[Note: Keep checking the United Methodist Reporter site for the latest news]
This morning, after a plea from the highly respected Rev. Adam Hamilton that the Bishops of the UMC do their job and offer some leadership through our morass, the Bishops presented a statement.
In that statement, they recommended that all legislation concerning human sexuality be deferred to a special commission to completely review all language relating to sexuality in the Book of Discipline with the possibility of modifying/removing it. They also expressed hope of halting clergy trials for either serving as a Gay/Lesbian clergy or performing same-sex weddings (I’m extrapolating inferences from the statement here), for a period of time.
After their proposal was read, Adam Hamilton offered a motion that the General Conference adopt the plan presented by the Bishops.
After a significant debate that straddled the lunch break, the motion was defeated by a pretty big margin, meaning all sexuality legislation is now back on the table. Shortly after that, two different people came to the microphone accusing the presiding bishop of malfeasance in the way he was presiding over the conference. One delegate requested that he remove himself from presiding.
The Bishop called for a recess, asking delegates not to leave the room. When the Conference resumed ten minutes later, he resumed his leadership of the Conference.
From conversations around the room about the proposals from the Bishops, I picked up that many suggest the proposal defined the big center of The United Methodist Church, at least in the US. In other words, those in the big center wish to remove the discriminatory language in the BOD and work out a structure that gives more space for contextually determining issues in our Discipline.
It is my opinion, and this is opinion only, that the voting bloc on the far right of the church is responsible for defeating the proposal. It is likely a Commission would move the church toward that center, a position anathema to the far right.
It is also my belief that we will see massive demonstrations this afternoon as the petitions to remove or soften language in the Discipline come to the floor and are defeated by that voting bloc.
I hope I am wrong. But if nothing else, we do see how excruciatingly broken we are. I still hold to the belief that a resurrection is around the corner, but we must go through the death process first.
It will be messy, painful. Many, including me, will be full of grief. Anger and anguish will prevail.
But grace and mercy still sit in the center of God’s heart. In time, new life will come.
Now, as I write, another motion has just been made to approve the proposal offered by the Council of Bishops.
Again, I ask you who read this blog to remember that I am writing very fast with no time to revise or clean up spelling/language or my tendency to write run-on sentences. Just be kind and send corrections.
Late breaking: the second proposal to accept the proposal by the Bishops passed by a margin of 23 votes. As far as we are able to understand what just happened, all legislation that dealt in any way with sexuality must now be taken off the agenda. That should shorten the time here!
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