{"id":3194,"date":"2013-02-03T14:47:34","date_gmt":"2013-02-03T22:47:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/?p=3194"},"modified":"2013-02-03T14:49:12","modified_gmt":"2013-02-03T22:49:12","slug":"2-agencies-agree-with-change-in-boy-scout-ban","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pnwumc.org\/news\/2-agencies-agree-with-change-in-boy-scout-ban\/","title":{"rendered":"2 agencies agree with change in Boy Scout ban"},"content":{"rendered":"

Gilbert C. Hanke speaks about scouting ministries during the 2012 United Methodist General Conference in Tampa, Fla. Hanke is top staff executive of United Methodist Men. A UMNS file photo by Mike DuBose.<\/em><\/p>\n

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A UMNS Report by Heather Hahn*<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Leaders of two United Methodist agencies \u2014 United Methodist Men and United Methodist Board of Church and Society \u2014 welcomed news that the Boy Scouts of America is considering ending its decades-long ban on gay scouts and scout leaders.<\/p>\n

The proposed change would remove a national membership requirement dealing with sexual orientation and allow local charter organizations to decide.\u00a0NBC News<\/a>\u00a0reports that the Boy Scouts of America could announce the change next week at the national board\u2019s regularly scheduled meeting.<\/p>\n

United Methodist Men<\/a>\u00a0promotes the use of scouting ministries and civic youth-serving agencies across the denomination.\u00a0The Board of Church and Society<\/a>\u00a0advocates for the denomination\u2019s social witness.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese proposed changes will allow local churches to reflect those tenets in their membership requirements,\u201d said a\u00a0statement by Gilbert Hanke<\/a>, the top executive of the Commission on United Methodist Men. \u201cIt does not force changes, but allows local churches control over these requirements based on their beliefs.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese proposed changes are actually more consistent with the current Book of Discipline,\u201d the denomination\u2019s law book, he added.<\/p>\n

Jim Winkler, the top executive of the United Methodist Board of Church and Society, echoed that view.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnited Methodists affirm that all persons are individuals of sacred worth, created in the image of God,\u201d Winkler said. \u201cOur local churches can now pursue an outreach unfettered by arbitrary restrictions that carry with them potential negative legal consequences or obloquy, and can instead seek to live together with all persons in Christian community, welcoming, forgiving and loving one another.\u201d<\/p>\n

The agencies\u2019 agreement on the proposal marks a stark change from 2000 when they were on opposite sides of a\u00a0U.S. Supreme Court case that dealt with whether Boy Scouts could bar gays from leadership positions<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The nation\u2019s top court, in a 5-4 decision,\u00a0agreed with the Scouts\u2019 legal position<\/a>\u00a0that forcing the organization to accept gay troop leaders would violate its constitutional rights to free expression and free association.<\/p>\n

United Methodists and scouting<\/h3>\n

Both Hanke and Winkler stressed the importance of scouting as a ministry of The United Methodist Church.<\/p>\n

Boy Scouts of America<\/a>\u00a0leaders consulted with Hanke and Larry Coppock, national director of scouting ministries, before proposing to change membership requirements.<\/p>\n

As of 2012, 6,700 United Methodist congregations served 363,876 young people through 10,868 Cub Scout packs, Boy Scout troops and Venturing crews. The United Methodist Church is second only to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (commonly known as Mormons) in the number of congregations that host Boy Scouts of America groups.<\/p>\n

[toggle title=”What the United Methodist Church teaches about…”]<\/p>\n