General Conference
NOTE: The following was sent as a pastoral letter to the Mount Pleasant congregation this morning.
Friends,
I wanted to drop you a quick note today regarding the Called General Conference of the United Methodist Church that closed yesterday evening in St. Louis. Usually, our General Conference meets every four years; the next scheduled one is in 2020 in Minneapolis. This was a special Conference, set to debate issues surrounding human sexuality in general and LGBT issues in particular. In essence, this General Conference was an extension of the one that took place in 2016.
There were many plans and petitions that came before the General Conference as we sought a "way forward" together as United Methodists. It's no secret that the UMC is a "large tent" church, with many and varying opinions as to how to handle these sensitive matters. Yesterday, the decision was made to adopt what was called the "traditional plan," modified by several amendments. All current language in our Book of Discipline (our rule book) will stay in place. (I've been told there are additional penalties being put in place for those who violate these policies, but I have not seen yet what that looks like.)
What does that mean? First of all, it means that all people are of sacred worth and all people are loved by God. Second, it means that all people are welcome in our United Methodist Churches—despite what some news outlets are reporting. (You can disagree with someone and still love them.) Third, it means that the church does not ordain gay and lesbian persons as clergy, and that our churches cannot be used for and our clergy are not allowed to perform same-sex ceremonies. The reality is this: the church and its policy and doctrines have not changed since before the General Conference began.
But there is also a "new" reality: there are a lot of hurting people out there this morning. There are a lot of folks, some of them friends of mine, who expected and hoped for a different outcome. There are people who are unsure what to do next. They need our prayers. They need our love. This is not a time for rejoicing. It is a time for greater compassion.
I'll say more about "what's next" on Sunday, but I wanted to alert you to a couple of events. First of all, Bishop Trimble will be doing a "Facebook Live" event on Sunday evening, discussing the outcome of the General Conference. You can find it on the Indiana Conference Facebook page or the Conference website (for those without Facebook). That event will begin at 5:30 p.m. Eastern on March 3.
Then, on Monday, March 11, our superintendent, the Rev. John Groves, will be hosting a debrief gathering for the West District. That event will start at 6:30 p.m. at United Methodist Temple in Terre Haute. It's open to anyone in the West District.
Friends, the Gospel is still true. There are still people in need of Jesus and desperately desiring hope. On Sunday, we'll remember our mission in the midst of this present moment. Know that I love you, and I am proud to be your pastor.
Grace and peace,
Pastor Dennis
Friends,
I wanted to drop you a quick note today regarding the Called General Conference of the United Methodist Church that closed yesterday evening in St. Louis. Usually, our General Conference meets every four years; the next scheduled one is in 2020 in Minneapolis. This was a special Conference, set to debate issues surrounding human sexuality in general and LGBT issues in particular. In essence, this General Conference was an extension of the one that took place in 2016.
There were many plans and petitions that came before the General Conference as we sought a "way forward" together as United Methodists. It's no secret that the UMC is a "large tent" church, with many and varying opinions as to how to handle these sensitive matters. Yesterday, the decision was made to adopt what was called the "traditional plan," modified by several amendments. All current language in our Book of Discipline (our rule book) will stay in place. (I've been told there are additional penalties being put in place for those who violate these policies, but I have not seen yet what that looks like.)
What does that mean? First of all, it means that all people are of sacred worth and all people are loved by God. Second, it means that all people are welcome in our United Methodist Churches—despite what some news outlets are reporting. (You can disagree with someone and still love them.) Third, it means that the church does not ordain gay and lesbian persons as clergy, and that our churches cannot be used for and our clergy are not allowed to perform same-sex ceremonies. The reality is this: the church and its policy and doctrines have not changed since before the General Conference began.
But there is also a "new" reality: there are a lot of hurting people out there this morning. There are a lot of folks, some of them friends of mine, who expected and hoped for a different outcome. There are people who are unsure what to do next. They need our prayers. They need our love. This is not a time for rejoicing. It is a time for greater compassion.
I'll say more about "what's next" on Sunday, but I wanted to alert you to a couple of events. First of all, Bishop Trimble will be doing a "Facebook Live" event on Sunday evening, discussing the outcome of the General Conference. You can find it on the Indiana Conference Facebook page or the Conference website (for those without Facebook). That event will begin at 5:30 p.m. Eastern on March 3.
Then, on Monday, March 11, our superintendent, the Rev. John Groves, will be hosting a debrief gathering for the West District. That event will start at 6:30 p.m. at United Methodist Temple in Terre Haute. It's open to anyone in the West District.
Friends, the Gospel is still true. There are still people in need of Jesus and desperately desiring hope. On Sunday, we'll remember our mission in the midst of this present moment. Know that I love you, and I am proud to be your pastor.
Grace and peace,
Pastor Dennis
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