Dear
Sisters and Brothers,
I
am back in my office today after what has been a long, challenging and
difficult week for me and many as the United Methodist Church’s General
Conference met for a Special Session in St. Louis. My husband Chris and I are
both reserve delegates for the Baltimore-Washington Conference, and so we were
in attendance there throughout the session.
First,
I want to invite you to our follow-up session to be held at Calvary immediately
following worship this Sunday (March 3). During this time, I will give a more
detailed summary of the happenings and outcomes of the Special Session and you
will be able to ask questions. I know many of you took part in our
informational sessions prior to the conference, so I trust you have a handle on
the context of this session. In addition, throughout the conference, I posted
video updates on my Facebook page—those videos remain available there for your
viewing.
I
also encourage you to consider taking part in a conference-wide follow up
session this Saturday (March 2, 9:00 a.m.-Noon) which will be hosted by our
bishop, Bishop LaTrelle Easterling. The session will be held at the conference
office but also live-streamed to other sites. The closest sites for us will be St.
Paul UMC in Oxon Hill and First Saints Community in Leonardtown. I will be present
at the conference office for the meeting but I encourage you to attend whatever
site is most convenient for you, if you are interested.
Second,
I wanted to briefly share the results of the Special Session. The Traditional
Plan as well as a low-bar exit plan was approved by a slight majority of the
delegates. Though the overwhelming majority of United Methodists in the United
States did not support those pieces of legislation, the complexity of being a
global church led to an outcome which does not reflect the experiences and
views of United Methodists in our area.
Conservatives,
moderates and progressives had sought to keep the church unified in spite of
differences in our understanding of scripture on the question of our ministry
with LGBTQ persons. Indeed, this effort to be defined by unity reflects the
reality of the church in the United States, the Baltimore-Washington
Conference, and our own congregation. For decades around the issue of human
sexuality, and for much longer on other issues, we have been able to
successfully and fruitfully work together to make disciples of Jesus Christ for
the transformation of the world. We will continue to do so.
The
Traditional Plan and exit plan as passed are largely unconstitutional. While we
will likely be waiting a couple months for full clarity from the UMC’s Judicial
Council, it is fair to say we probably spent this time and money to be,
legislatively, about where we were before.
This
legislative reality of being where we started belies the deep pain which has
been caused anew within local churches like our own as well as the broader
church. LGBTQ persons and their loved ones are present in all UM churches,
including our own. I am humbled by the grace and witness of LGBTQ persons who
actively worked to support the One Church Plan—a plan which would allow space in
the UMC but not full protection or welcome for them in all UM congregations. I
am deeply disappointed that some with traditional readings of the Bible on this
matter could not equally affirm our unity in difference.
In
the past couple of days, the United Methodist Church has been in the national
spotlight due to the General Conference’s votes. These stories, while
reflecting the work and decisions of the Special Session, do not reflect the
entirety of who we are as United Methodists, nor do they define the ministry
and work of our own congregation.
However,
these recent stories now sadly define
our denomination by who we exclude from full participation in the life of the
church. I know all of us, no matter our views on human sexuality, do not desire
to be thus defined.
In
the many conversations you and I had (both in group settings and one-on-one) prior
to this Special Session, no matter how you read the Bible on the question of
homosexuality, you consistently affirmed your love for LGBTQ persons and your
belief that no matter what, all people are welcome as part of our worshipping
community. Our denomination’s recent actions convey a very different sense to
LGBTQ persons and their loved ones. Therefore, if we are to live into the love
and welcome we profess, we must be even more vigilant to consider how our
words, actions and welcome are received and perceived.
I
join you in being open to be challenged to live out the love and welcome which
I claim that I and the church offer to all persons, and in specific, to our
LGBTQ siblings. I know you join me in this earnest wrestling, and the
willingness to admit there is more for us to do. It is never enough to profess
love; love must always be manifest in action.
Therefore,
I invite you to ponder these questions as we move forward together as a
congregation: In what ways have your words and actions conveyed welcome to
LGBTQ persons in the life of our church? In what ways have your words and
actions failed to convey welcome to LGBTQ persons? What might God be calling
you or our congregation to do differently to manifest our professed love and
care for LGBTQ persons?
Though
our General Conference may not have found a clear way forward together, we
are able to chart a path forward together as a congregation. I am grateful for
the gifts, talents and witness of each of you. Though we have been in ministry
together for less than a year, I have already seen the fruits of our shared
ministry as we have expanded our feeding ministry in partnership with Our Place
Waldorf, worked to address facility maintenance issues to assure the continued
viability of our buildings, and met our goal of once again meeting our missional
giving goal through our apportionments. I am confident that as we continue to
do the hard work of life together as a church family, God will continue to guide
and bless us.
I
do hope you will join us this Sunday after worship so that we can reflect and
process the Special Session more fully. Please also know that I am available
for any one-on-one or small group conversations you would like to have about
this or any other issue.
May
God so fill our lives and shared ministry that all people can find a place at
Calvary to be drawn into God’s love, redemption, salvation and new life.
Grace
and Peace.
Rev.
Sarah Andrews Schlieckert
