[Previous entry: "Please let the UN run Iraq!"] [Next entry: "No rules, just right"]
05/05/2004: "Orthodox ethics win again at UMGC"
Delegates to the United Methodist General Conference have closed a linguistic loophole invented by the Karen Dammann jury that seemed to allow actively gay pastors to stay in office:
Delegates to the United Methodist Church’s top legislative body continued the church prohibition of self-avowed practicing homosexuals being involved in ordained ministry.
Within the qualifications for ordaining ministers in the United Methodist Church is a statement that says, "Since the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching, self-avowed practicing homosexuals are not to be accepted as ministers or appointed" in the church.
The delegates to the 2004 General Conference removed the word "since" and made a declaratory statement on May 4 that says, "The practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching." After the word "teaching," delegates added the word "therefore" and made a second sentence. The adopted language now reads: "The practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching. Therefore, self-avowed practicing homosexuals are not to be accepted as candidates, ordained as ministers or appointed to serve in the United Methodist Church."
Following much debate, the delegates defeated a minority report that would have given each annual conference or central conference–regional units of the church–the responsibility of determining how it will approach homosexuality as it relates to a person’s fitness for ministry.
I have no doubt that the Humpty-Dumptys that want to force Methodists to change their stance on homosexual behavior will find some clever and disingenuous way to parse these sentences. But at this point, there really isn't any doubt about what the will of the General Conference delegates is with regard to gay issues. Maybe it's time for a realignment: gay activists in the UMC can join the ECUSA, and gay opponents from ECUSA can join the UMC.
