Adult Education Sunday January 19, 2014 Resources for: The State of Reconciling Ministry In the United Methodist Church Presented by the Saint Francis Reconciling Ministries Team We will provide the latest information on actions regarding reconciliation by clergy and congregations, and our denomination’s response, as we discuss how this affects the future of the United Methodist Church. RECONCILING TIMELINE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH and RECONCILING MINISTRIES NETWORK 1974: Start of Affirmation: United Methodists for Lesbian and Gay Concerns; First issues of Blair’s Blurbs newsletter 1979: UM Board of Discipleship publishes resource packet on homosexuality. 1980: Board of Church and Society focus Christian Social Action issue on homosexuality. 1983: Affirmation leaders begin RCP: Reconciling Congregations Program 1984: General Conference – Baltimore; UMC amends the Book of Discipline to state that “no self-avowed, practicing homosexual shall be ordained or appointed in the United Methodist Church.” In response, two Congregations vote to be first Reconciling churches 1985: First quarterly RCP resource Manna for the Journey (early Open Hands) 1987: First national Convocation; 30 reconciling congregations (RC). 1988: General Conference -St. Louis; Reconciling witness but no positive changes, St. Francis in the Foothills votes to become the 35th reconciling church 1990: RCP becomes a 501(c)3 with national offices in Chicago. 1995: Convocation in Minneapolis; Jean Audrey Powers “coming out” sermon; 104 reconciling congregations 1996: General Conference in Denver; Open the Doors campaign challenged exclusive church policies encouraging radical hospitality and removal of “incompatibility” language. UMC banned same gender unions and blessings. Doris Morris joins the national board of Reconciling Ministries Network. (RCP then) 1997: RCP publishes Claiming The Promise: An Ecumenical Welcoming Bible Study Resource on Homosexuality 1998: In Omaha, Nebraska, Jimmy Creech, after two trials, is defrocked for performing same gender marriages. Susan Morgan (then Mullins) was his associate pastor during the first of his two trials in which he was acquitted of the complaint. Susan joined St. Francis shortly after leaving First Omaha. 1998: Judicial Council rules that conferences and congregations may not identify themselves as Reconciling. After the ruling many met and refused to abandon the use of “Reconciling” 1999: Greg Dell, Broadway UMC, Chicago, was suspended for performing commitment ceremony. The Sacramento 68 (UMC pastors) were charged with jointly performing a blessing of a lesbian couple. Bishop Melvin Talbert announced the decision not to pursue a trial saying "The investigating committee heard testimony from church experts on Scripture, tradition, ethics, experience, and reason before reaching its decision." He added “We may never reach agreement on this issue” perhaps prophetic statement 2000: Cleveland GC; RMN campaign to change the Book of Discipline, Extend the Table, failed but supportive protestors arrested (over 200) brought public awareness to the issues; RCP changes name to Reconciling Ministries Network (RMN); United Methodists of Color for a Fully Inclusive Church (UMOC) and the Parent’s Reconciling Network (PRN) are established as RMN extension ministries 2001: Clergy Alliance is created and later becomes another extension ministry, Reconciling Ministries Clergy (RMC); 171 local congregations, 25 campus ministries, 16,500 Reconciling United Methodists (RUMs) are registered. St. Francis members attend Desert Southwest annual conference to engage delegates in lunch time conversations on reconciling. 2003: RMN Publication of Made In God’s Image: A Resource For Dialogue About the Church and Gender Differences 2004: Pittsburgh GC; RMN’s campaign. Watermarked: A Ministry of Assurance on baptismal promises, is designed to require removal of exclusionary language. However, no positive changes are achieved. A suggestion that the church split was defeated. 193 local congregations, 46 communities, 18,000 RUMs enrolled. 2005: KKK pickets Hearts on Fire, RMN’s 8th national convocation, Lake Junaluska, NC, 7 bishops participate. Judicial Council defrocks Beth Stroud and allows barring homosexual persons from membership. Bishops issue unanimous pastoral letter in opposition. 2006: RMN protests as Judicial Council refuses to reconsider membership decision. 221 local congregations, 61 communities 2007: 10th national convocation, Nashville, TN. Faith, Hope, Love Rev. Drew Phoenix comes out as transgender and is reappointed to his church. Judicial Council affirms 2008: Ft. Worth, TX, General Conference. RMN extensive efforts to change Book of Discipline discrimination fail. Ordination ban is re-affirmed. Structure of the UMC and possible changes to be studied over the next 4 years. Elizabeth Fimbres joins the national board of Reconciling Ministries Network 2009: Desert Southwest Annual Conference - votes to become a reconciling conference and to change the UMC constitution to include ALL persons entitlement to membership 2009: Justice and Joy RMN convocation Estes Park, CO, over 500 attended including almost 100 youth and children and many St. Francis folks St. Francis sends Daniel Viehland 2011: Sing a New Song RMN convocation Sawmill Creek, Huron, OH over 100 students and young adults attend. St. Francis sends Holly Kent, youth. Approximately 600 attend and plan for General Conference 2012 in Tampa In Wisconsin, Amy DeLong trial and punishment of suspension for 20 days for performing a lesbian couple’s ceremony. 2012: Tampa, FL, general conference. All extensive efforts at reform fail and chaos prevails at the conference. The RMN “An Altar for All” is created and over 1000 pastors have agreed to perform weddings and commitment ceremonies in “violation” of the Book of Discipline. Bishop Talbert announced that he would act in “Biblical Obedience” rather than follow the discriminatory and unlike Jesus provisions of the Book of Discipline. The Western Jurisdiction (including Desert Southwest Conference) Conference votes to support Bishop Talbert’s efforts and task him to fully define “Biblical Obedience”. 2013: Churchquake convocation in Chevy Chase, MD. Bishop Talbert’s preaches historic sermon on Biblical Obedience. St. Francis sends Chase Moreland. Bishop Talbert performs a wedding of a gay couple in Alabama and a divided Council of Bishops calls for a complaint to be initiated against him. Three churches in Sacramento create a Statement of Inclusion and urge others to join them in their stance against the discrimination of the BOD. St. Francis in the Foothills’ church council adopts and signs the Statement of Inclusion. Weddings and ceremonies for same gender couples grow in numbers throughout the country. Threats of trials continue and complaints against pastors increase in numbers. Rolly Loomis returns to St. Francis as associate pastor and is hired half time by RMN. St. Francis celebrates 25 years of its status as a reconciling church. Desert Southwest Conference now has 6 reconciling congregations and a Reconciling and Welcoming subcommittee of the conference Church and Society committee Desert Southwest Conference passed a Marriage Equality Resolution at its annual conference. Bishop Hoshibata finds that it does not violate the BOD. Judicial Council may review it during its spring meeting 2014. Nationally, RMN has 577 reconciling congregations, campus ministries and Sunday school classes, and there are 25,100 Reconciling United Methodists (RUM) RECONCILING RESOURCES Reconciling Ministries Network http://www.rmnetwork.org/about-us/ Reconciling Ministries blog http://www.rmnblog.org/ Jan.8, 2014 Bishop Melvin Talbert http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSemVhTQG8g Reconciling Ministries Network Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RMNetwork Information re Rev. Frank Schaefer’s trial And its impact http://www.rmnetwork.org/schaefer-media/ SUPPORTING OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS This was taken from a variety of sources deemed to be reliable. These lists are not exclusive and there are surely additional groups and companies we could add to these lists. But this is a start. You can show your support of your LGBT brothers and sisters by supporting companies that have a proven record of coming forward in favor of marriage equality. A few of these high profile companies are: Apple Starbucks Google Facebook ebay Nike, Inc. Gap Ben and Jerry’s Banana Republic Levi Strauss & Co. Microsoft Jet Blue Mastercard AT&T Instagram Johnson & Johnson Ernst & Young Modelez International (Oreo) UBS (bank) Citi (financial services) Orbitz Cisco Goldman Sachs Marriott International Moody’s Expedia Marc Jacobs Home Depot Viacom Macy’s General Mills JCPenney You can show your support of your LGBT brothers and sisters by learning about and encouraging your friends to refuse to support the following anti-gay organizations Abiding Truth Ministries/Defend Campaign for Children & Institute for Marriage and the Family Families Public Policy Alliance Defense Fund SaveAmerica.com Concerned Women for America Family Research Council Focus on the Family American Family Association Renew America Westboro Baptist Church Watchmen on the Walls Salvation Army ProtectMarriage.com National Org for Marriage Traditional Values Coalition You can show your support of your LGBT brothers and sisters by choosing not to take your business to the following companies that have consistently promote ‘Biblical obedience’ and have supported organization that are opposed to marriage equality