Methodist Students Stress Inclusivity of Gays
United Methodist students approved a resolution criticizing a recent church court ruling that upheld a Virginia pastor’s decision to withhold membership from an openly homosexual man.
United Methodist students approved resolutions condemning the war in Iraq, genocide in Sudan, and criticizing a recent church court ruling that upheld a Virginia pastor’s decision to withhold membership f rom an openly homosexual man.
The resolutions were presented at the annual United Methodist Student Development Conference, which this year brought over 350 youth to Michigan on May 25-28.
According to the United Methodist News Service, students voted on 16 resolutions, of which 14 dealt with issues of inclusiveness, particularly regarding homosexuality. Of the six resolutions that received the required two-thirds majority vote, two dealt with the church court decision to reinstate a pastor who denied church membership to an openly gay man.
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One resolution, which passed with a 119-28 vote, said the decision deprived lay people of their rights, removed the denomination’s guarantee of open membership, undermined the authority of the bishop and the district superintendent, and put minorities in the church at risk of further discrimination.
The other resolution called on the church court to reverse its decision and called on the Council of Bishops to create a fully inclusive church. This resolution passed with a 124-30 vote.
The Revs. Luther Felder and Ken Bedell, staff members at the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry that sponsored the conference, said these resolutions reflect the next generation’s interest in openness and inclusiveness.
"I think the message the young people are giving the church is that they have a particular perspective that the church needs to recognize on issues young people care about," Bedell said, according to UMNS.
The high approval ratings also reflect a larger cultural trend of youth standing more clearly on the side of gay rights than previous generations. A Gallup Poll released earlier this week revealed a strong generational split in regards to homosexuality, with 54 percent of those under 40 years of age accepting the morality of the act, compared to 32 percent of seniors.
According to Felder, these differences stem f rom the new generation’s emphasis on inclusivity.
"Regardless of all of our flaws, all of our shortcomings, we all still belong to the same God. I submit that they are probably pretty concerned that the church is being exclusive when they themselves have practiced inclusivity as a generation in ways that exceed what any previous generation has experienced," Felder said.
Two other resolutions that would open the doors to inclusivity even more widely received a majority vote, but not enough to meet the two-thirds majority needed to pass. One of these resolutions would have petitioned the General Conference to strike language in the denomination’s constitution barring self-avowed practicing homosexuals f rom ordination. The other resolution would have asked the church to say the Bible cannot be taken literally, ultimately debunking plain scriptural texts condemning homosexuality.
According to the Rev Meg Lassiat, a director at the board of Higher Education and Ministry, the approved resolutions will be forwarded to the 2008 General Convention as the position of the United Methodist Student Movement.
Meanwhile, in regards to the war in Iraq, students passed a resolution condemning the use of torture and criticizing the Patriot Act. The resolution also urged President Bush to "return to his United Methodist roots and stop the use of torture for any reason in any location; to condemn the Patriot Act's threats of infringement upon privacy and free speech and its abuse of domestic surveillance; and to act in a matter consistent with United Methodist teachings." That resolution was supported by a 149 – 17 majority.
Other resolutions approved included the urging of nonviolent action against genocide in Sudan (167-4) and two petitions to the 2008 General Conference to amend the United Methodist Constitution by removing language referring to race, color, national origin, status or economic condition; these passed with a 132-38 vote and a 124-42 vote.
