Position Statement

To read the full Judicial Council Rulings of October 31, 2005, click here.

To read the November 2, 2005 Council of Bishops response to the Pastors of the UMC challenging the Judicial Council ruling, click here to download a 26K MS Word document.

Grace For All Position Statement on Ruling 1032 of the Judicial Council of the United Methodist Church

As members of Grace For All, a ministry that advocates for the inclusion and full participation of people of all sexual orientations and gender identities in the life of the Christian Church, we are taking a stand against Ruling 1032 of the Judicial Council of the United Methodist Church. We are committed to following Jesus Christ as we embody God’s love and justice through His teachings. We share a common passion for justice and an unshakable conviction that the Gospel of Jesus Christ, mediated through the church, is for all persons. We strongly affirm the assertion in the United Methodist Book of Discipline that “inclusiveness denies every semblance of discrimination” (par. 138). We are ashamed for those times that the law of the church has codified discriminatory language and practices, whether in relation to women, ethnic minority persons or any other person or group.

We understand that this ruling does not mean that all gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender persons will be denied membership or will have their membership revoked from the Methodist Church. However, this ruling allows an individual person to judge whether or not someone is worthy to be a member of the Church. The Bible clearly states that the only one who has the power to judge is God.

We are also worried that this will open the door to excluding others from church membership because of their race, ethnicity, political affiliation, economic or social status, giving level, etc. We find this to be particularly unacceptable in a church that’s motto is “open hearts, open minds, open doors.” This ruling is declaring that the United Methodist Church is only open to those who are not gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender.

We challenge the United Methodist Church and each Annual Conference to embrace all members of the church regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity and welcome them into the membership of the church. Grace For All aspires to create a welcoming space for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons and their families in the community of Christ. By fostering opportunities for dialogue through education, ministry, advocacy and witness, we seek to bridge the division in the Church on this matter. We hope that the rest of the United Methodist Church will join us in fulfilling this vision.

Signed:

Susan Tanner Former United Methodist	Steve Taylor Hitchcock Presbyterian Church, Scarsdale, NY	Rev. Bill Green United Methodist Pastor
Ken Mahan Former United Methodist	Rev. Rebecca Taylor Cottle United Methodist	Rev. Cynthia G. Koski United Methodist Pastor, retired
Glen C. Pruitt Epworth UMC	Jenny Berg United Methodist	Rev. Karin Tunnéll United Methodist Pastor
Rev. Donald Hurst United Methodist Pastor, Retired	Rev. David M. Palmer Active United Methodist Pastor	Rev. Loretta Whitney Viner United Methodist Pastor
Mauvette Hurst	Gail Piazza Inactive United Methodist	Jim & Sheila Batty PFLAG Wilmington/North DE
Lori Graham United Methodist	Naomi Basner St. John the Devine, NYC
Sandra Cox United Methodist	Anthony Mastrando Arch Street UMC, Philadelphia, PA
Rev. William Hemphill United Methodist Pastor, Retired	Rev. Jennifer Kerby United Methodist	Sign YOUR NAME HERE
Rev. Richard C. Stazesky United Methodist Pastor, Retired	Krista Gilmore

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If you agree with our Position Statement and would like to show your support by signing your name, please click here to send an e-mail with your name, address and if desired, your church affiliation. We will add your name. You do not need to be a member of Grace For All to sign our Position Statement, you merely need to agree with the Statement.

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