Rev. David Valera interviewed four delegates regarding their reaction to the recent vote(s) of General Conference on the issue of inclusive language and those relating to how we area or disagree. Interviews were with the Rev. Bonifer Baquiran of the Northern Philippines Annual Conference; Mele Maka, Cal-Pac Annual Conference Lay Delegate; the Rev. Adam Hamilton, Clergy Delegate from the Kansas East Annual Conference; and Marie Kuch, Pacific Northwest Annual Conference Lay Delegate.
Photo of the cup used during Common Coalition action during plenary session Thursday morning, May 3, 2012 by Patrick Scriven.
Again, I am thankful for this resource! No surprise here, but still a great heaviness and sadness that we, as a body that is part of The Body, cannot even admit to the world that we are not in agreement internally. No wonder those outside don’t trust us! Covering up the truth has never served God’s goals; I am heartbroken that we continue to ignore Jesus’ teaching that it is truth that sets us free, not control or pretense or majority rules.
Thank You for posting this video. It is helpful to see the responses of others.
@Mele Maka – Cal-Pac Lay Delegate
You mention Martin Luther King, but his campaign was for rights for black people – who were black because of genes – and rightfully so – and so were many Methodists in the beginning of Methodism. The homosexual does not have that as a basis. Twin studies are the best studies on this issue. (Whitehead, 2011)
Whitehead, N. E., (2011), “Neither Genes nor Choice:”, Retrieved May 18, 2012 from: http://www.mygenes.co.nz/whitehead_twinjhs.pdf
(from the parent web site:
Whitehead, N. E. & B., (2012), “Homosexuality and the scientific evidence”, Retrieved May 13, 2012 from: http://www.mygenes.co.nz/)
@Rev Adam Hamilton – Kansas East Annual Conference Delegate
As far as “Agree to disagree”
Rev. Rob Renfroe said it best I believe in relation to the question of including “Agree to Disagree” into the book of discipline. (Renfroe, 2012)
Renfroe, R., (2012, May 9), “Amid division, only one view can hold us together”, Retrieved June 2, 2012 from: http://www.gc2012conversations.com/2012/05/03/delegates-fail-to-agree-that-they-disagree-on-sexuality-issue/comment-page-1/#comments
@Marie Kuch – PNW Lay Delegate
We accept everyone to our services. Not everyone will become members.
As far as glbtq – questioning
Questioning makes me think of those who have questioned their homosexuality and changed to heterosexuality. There is Stephen Bennett – “Stephen Bennett, a man who struggled throughout his teenage years and early adult life, living the homosexual lifestyle until he was 28 years old. …Today, by God’s grace and through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, Stephen has been happily married for almost 20 years to his beautiful wife, Irene, and he is the father of the couple’s two children.” (Bennett, 2012)
and Joe Dallas who has a similar story (Dallas, 2012). This is the basis for the Transforming Congregations (Booth, 2012) that is affiliated with the UMC.
Bennett, S., (2012), “About SBM Worldwide, Inc.”, Retrieved May 26, 2012 from: http://www.sbministries.org/members/sbm/adminpages/about
Booth, K., (2012), “Transforming Congregations”, Retrieved Mat 26, 2012 from: http://www.transcong.org
Dallas, J., (2012), “GenesisCounseling”, Retrieved May 26, 2012 from: http://www.joedallas.com
Blessings