On Friday April 29, the highest judicial body of the United Methodist Church ruled that the practice of homosexuality is a chargeable offense for clergy, and that the denomination’s Book of Discipline, which clearly states that practicing homosexuals are not fit to serve as clergy, is the codified law of the UMC.
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A UMNS photo by Mike DuBose
The April 29 ruling, which overwhelmingly supported the statement that the Book of Discipline’s statement that "the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching” is “unambiguous,” followed the highly publicized trial and acquittal of the openly lesbian pastor Karen Dammann in March.
Upon the dismay of the majority of Methodists around the world, a twelve-member clergy jury voted that although Dammann is an openly avowed practicing lesbian who lives with her partner, she is fit to serve. In a March 20 statement, the jury voted overwhelmingly that Dammann was innocent and that the Book of Discipline is “ambiguous” in its wording on the subject. Following the controversial verdict, the jury was severely criticized for having placed the denomination’s Book of Discipline on trial, rather than using the Book of Discipline as the standard to judge Dammann.
The majority of delegates to the General Conference in Pittsburgh, where the April 29th decision was made, said that this issue on the ordination of homosexual clergy would in fact be the most sensitive and most important issue to be covered at the Conference.
Immediately after the April 29th ruling was read on May 1, the Rev. Maxie Dunnam of the Kentucky delegation called on the Judicial Council to determine what the “meaning, application and effect” of the decision would be in terms of the Dammann trial.
"This trial has received such widespread national attention," said Dunnam, president of Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Ky. "Everyone is waiting for the General Conference to respond to this issue.
"We see ourselves as one family, and we have to live by the same discipline," said Dunnam.
While the Rev. Frank Dorsey of the Kansas East delegation rose to protest Dunnam’s motion, saying that it was "striking at our heart with a knife to … destroy our church," the General Conference overwhelmingly voted 551-345 to approve Dunnam’s motion. The Judicial Council voted 6-3 to approve this decision as well; Supporting the majority opinion were the Rev. John Corry, the Rev. C. Rex Bevins, Mary Daffin, the Rev. Keith Boyette, James Holsinger and Rodolfo Beltran while the Sally AsKew , the Rev. Larry Pickens and Sally Brown Geis dissented.
The Rev. Scott N. Field, the conference coordinator for a coalition of conservative and evangelical Methodist groups, said the Judicial Council rejected the jury's "novel interpretation" of church law.
But he said that "it does not end the debate because people of conscience who disagree with the church's current stand will continue acts of noncompliance, and therefore the real issue before the denomination is whether we can enforce the covenant within the clergy, and that will require additional legislation."
Additionally, on April 30, the Judicial Council reaffirmed an October ruling that Book of Discipline is "the law of the church which regulates every phase of the life and work of the church." At that time, the council upheld the Discipline as denominational law and reversed the decisions of two lower-ranking church bodies, the Western Jurisdiction Committee on Appeals and the Pacific Northwest Conference Committee on Investigation. In split votes, both committees had supported the dismissal of charges against Dammann. Continue >>
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