United Methodist conference debating transgender clergy
Makula Dunbar/Contributing Writer & Adelle M. Banks/Religion News Service
Issue date: 5/5/08 Section: Divine Intervention
"My understanding of that situation is that this person who has gone through a gender reassignment is a very effective pastor and that the church he is serving is very supportive," Pastor Corwell said. "So I think in that case he's clearly called by God and the church has been supportive of his journey."
Pastor Cornwell says the controversy about sexuality and gender issues tends to take away from some important issues facing the church. The larger issues the denomination faces, she said, are tensions between conservative and progressives over how to read the Bible and interpret scriptures. "We tend to focus on these specific issues rather than getting to the root of the conversation."
Rev. Joye E. Jones, Pastor of Good Shepard United Methodist Church in Silver Spring, Md, points out that the discipline of the Methodist Church is silent on the question of transgenders. "It says absolutely nothing about transgender," she says. "Transgenders and homosexuals are not the same thing."
Pastors Jones likes to remind people that there was a time not so long ago when the church said that women and black people couldn't be pastors. "Things change over time," she added.
"As we develop an understanding of who is in and who is out and what is sin and what isn't, I believe that our opinions change. That's not to say that what sin and what isn't changes, but what we think about it does," said Pastor Jones.
But Associate Pastor Mel Grover at Lexington Park United Methodist Church in Lexington Park, MD, is not that accommodating. "The church itself should be open to all people," he told the District Chronicles. "With the pulpit, my personal opinion, and the discipline goes along with it, is that there should not be homosexuals in the pulpit. That's what the discipline says."
Affirmation, an advocacy group for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Methodists, oppose that viewpoint, saying such a move doesn't reflect a denomination whose slogan is "Open Hearts. Open Minds. Open Doors."
Pastor Cornwell says the controversy about sexuality and gender issues tends to take away from some important issues facing the church. The larger issues the denomination faces, she said, are tensions between conservative and progressives over how to read the Bible and interpret scriptures. "We tend to focus on these specific issues rather than getting to the root of the conversation."
Rev. Joye E. Jones, Pastor of Good Shepard United Methodist Church in Silver Spring, Md, points out that the discipline of the Methodist Church is silent on the question of transgenders. "It says absolutely nothing about transgender," she says. "Transgenders and homosexuals are not the same thing."
Pastors Jones likes to remind people that there was a time not so long ago when the church said that women and black people couldn't be pastors. "Things change over time," she added.
"As we develop an understanding of who is in and who is out and what is sin and what isn't, I believe that our opinions change. That's not to say that what sin and what isn't changes, but what we think about it does," said Pastor Jones.
But Associate Pastor Mel Grover at Lexington Park United Methodist Church in Lexington Park, MD, is not that accommodating. "The church itself should be open to all people," he told the District Chronicles. "With the pulpit, my personal opinion, and the discipline goes along with it, is that there should not be homosexuals in the pulpit. That's what the discipline says."
Affirmation, an advocacy group for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Methodists, oppose that viewpoint, saying such a move doesn't reflect a denomination whose slogan is "Open Hearts. Open Minds. Open Doors."
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 3
Charles Sawyer
posted 5/06/08 @ 4:11 PM EST
At this past General conference in Texas, the gay community and transgender community attempted to change the book of discipline in several ways. It didn't happen by a a majority vote against it. (Continued…)
Kelli Busey
posted 5/06/08 @ 5:24 PM EST
What is at issue transcends the GLBT issue. What the majority of people I talked to were upset about was that the church was excluding a huge portion of it's laity and clergy. (Continued…)
mike beall
posted 5/12/08 @ 3:52 PM EST
I believe that homosexuals and transgenders should attend church NOT lead it. For me, sin is sin. Pedophiles should attend church too but NOT lead Children's Church. (Continued…)
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