A Methodist call to action against homophobia

The Rev. Martin McLee began his Nov. 6 sermon by warning his congregation at Union United Methodist Church in the South End that he was departing from the traditional format. Rather than simply preach, McLee used his sermon to issue a call to action to members in the church to stand up against anti-gay discrimination. He described two recent cases decided by the Judicial Council, the top legal body in the United Methodist Church, that gave members of the LGBT community and their allies pause. On Oct. 30 the Judicial Council reversed a lower court decision and defrocked Beth Stroud, who had been associate pastor of First United Methodist Church of Germantown, Penn., for being a lesbian in a non-celibate relationship. Following that decision, the council issued a ruling Nov. 1 reinstating the Rev. Edward Johnson, pastor of South Hill United Methodist Church of South Hill, Virginia, who had been suspended for denying membership in the church to an openly gay man. Focusing on the latter decision, McLee urged the Union congregation to reach out to the South Hill man denied membership by Johnson.

"I want to encourage us, beloved, to do something about this ruling," McLee said. "This unnamed brother, and he is our brother, has been told, 'You can't have membership.' Well, why don't we do this? Let's write him letters, I have the address, and invite him to become a member of Union."

He said at least 20 other congregations, including churches in Denver and Atlanta, are taking part in the letter writing campaign.

McLee's suggestion was greeted with cheers and applause, and when he asked people who would be willing to write letters to stand, nearly 50 people stood.

http://www.baywindows.com/media/paper328/news/2005/11/10/News/A.Methodist.Call.To.Action.Against.Homophobia-1052979.shtml

This is truly encouraging ... and in a predominantly African-American church, no less! It comes at a time when I was disparring of my former denomination turning into just another organized hate group like the KKK, the Southern Baptist Convention, the Vatican and the Aryan Nation.

As opposed to "Good News", eh?

It's important to remember that the "Judicial Council" that reached that decision was "packed" by the "Good News" - ultra conservative "Methodists".

in the West and Northeast will predominate the UMC, but for now so much of it is under the thumbs of the far more conservative Southern conference.

It's encouraging though that churches are speaking out against the Judicial Council's action. Heck, I might even write a letter (though I doubt they'd care to hear from a "back-slidin' former Methodist).

I've not heard about him actually attending church services, however.

I do recall that shortly after the invasion/occupation of Iraq started, some of the more liberal/progressive Methodists started a petition to kick * out of the church. I don't think anything ever came of it though. Besides, how can you kick out someone who's never there anyway?

Can he be excommunicated, or is that even possible in the Methodist church?