Renewal and Reinvention

What strikes you, looking back, about the controversy involving two members of the UCC: Jeremiah Wright and Barack Obama?

The tragedy of that situation was that one person's relationship with his faith communion was a victim of an intensely racialized environment. We were hurt and disappointed that Barack Obama was forced to make the choice [to break with his church and his pastor]. I don't fault him for that; it just lifts up the tragedy of how damaging racism can be. The only goal [of Obama's critics] was to stop him from being president. The people who wanted to stop him went to extreme ends. Our relationship with one of our members was a casualty of that reality. Believe me, Barack Obama would be welcome home any time.

Several denominations are now divided over the issue of ordaining gays and lesbians. How would you regard the UCC's experience of having affirmed the place of gays in ministry?

It can be a painful ordeal to reach the conclusion that God is calling you to be an inclusive denomination, to include all people and to make that "all" mean people who have sexual orientations that have been shunned by the Christian tradition. But there is great joy, excitement, and fulfillment in doing that. People should be able to experience the blessing of community and have the sense that they are loved by God. Pain occurs when there are brothers and sisters who cannot accept that. But doing what you discern is God will -- there is no greater fulfillment than that.

Ironically, there is no Christian community without gay and lesbian people. As long as you are reaching out, preaching the gospel, and baptizing people, people are going to grow up in the church, and some of them are going to discover that they are gay or lesbian. This is not something that can ever be expunged from a dynamic community.

Those who are seeking closure on this issue are in our prayers. It is not over for us, because the issue of inclusivity ultimately becomes a congregational issue. While at the national level and in many of our conferences the issue seems to be decided, there are still many local churches that struggle with it. But at least there is some clarity and direction for those who remain a part of the UCC.

Reprinted with permission from the Christian Century magazine. Subscribe here.

Amy Johnson Frykholm is the author of Rapture Culture: Left Behind in Evangelical America.

Read more articles from the Future of Mainline Protestantism series at Patheos.