R-6
RESOLUTION
AFFIRMING GOD’S GRACE FOR ALL
Whereas
The United Methodist Church has implemented an advertising strategy “Open
Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors” which implies a welcoming hospitality in
keeping with Article IV of our Constitution “The United Methodist Church
acknowledges that all persons are of sacred worth. All persons without regard to race, color,
national origin, status, or economic condition 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 the vows declaring the
Christian faith, become professing members in any local church of the
connection”, and
Whereas
this emphasis on inclusiveness and justice was celebrated in the 2005 Session of
The Peninsula Annual Conference with the theme “Living Without
Walls”, and
Whereas
in its Decision 1032 made during its October 26-29, 2005 session, The Judicial
Council of The UMC appears to have contradicted that declared policy of our
denomination when it supported a Virginia Conference pastor’s refusal of
membership to a person because of that aspiring member’s sexual orientation and
thereby overruled previous decisions by that pastor’s Bishop, DS, and the
Virginia Conference Clergy Session that stated that the said pastor did have
responsibility to receive that aspiring member into the membership of that
local church, and
Whereas
on November 2, 2005 the United Methodist Council of Bishops unanimously
approved a Pastoral Letter to the People of The UMC expressing disagreement
with the Judicial Council’s Decision 1032 by stating that “While pastors have
the responsibility to discern readiness for membership, homosexuality is not a
barrier”, and by affirming their agreement with the Social Principles statement
in Para. 161g of The Book of Discipline of The UMC
“God’s grace is available to all, and we will seek to live together in
Christian community. We implore families
and churches not to reject or condemn lesbian and gay members and friends. We
commit ourselves to be in ministry for and with all persons.”, and
Whereas
many persons across our UMC are deeply disturbed by the inconsistency of this
Judicial Council Decision with our advertised goal of “Open Hearts, Open Minds,
Open Doors” and with the gospel message that God’s Grace is for all persons,
and
Whereas
many gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Christians, their parents and
siblings within the congregations of our Annual Conference who have already
been deeply hurt by the negative statements in The Discipline concerning
homosexuality and by the judgmental attitude of some local churches now feel
that this Decision 1032 further slams the door of the church against them in
contradiction to the promised hospitality of God’s grace, and
Whereas
the Judicial Council in its Spring Meeting of April 27-29, 2006 refused to
reconsider Decision 1032 by a vote of 5-4 thus further closing the door and
nurturing prejudice against faithful United Methodists who are gay or lesbian
and their families,
THEREFORE
BE IT RESOLVED that the Peninsula Annual Conference meeting
everyone because of
the unconditional love of God in Jesus Christ who calls us to community in his
grace, and that we will seek to change
attitudes toward gay and lesbian persons so that our advertised inclusiveness
can increasingly become
genuine Christian
hospitality, and
BE IT
FURTHER RESOLVED that this Annual Conference calls upon every local church to
support families in caring for their lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender
children by providing helpful materials and information about support groups
for them, and that local church leaders organize a study to help the
congregations learn what it means to be a homosexual person committed to Jesus
Christ as Lord and Saviour,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the clergy and laity of the Peninsula Delaware Annual Conference reaffirm our commitment to live in harmony with God and others, to seek humane treatment of ALL persons as beings of sacred worth, and to act and speak in ways that defuse anger and hatred rather than in ways that fan the flames of intolerance so that our daily behavior will demonstrate that we are indeed a church of open hearts, minds, and doors.
Prepared for presentation by William
Hemphill and Richard Stazesky, retired elders, and endorsed by the following
clergy and laity, and by members of GRACE FOR ALL, a fellowship of concerned
Christians whose Mission Statement includes these words: “We aspire 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 in this matter”.
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Donald Hurst |
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Cynthia Koski |
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Jenny Berg |
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Wesley Davis |
Heather Blackiston |
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Charles Emery |
Karin Tunnéll |
Krista Gilmore |
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Susan Tanner |
Gail Piazza |
Mauvette Hurst |
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Patrick Bo Gordy-Stith |
Vicki Gordy-Stith |
Jack Able |
Ben Strickland |
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William Hemphill |
Richard Stazesky |
Bernard (Skip) Keels |
Beverly Lewis |
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Thomas Starnes |
John Randolph |
Ronald Bergman |
Gordon Stapleton |
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John Shitama |
Robert B. McKee |
Amy Yarnall |
Carolyn Jaggers |
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Ron Dyson |
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