Northern Illinois United Methodist Conference Urges: Homosexuality/bisexuality "gift of God"

Methodist Federation for Social Action | June 6, 2003 | Rev. Bob Campbell, Legislative Coordinator> Coordinator

[aruanan]

Highlights of text:

...human sexuality is a good gift of God...
...homosexuality, heterosexuality and bi-sexuality all share that gift...
...we commit to proclaim that homosexual orientation (no less or more than heterosexual orientation) can be compatible with Christian teaching...
We encourage clergy to preach this from our pulpits ...
...we encourage lay people to teach it in our Sunday school classes and tell it to our children...
...we affirm that loving, monogamous, intimate relationships between persons of the same or opposite gender, are an expression of God's love...
...we affirm that persons of all sexual orientations are equally called to ordained ministry...
...as lay persons we will similarly affirm that call and we will offer ourselves fully in mutual ministry with pastors of our churches regardless of that person's sexual orientation....

This was sent to me by a friend familiar with the goings-on of the Northern Illinois Conference of the United Methodist Church.

The text:

700-23 REFLECTING THE LOVE OF GOD Passed as amended in Plenary, June 7, 2003.

WHEREAS, as Christians we are called to embody God's love in the world, and as United Methodist Christians, we are united in our faith in God, our love of Christ and our commitment to seek and do God's will as empowered by the Holy Spirit; and

WHEREAS, for the past two decades General Conference actions have added increasingly condemnatory and exclusionary language to the Book of Discipline concerning the full participation of gay and lesbian, bisexual and transgendered persons in our denomination; and

WHEREAS, the church is deeply divided on issues related to God's gift of sexual orientation, and any pretense that we are of one mind only serves to deepen the estrangement and isolation of those who are excluded, and imposes premature closure upon the church's search to faithfully discern the will of God;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Northern Illinois Conference of the United Methodist Church affirms that human sexuality is a good gift of God and understands that homosexuality, heterosexuality and bi-sexuality all share that gift; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we believe that the current statement in the United Methodist Book of Discipline that "homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching" is: not reflective of the historic Wesleyan unwillingness to limit prerogatives which belong solely to God, and is not representative of every Biblical/theological perspective; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we commit to proclaim that homosexual orientation (no less or more than heterosexual orientation) can be compatible with Christian teaching. We encourage clergy to preach this from our pulpits and expose our parishioners to the fullness of the Scriptural witness on related matters in our Bible studies, and we encourage lay people to teach it in our Sunday school classes and tell it to our children; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, we affirm that loving, monogamous, [sic] intimate relationships between persons of the same or opposite gender, are an expression of God's love; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, we affirm the historic charge of United Methodist clergy to be in ministry according to their best discernment among the people entrusted to their care.

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, we affirm that persons of all sexual orientations are equally called to ordained ministry. As clergy we will affirm God's call to ordained ministry as experienced by candidates for ministry regardless of a person's sexual orientation and welcome them into the clergy covenant, and as lay persons we will similarly affirm that call and we will offer ourselves fully in mutual ministry with pastors of our churches regardless of that person's sexual orientation.

Methodist Federation for Social Action Rev. Bob Campbell, Legislative Coordinator

[aruanan]

For your commentary.

[OREALLY]

I feel ill !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[WVNan]

Commentary? I must admit I'm speechless.

[Faith]

I am sick to my stomach. Can't even type.

[Tarheel]

You forgot the 'BARF' warning. This is very disturbing.

The Tarheel

[aruanan]

At at time when the UM church nationally is starting to go back in the direction of its Wesleyan roots (especially amongst the Hispanic UM churches), Sprague and buddies spring this.

Please ping others you think may be interested. I won't be responding for several hours due to work.

[aruanan]

You forgot the 'BARF' warning. This is very disturbing.

Sorry. I sort of thought it spoke for itself.

[TheBattman]

Amazing how far left the United Methodists have moved. I have been told (I am not old enough to remember) that Methodists use to be some of the most conservative (in our current definition of "conservative") people around. What has happened?

[RnMomof7]

Apostacy Bump

Wesley turns over in his grave at least hourly now..how sad

[The Grammarian]

What happened? The Methodists' descendants turned away from God.

[esopman]

Thank you very much for posting this.

I teach an adult Sunday school class in a rural UM church. The congregation is for the most part comprised of very dear hearts who by any Christian measure truly belong to Jesus.

This apostate, heretical, godless, unbiblical, nauseating trash from Northern Illinois is not surprising. There are many enclaves within the UMC of Christians-who-are-the-real-deal and the deceived contingent exemplified by Bob Campbell. In discussions of these issues with a dear friend who is a UMC pastor, he noted that his inclination was to believe that the anti-Christ would ultimately come out of the church (not necessarily the UMC). In short, there are very good people working to resist this demonic lunacy. I am greatly encouraged by the phenomenon you note relative to Hispanic UM churches.

I shall research the Methodist Federation for Social Action and bring it to the attention of the Sunday school class. Thank you again.

[chicagolady]

Ping!

[madprof98]

There's a companion thread today, and a busy one. It's about a guy who decided (at 23) to remain celibate until he married and has kept that promise for 10 years. You should hear the "conservatives" on FreeRepublic taking him to task for being (a) crazy, (b) immoral, or(c) secretly gay. For people in a post-Christian society, including professed conservatives, it seems unthinkable that any and every itch might not necessarily get scratched. It's not surprising contemporary Methodists share and even celebrate this line of thought.

[Tarheel]

Sorry. I sort of thought it spoke for itself.

Well, actually it did--I was just being sarcastic and I forgot to 'tag' my sarcasm--duh!

No matter, the thinking exhibited in the statement from the church is very disturbing.

The Tarheel

[Mark17]

Apostacy Bump

Would you say this is apostasy with an attitude?

[Petronski]

Anal sex is a gift from God?

[dts32041]

The UMC branch of the NCC strikes again, remember both hilterly and GWB belong to this cult.

[dighton]

........

[Petronski]

30 years ago, you guys would be reacting in similar fashion to such "shocking" news as the establishment of mixed-race churches.

You're equating race with anal sex?