larger human mystery, to be received and acknowledged in grateful responsibility.

We reject all sexual expressions that damage or destroy the humanity God has given us. We deplore all forms of the commercialization and exploitation of sexual relations, with their consequent cheapening and degradation of human personality. We call for strict global enforcement of laws prohibiting the sexual exploitation or use of children by adults and encourage efforts to hold perpetrators legally and financially responsible. We call for adequate protection, guidance, and counseling for children thus abused. We believe that the Church family should support all families in providing age-appropriate education regarding sexuality to children, youth, and adults.

We challenge all members of our community of faith to commitment, integrity, and fidelity in their sexual relationships. We affirm that all are God's children and of sacred worth; yet we have been, and remain, divided regarding homosexual expressions of human sexuality. Faithful, thoughtful people who have grappled with this issue deeply disagree with one another; yet all seek a faithful witness. We continue to reason and pray together with faith and hope that the Holy Spirit will soon bring reconciliation to our community of faith.

The fire in our disagreements points to a deeper human mystery than we knew. We believe that the Spirit has brought our collective conscience to acknowledge this mystery more honestly, and to make our claims with greater humility before God and our neighbors. We therefore ask the Church, United Methodist and others, and the world, to refrain from judgment regarding homosexual persons and practices as the Spirit leads us to new insight. Therefore, let us seek to welcome, know, forgive, and love one another as Christ has accepted us, that God may be glorified through everything in our lives.

<-- so it is my understanding that this would have been the final majority report to be voted on if the minority report did not pass...

Human Sexuality, Minority Report

Book of Discipline, paragraph 161, part G
We affirm that sexuality is God's good gift to all persons. We call everyone to responsible stewardship of this sacred gift.
Although all persons are sexual beings whether or not they are married, sexual relations are affirmed only within the covenant of monogamous, heterosexual marriage.
We deplore all forms of the commercialization, abuse, and exploitation of sex. We call for strict global enforcement of laws prohibiting the sexual exploitation of children and for adequate protection, guidance, and counseling for abused children. All persons, regardless of age, gender, marital status, or sexual orientation, are entitled to have their human and civil rights ensured and to be protected against violence. The Church should support the family in providing age-appropriate education regarding sexuality to children, youth, and adults.
We affirm that all persons are individuals of sacred worth, created in the image of God. All persons need the ministry of the church in our struggles for human fulfillment, as well as the spiritual and emotional care of a fellowship that enables reconciling relationships with God, with others, and with self. The United Methodist Church does not condone the practice of homosexuality and consider this practice incompatible with Christian teaching. We affirm that God's grace is available to all. We will live together in Christian community, welcoming, forgiving, and loving one another, as Christ has loved and accepted us. We implore families and churches not to reject or condemn lesbian and gays members and friends. We commit ourselves to be in ministry for and with all persons.

Apparently our future with hope stays in the past... for now

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...

Praise for Bishop Fisher!

This morning during worship Bishop Fisher gave a sermon about taking the more difficult path in life. She preached about the necessity of the call to make inclusive the church and the world. I admit that toward the end of her sermon, I began to cry. Bishop Fisher is retiring this year, and I will greatly miss her. I have looked up to her throughout these years, and I have grown to greatly respect and learn from her strength. I know that she will enter the circuit and will continue to preach, but I am going off to Boston, and I admit that I will miss her greatly. I give many thanks to Bishop Fisher, and I am very happy that I have been able to have her as my bishop in these important years of my life.

If we care so much about our money, why not about our time?

Today we learned that to finish on time on Friday at 11pm, we have only 10 minutes for each petition since we have 120 left. 8 of those have minority reports, and of course other petition can be pulled off the consent calendar. I have heard that in past years, people take their time debating, oh pardon me "holy conferencing", the first few days, and then twist the rules to drastically cut down the number of speeches and the amount of time allowed for each petition. I think that this is ridiculous! If we are smart and apportion our time like we debate so often about apportioning our money, then each petition will get an equal amount of time given to it. I think I am about to move to reduce the amount of time from 3 minutes to 2 minutes for each speech so that we have a chance of finishing...

Roberts Rules are ridiculous...

So, I have been sitting in the plenary room for 50 minutes now. We are still on the very first item that we started those 50 minutes ago. Roberts Rules allows for three speeches for and three speeches against each motion (except motions to table). Right now the speeches are capped at 3 minutes, but I pray that someone moves to reduce them to 2 minutes for the evening some time soon.

Also, someone earlier brought up a good point. Why have we, as a church, lost a sense of our mission to go out and make disciples of Jesus and are in place just concentrating on the bottom line? I have lost track of the countless number of minutes we have spent debating money. This meeting costs $6.4 million dollars, and yet we still spend our time talking about money.

One thing I gladly will say is that I have been pleasantly surprised of the number of parents reconciling ministry stoles being worn. I was nervous of coming to GC because I thought that there would be many people against total inclusiveness. I have noticed that there is not a great number of people who are against it. Actually, in committee a petition was passed that will greatly affect the inclusiveness of the church. I will let you know how it goes in plenary... if we ever get there :-/