Homosexuals attempted to take over the Methodist Denomination. They Lost, but are not giving up.

ST. LOUIS — Deeply divided United Methodist delegates advanced a conservative plan out of committee Monday to maintain the church’s bans on same-sex marriage and gay clergy while dealing a potential setback to those pushing for full LGBT inclusion.

The rule book for the second-largest Protestant denomination in the U.S. prohibits same-sex church weddings and “self-avowed practicing homosexuals” from serving as ministers.

For decades, Methodists have been split on how to address the issue, a division on full display this week during a specially called session of the church’s General Conference here in St. Louis. Whatever happens could lead members and entire congregations to leave the denomination for good.

The 864 lay and clergy delegates from around the world morphed into a legislative committee Monday and spent much of the day hashing out the details of competing plans.

The Traditional Plan would reinforce the church’s current positions. The One Church Plan would allow same-sex marriage and LGBT clergy while adding protections for churches and pastors who do not support the marriages.

Petitions meant to address pensions and the Traditional Plan topped the list of priorities for what General Conference delegates will work on in their legislative committee.

This was a key vote as delegates to the denomination’s top lawmaking assembly try to set the direction in the denomination’s longtime debate over homosexuality. 

By 56 votes, the Traditional Plan topped the One Church Plan, supported by a majority of the bishops. 

The Traditional Plan was second behind pensions, and the One Church Plan was fifth behind legislation that deals with disaffiliating churches.

The Traditional Plan would strengthen restrictions against officiating at same-gender unions and being “self-avowed practicing” gay clergy. The One Church Plan would leave questions of same-sex weddings up to individual clergy and congregations.

“We’re very happy the Traditional Plan received the majority of the votes,” said the Rev. Rob Renfroe, president of the unofficial advocacy group Good News, which has championed the legislation.

“In spite of all the efforts of the groups and the bishops, the church remains committed to a scriptural understanding of sexual ethics.”

The president of the Council of Bishops said the Feb. 24 vote is “very early in the process” and the work is in the hands of the delegates.

Final vote on Traditional Plan expected Tuesday

The Traditional Plan won the support of the committee. The One Church Plan failed by a 50-vote margin, dealing a setback to those wishing to advance LGBT inclusion within the denomination.

But nothing is final yet.

These same delegates will return to The Dome in St. Louis on Tuesday and gather as the plenary, or a meeting acting as the full General Conference assembly. That’s when a final vote is expected on the Traditional Plan and when the One Church Plan could make a comeback.

Supporters of the Traditional Plan praised the legislative committee’s actions. 

Mark Tooley, the president of the Institute on Religion & Democracy, said he is relieved and pleased, but not surprised by the decisions made Monday. The institute is a part of a coalition that has advocated for the Traditional Plan. 

“You never know for sure until the vote actually happens so overall I thought it was good news for those who support the church’s current standards and want to keep as much of the church together as possible as a global denomination,” Tooley said. 

He is optimistic that delegates will continue to support the Traditional Plan on the final day of the special session. 

“I think that it confirms that Methodism slowly, but surely is moving away from being a traditional U.S. mainline denomination and becoming a very different global denomination,” Tooley said.

The Rev. Joe Harris, chair of the single legislative committee of the 2019 special session of the United Methodist Church General Conference, moderates questions from delegates Feb. 25, 2019. In the background is the Rev. Betty Musau from North Katanga, vice chair. (Photo: Kathleen Barry/UMNS)

Supporters of the more inclusive One Church Plan say it is not dead yet despite the blow delivered by the legislative committee.

“I think it’s important that we not give up right now,” said the Rev. Rachel Baughman, who is on the coordinating team for Uniting Methodists.

The group is a part of a coalition that is using another General Conference mechanism, referred to as the minority report, to try to bring the One Church Plan back for consideration on Tuesday, Baughman said.

They will spend the rest of Monday finding allies to support it instead of the Traditional Plan, said Neil Alexander, also with Uniting Methodists.  

“Realistically, we recognize that it’s uphill,” Alexander said. “We remain hopeful that what we think is the will of the larger church will be reflected in the action of the delegates, which is a representative body.”

Deep divides within the church

The church’s deep divides over the issue were illustrated Monday — both during the debate and among Methodists following the action on livestreams and social media. The cultural split was apparent with many from more conservative parts of the world backing the Traditional Plan. There are more than 12 million United Methodists around the globe.

The debate, at times, touched on the greater human sexuality matters at hand.

Sergey Kim, a delegate from the Central Russia Conference, addressed the meeting, expressing his support for the Traditional Plan.

“The Traditional Plan is based on the biblical truth, and I think this is a first priority,” Kim said through a translator. “It said in the Bible, ‘Do not add anything to my words. Do not take away from my words. Do as your God commands.’ “

The Rev. Tom Berlin, a delegate from the Virginia Conference, spoke against the Traditional Plan. Berlin had submitted the more inclusive One Church Plan.

The One Church Plan is backed by those in the denomination with more progressive views and is supported by a majority of the Council of Bishops.

Delegates and attendees at the 2019 United Methodist General Conference in St. Louis cross the street to their meeting site in front of activists behind barricades. (Photo: Mike DuBose/UMNS)

“The (Traditional) plan is trying to force us to be a church that we are not,” Berlin said. “Pew Research teaches us that younger generations will see this plan as anti-gay because they support marriage equity. We will be seen by unchurched people in the United States in a similar way we experienced protesters outside.”

The legislative committee Monday morning approved the Traditional Plan, but a final vote is not expected until Tuesday.

‘Stand up and clap, sit down and cry’

The legislative committee spent the remainder of the morning taking up petitions that would aid congregations trying to exit the church. The United Methodists disagreed about those, too, but the committee eventually approved them. Those petitions also still need a final vote. 

After lunch, the legislative committee debated the more inclusive One Church Plan. It was not approved, leading to worry from supporters about the next steps. 

The Rev. Byron Thomas, a delegate with the North Georgia Conference, supports the One Church Plan and compared this moment to Methodists’ support in 1939 for racial segregation in the church.

“The late Bishop James Thomas, in recalling the moment in his book entitled ‘Methodism’s Racial Dilemma,’ wrote that the white folks stood up and clapped and the black folks sat down and cried. I believe that we are another stand up and clap, sit down and cry moment,” he said. “Instead of a gracious exit, cannot we consider a more faithful stay?”

Rudolph Merab, a delegate with the Liberia Conference, spoke against it.

Updated 11 a.m. Sunday

Bishop Kenneth H. Carter told the delegates to the 2019 General Conference they were in St. Louis because they were respected, trusted and now hold the mission of the church in their hands.

“Take a moment to look at your hands. If you watch and listen for the good in progressive, centrist, conservative, you will find it. You will see the Cross and Flame,” he said in his sermon at the opening worship on Feb. 24.

Carter became the president of the Council of Bishops in 2018. He was already serving as one of three moderators for the Commission on a Way Forward, formed after the 2016 United Methodist General Conference. The commission was charged with finding ways to resolve the divisions over the church’s stance on homosexuality.

Carter said he was asked to watch and listen. He said watching and listening was not unlike the work he did for 28 years as pastor of local churches.

When people disagree about how to interpret Scripture, “They imagined they were still learning and growing as disciples and had not arrived,” he said.

“The divisions are easy to see. What would it be like for us to watch and listen for the connections?” he asked.

He asked the delegates to make every effort to make unity “your passionate concern.”

“Remember: you are the people of the Cross and the Flame.”

“It is better to be divided by truth than to be united in error,” Merab said. “It is wrong for the Christian church not to talk about the full counsel of God in scripture.” #United Methodist Church homosexuality Source

StevieRay Hansen
HNewsWire Editor
www.HNewsWire.com

John Wesley who said that what we tolerate in our generation, will be embraced by the next. Wesley is 100% correct! We are living in sick times.

HNewsWire- “All political language is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable.” Just look at some of our modern day examples: torture is “enhanced interrogation techniques”; murder is “collateral damage”; the aggression initiation of war is a “pre-emptive strike”; the theft of taxpayers’ money is a “bailout”; and the theft of depositors’ money in a bank is a “haircut” or “bail-in”.In a blatant example of Newspeak, the New World Order controllers (through the psychiatric DSM V) have tried to rename pedophiles as “minor-attracted persons” and redefine pedophilia as a “sexual orientation”. This makes no sense, since sexual orientation has to do with gender not age, with whether you are attracted to males or females, not how old they are. There are even organizations (like B4UAct.org) which are claiming that pedophiles are being unfairly stigmatized for their feelings! Psychiatry, it should also be noted, has a history of inventing fictitious diseases such as ADHD (as admitted by its inventor on his deathbed by Leon Eisenberg).
https://www.cchrint.org/2013/10/30/adhd-is-a-fictitious-disease/

Note from StevieRay Hansen: I tend to be very vocal about ADHD, it was only when I surrender to Christ, I became complete, the battle is real, I believe the difference is how we fight these battles….

Justice is a word that stands alone, adding anything to it demeans it….

It is impossible to find anyone in the Bible who was a power for God who did not have enemies and was not hated.

Children are being misplaced or lost in our foster care system, we must demand more openness and accountability from each state.
If you have information or believe there is a child in danger that’s being exploited please contact 127 Faith Foundation
[email protected]
Call 325.347.2654
The 127 Faith Foundation

Please help me help these kids(orphans) that are in trouble, PLEASE 80% of the book sales goes directly to: https://www.the127.org

HNewsWire Radio

3.8K Views On YouTube

“It is better to be divided by truth than to be united in error. It is better to speak the truth that hurts and then heals, than falsehood that comforts and then kills. Let me tell you something, friend, it is not love and it is not friendship if we fail to declare the whole counsel of God. It is better to be hated for telling the truth, than to be loved for telling a lie. It is impossible to find anyone in the Bible who was a power for God who did not have enemies and was not hated. It’s better to stand alone with the truth, then to be wrong with a multitude. It is better to ultimately succeed with the truth than to temporarily succeed with a lie. There is only one Gospel and Paul said, ‘If any man preaches any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.”

Proverbs 31:8 (NIV)
Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves,
for the rights of all who are destitute

MY MISSION IS NOT TO CONVINCE YOU, ONLY TO INFORM…

Jesus come quick, there is nothing left in society that’s sacred….