In June of this year a divided Supreme Court in a 5-4 decision ruled that same-sex couples can marry nationwide, establishing a new civil right in America.
Within days the questions came in to my office:
“When are you performing your first same-sex marriage?”
“Will you leave ministry when they force you to perform a same-sex marriage?”
“Didn’t United Methodists already marry gays?”
My answers:
“I can’t.”
“I will have to pray that through. A calling can’t just be tossed aside.”
“No! Uh, well not really supposed to. But I know it has happened. But well, they weren’t supposed to.”
It has happened.
Rev. Frank Schaefer performed the marriage of his son to his same-sex partner in a quiet, private little ceremony in 2007 in Eastern Pennsylvania. When the marriage was found out in 2013 Rev. Schaefer was defrocked, then reinstated on the promise of not performing any more same-sex marriages. He performed the marriage because he couldn't bear to live with his son’s feeling of “going to hell” because he was in love. His heart was breaking for his child. See news story:
In the Spring, a
Nashville pastor from Belmont United Methodist Church, performed a marriage of two long time members of the church she served. She notified her District Superintendent prior to the wedding. Ultimately she received a suspension of 90 days. The couple had been together in her church for 15 years. As their pastor she felt she was called to care for them and their union.
See news story: http://tinyurl.com/o284qwy
Like so many other communities of faith, the United Methodist denomination is struggling to love and affirm as we are called, yet try to continually understand God’s will for our lives.
This article is an effort to share what United Methodists as a denomination currently state in their polity on the subject of homosexuality and transgender. I feel an understanding of the process of will be helpful in the days to come leading up to the Annual Conference in 2016 where UMs from around the world will gather to have conversations about how to proceed in a way that can help support, love and sustain all people yet maintain the sanctity of Christian teachings and what all of those lofty goals really mean for us.
What the UMC states in the Book of Discipline:
Paragraph 4:
All persons are of sacred worth and shall shall be eligible to attend its worship services, participate in its programs, receive the sacraments, upon baptism be admitted as baptized members, and upon taking vows declaring the Christian faith, regardless of race, color, national origin, status or economic condition or sexual orientation. (paraphrased)
Paragraph 214:
All people may attend its worship services, participate in its programs, receive the sacraments and become members in any local church in the connection. (paraphrased)
Paragraph 304.3
While persons set apart by the Church for ordained ministry are subject to all the frailties of the human condition and the pressures of society, they are required to maintain the highest standards of holy living in the world. The practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching. Therefore self-avowed practicing homosexuals are not to be certified as candidates, ordained as ministers, or appointed to serve in The United Methodist Church.2
"Self-avowed practicing homosexual" is understood to mean that a person openly acknowledges to a bishop, district superintendent, district committee of ordained ministry, board of ordained ministry, or clergy session that the person is a practicing homosexual.
Paragraph 613 & Paragraph 806.9
United Methodist funds may not go to any gay or Lesbian caucus or group. This does not limit the church’s response the the HIV epidemic. (paraphrased)
Paragraph 2702
Performing marriage of same sex unions is considered a chargeable offense.
What is a “Chargeable Offense”?
A chargeable offense is an act performed by clergy or laity that is not in keeping with Christian teaching as defined within the United Methodist Book of Discipline.
The term “chargeable offense” sounds scary. If it is so scary how did Rev. Schaefer and Rev. Hawkins receive what appear to be light sentences? The process requires for a complaint to be filed. In the case of Hawkins, after she informed her District Superintendent her intention to perform the wedding for two men in her congregation, the DS told her that a complaint would be filed and was filed following the ceremony. Once a complaint is filed a committee has 90 (which can be extended another 30 days) to act. A judiciary committee, the offender and a mediator gather to draft a resolution. The Bishop can or refuse to sign off on the resolution. If the Bishop does not sign off on the agreement then the situation goes to judiciary court. (Such was the case of Frank Schaefer)
The good news about the ruling in Rev. Pam Hawkins case is that no one seems happy with the ruling which means no one got their way. So good news - no one wins. But the bad news is no one won but everyone looses. The denomination looses, Christians everywhere loose, we loose. Whenever the church, any church, garners negative attention for fighting within their own family the witness we give the unbelieving world is more than off putting, it is a deterrent to the Good News we are called to share. How can we be clear about our message to the world when we don’t even agree on the message.
As far as weddings go it is important to note, as a pastor, I do not HAVE to do ANY wedding, for ANYONE, EVER. In the course of 11 years in ministry I have refused to officiate a wedding twice before, neither were gay or lesbian but they were straight and in my opinion not quite ready for marriage. Both went elsewhere, both are divorced.
I am currently not allowed to perform a marriage to same sex partners with out undergoing chargeable offense proceedings. When ordained I agreed to uphold the Book of Discipline. I look at this situation as following my employers policies. I will not knowingly violate the rules on marriage, or any rule for that matter. I feel that breaking a rule is not the way to change a rule.
A note on chargeable offenses for clergy, they also include:
Immorality, including, but not limited to celibacy in singleness and extra marital affairs.
Self-avowed homosexuality or conducting marriage ceremonies for homosexual couples.
Crime (any)
Disobedience to the UM Church
Discrimination
Dissemination of doctrines contrary to the UMC (this could include prohibiting people from the sacraments, rebaptizing individuals, etc.)
Undermining another pastor’s ministry
Child Abuse, Sexual Abuse
Harrasement
As professing members of the UMC, you could be charged with an offense for ALL the above excluding performing marriages and prohibiting sacraments.
I share this as a call for us to “log removal.” Before a judgement is passed on the sentences in cases against clergy in the issue of marriage for one’s own son or years long members in your congregation we must first look at where we have failed the church and gotten away (or are still getting away) with it. We need to remove the log in our own eye before we point out specks in other’s eyes.
As professing members of the United Methodist church we have vowed to uphold the church with our prayers, our presence, our gifts, our service, and our witness. Before we can pass judgement on anyone we must first ask ourselves: do we pray for our church? Do we attend church regularly? Not just worship but Sunday school, Bible studies, missional endeavors, outreach? Do we share generously the gifts God has given us both monetary and spiritual? Do we serve our church and others? Do we serve with sacrifice or only in ways that feed us? Is the witness of our lives lived in such a way that we draw people to church or push them out, away from coming along side of the body of Christ?
The only answer is to first seek to understand before we seek to be understood. There are hard questions with an even harder path to answers. Answers that are in the realms of Heaven and not answered in the court of the land.
If you would like to talk, vent or ask questions, my door is open.
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