Frequently asked Questions Regarding the Church and Human Sexuality Issues What is meant when we say the United Methodist Church is connectional? Methodism in the United States traces its roots back to the 1700s and the leadership of John Wesley, an Anglican minister and evangelist. The modern United Methodist Church (UMC) was formed with the merger of the Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church in 1968. As such, the UMC is celebrating its 50 th anniversary this year. We often speak of the denomination as the connection. This concept has been central to Methodism from its beginning. John Wesley recognized the need for an organized system of communication and accountability and developed what he called the connexion, a network of groups that worked together to accomplish the mission of spreading scriptural holiness. Today, every local church is linked to an interconnected network of organizations that join together in mission and ministry, allowing us to accomplish far more than any one local church or person could alone. The modern UMC is a worldwide church community of nearly 12 million members. As of 2015, its membership included about 7 million in the US and 5.6 million in Africa, Asia, and Europe. The UMC is the largest denomination within a larger Methodist movement that consists of about 80 million members worldwide. What are conferences in the United Methodist Church? What is General Conference and how does it differ from other conferences? Within the connectional structure of the United Methodist Church (UMC), conferences provide the primary groupings of people and churches for discernment and decision-making. Wesley described Christian conferencing as a spiritual discipline through which God s grace may be revealed. At every level of the connection, church leaders and members come together in conversation, or conferencing, to discuss important issues and discover God s will for the church. The word conference thus refers to both the organization of people as well as the process of discerning God s call together. There are several levels of conferences in the modern worldwide UMC. At the top level is the General Conference, which is the primary legislative body of the UMC. It is the only body that speaks officially for the whole church. Meeting once every four years to determine legislation affecting connectional matters, it is composed of no fewer than 600 and no more than 1,000 delegates. An equal number of lay and clergy delegates are elected from United Methodist conferences around the world to decide matters of policy and procedure for the denomination. In the United States, the lower level conferences include the Jurisdictional Conferences and the Annual Conferences. There are five geographic jurisdictional conferences in the United States: Northeastern, Southeastern, North Central, South Central, and Western. The jurisdictional conferences provide program and leadership training events to support the annual conferences. In addition, every four years the jurisdictional conferences meet to elect new bishops and select members of general boards and agencies. Each jurisdictional conference is made up of eight to fifteen annual conferences. The term annual conference could refer to either a regional/organizational unit of the church or a yearly meeting. In the United States, an annual conference is a regional entity that may cover an entire state, only part of the state, or sometimes parts of two or more states. In the United States, each of the annual conferences has a central office and professional staff that coordinate and conduct ministry and the business
of the conference. The presiding official for each annual conference is a bishop of the UMC. Bishops are appointed to episcopal areas which typically encompass a single annual conference. Sometimes, however, an episcopal area may cover more than one of the smaller annual conferences. The United States has 56 annual conferences supervised by bishops in 46 episcopal areas. As previously noted, the term annual conference also refers to an annual meeting of the churches within the geographic area of the conference. Each year, an equal number of clergy members and lay members from these churches attend an annual conference session for worship, fellowship, and to conduct the business of the conference. The meetings are typically held in May or June and last 3-5 days. The annual conference sessions include: (a) reports of past and ongoing work; (b) adoption of future goals, programs, and budgets; (c) ordination of clergy members as deacons and elders; and (d) election of delegates to jurisdictional and general conferences (every 4 years). The bishop presides over these meetings. The Florida Annual Conference, to which we belong, encompasses the state of Florida with the exception of the Florida panhandle (which is in the Alabama-West Florida Annual Conference). The central office for the Florida Annual Conference is located in Lakeland, Florida. Our presiding bishop is Ken Carter. The international UMC is organized in a slightly different manner than the church in the United States. Annual conferences located outside the US are grouped into Central Conferences, much like jurisdictional conferences in the US. There are seven central conferences in the UMC: Africa, West Africa, Congo, Central and Southern Europe, Germany, Northern Europe (including parts of Asia), and the Philippines. There are 80 international annual conferences distributed within these seven central conferences, and the annual conferences are supervised by 20 bishops. What is the organizational structure of the United Methodist Church? The General Conference, the primary legislative body of the UMC, is the only body that speaks officially for the worldwide church. Working within the boundaries of the church constitution and general rules, the general conference defines: (a) the conditions, privileges and duties of church membership; (b) the powers and duties of elders, deacons, diaconal ministers and local pastors; (c) powers and duties of the episcopacy (bishops); (d) judicial system procedures; and (e) the powers and duties of annual conferences and subsidiary groups. In addition, it stipulates the organization, promotion and administrative work of the church. authorizes the official hymnal and book of worship, initiates and directs all connectional enterprises of the church, and enacts other legislation for the operation of the church. During the general conference, delegates discuss and vote on petitions and resolutions proposed by individuals, agencies, annual conferences, and other groups within the denomination. These actions result in a revision of the Book of Discipline, the denomination's book of law, and Book of Resolutions, which includes policies of the denomination on current social issues. It is at general conference where delegates wrestle with contemporary issues based on their understanding of scriptural teachings and the church's understanding of that teaching. Here is where the church's official stands and church policies are made regarding such issues as human sexuality, abortion, war and peace, as well as determination of ministries and funding. Bishops attend the general conference but cannot vote. Different bishops serve as presiding officers during the conference. Other bishops cannot speak at the conference unless permission is specifically granted by the delegates.
The Council of Bishops gives general oversight of the ministry and mission of the church and spiritual leadership to the entire church connection. Composed of all active and retired bishops, the council meets as a group at least once a year. Bishops of the UMC provide spiritual leadership in a broad range of settings on four continents, including North America, Europe, Africa and Asia. In keeping with UMC tradition, bishops are not ordained as bishops, but are elected by clergy and consecrated to the office of bishop. Bishops are elected at jurisdictional conferences and assigned to a particular episcopal area, made up of one or more annual conferences. Each bishop provides oversight of the ministry and mission of annual conferences in his or her area and appoints all clergy to their places of service. Historically, bishops play an important leadership role in ordering the life of the church and helping set the direction to fulfill its mission in the world. All bishops share in teaching, equipping, and encouraging mission and service. They serve as shepherds of the entire church, providing a prophetic witness for justice and unity. All bishops are members of the Council of Bishops, which collectively is charged with the general oversight and promotion of the temporal and spiritual interests of the entire Church. Every four years, the Council of Bishops elects a president of the council. In 2016, Bishop Ken Carter (from the Florida Annual Conference) was elected president of the Council of Bishops. The Judicial Council is the highest judicial body or "court" of the UMC. Its nine members (made up of laity and clergy) are elected by the general conference. The Judicial Council determines the constitutionality of acts or proposed acts of the general, jurisdictional, central, and annual conferences. It acts on these either on appeal of lower rulings or through requests for declaratory decisions. It also rules on whether acts of other official bodies of the denomination conform to the Book of Discipline. The work of the Judicial Council is done in accordance with procedures established in the Book of Discipline. What is the typically meant by the traditional versus progressive theological perspectives regarding human sexuality and the church? One of the thorny issues with which the church has struggled over the past 50 years regards our position on human sexuality. At the heart of the issue has been differences in our interpretation of scripture. While there are many varied positions on this issue, the viewpoints can typically be divided into two large categories. These are commonly labeled traditional and progressive positions. Traditionalists feel that scripture speaks plainly about this issue. While they affirm that members of the LGBTQ community are individuals of sacred worth, they feel that the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching. In addition, in their opinion, scripture suggests that marriage is the union of one man and one woman. As a church, they feel that we must maintain accountability to that scripture no matter what changes in viewpoint are occurring in the culture outside the church. As a result, traditionalists feel that the church should not support same-sex marriages in our church. Furthermore, they feel that self-avowed practicing homosexuals should not be ordained or appointed to serve as ministers in the church. Progressives, while recognizing the scripture alluded to by the traditionalist viewpoint, feel that the biblical writers never anticipated the existence of active, loyal, church-going, homosexual members who wish to live out their lives in faithful, loving, mutually monogamous same sex unions with their partners, and who wish to faithfully participate in leadership roles at every level in their church. Beyond that, in their opinion, there is also a wealth of scripture, including statements by Jesus, that clearly point to the radical inclusion of all Christians, irrespective of their sexual orientation, as full-fledged members of the body of Christ. As a matter of justice, therefore, progressives feel that members of the LGBTQ community should be treated no differently than any other members of the church (including their ability to marry and be ordained).
What is the Book of Discipline? What does it say about the gay marriage and ordination of gays in the United Methodist Church? The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church (UMC) outlines denominational law, doctrine, administration, organizational work, and procedures. The Book of Discipline contains the church constitution and general rules, which detail the responsibilities of General Conference (the legislative body), the Council of Bishops (the administrative body), and the Judicial Council (the legal body) for the denomination. In 1972, the UMC general conference added language to the Social Principles section of the Book of Discipline (paragraph 160G). This paragraph currently states: Homosexual persons no less than heterosexual persons are individuals of sacred worth.the United Methodist Church does not condone the practice of homosexuality and consider[s] the practice incompatible with Christian teaching. In the 1980s, the church passed a series of prohibitions on ordaining gay clergy. The resultant Book of Discipline (paragraph 304.3) currently states: The practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching. Therefore, self-avowed practicing homosexuals are not to be certified as candidates, ordained as ministers, or appointed to serve in the United Methodist Church. In 1996, the church issued a policy against same-sex marriages. Book of Discipline (paragraph 341.6) currently states: Ceremonies that celebrate homosexual unions shall not be conducted by our ministers and shall not be conducted in our churches. What is the Social Creed of the United Methodist Church? The Social Creed of the United Methodist Church (UMC) is part of the Social Principles section (Part IV) of the Book of Discipline for the UMC. As such, it is reviewed and revised, as necessary, every four years at General Conference. The following is the statement of the Social Creed for the UMC in the most recent version of the Book of Discipline (2016). We believe in God, Creator of the world; and in Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of creation. We believe in the Holy Spirit, through whom we acknowledge God s gifts, and we repent of our sin in misusing these gifts to idolatrous ends. We affirm the natural world as God s handiwork and dedicate ourselves to its preservation, enhancement, and faithful use by humankind. We joyfully receive for ourselves and others the blessings of community, sexuality, marriage, and the family. We commit ourselves to the rights of men, women, children, youth, young adults, the aging, and people with disabilities; to improvement of the quality of life; and to the rights and dignity of all persons.
We believe in the right and duty of persons to work for the glory of God and the good of themselves and others and in the protection of their welfare in so doing; in the rights to property as a trust from God, collective bargaining, and responsible consumption; and in the elimination of economic and social distress. We dedicate ourselves to peace throughout the world, to the rule of justice and law among nations, and to individual freedom for all people of the world. We believe in the present and final triumph of God s Word in human affairs and gladly accept our commission to manifest the life of the gospel in the world. Amen. What is meant by the term A Way Forward? The stance of the church regarding human sexuality has been a big issue of contention at every general conference since 1972. The issues of marriage and ordination of LGBTQ members came to a head at the most recent general conference in 2016, and the members of the general conference asked the Council of Bishops to provide leadership regarding a mechanism for resolving these differences. Based on this appeal, the Council of Bishops proposed A Way Forward. The general conference in 2016 accepted the bishop s proposal, which authorized the formation of a 32 member special commission to advise the Council of Bishops on how the worldwide UMC should deal with the question of human sexuality going forward. Based on the work of the commission on A Way Forward, the Council of Bishops would then provide a proposal to be acted on by a special-called general conference (which would deal only with this issue) to be held in February 2019. The commission on A Way Forward is a broadly diverse group of church leaders. The group consists of laity, clergy, and bishops. It includes people from nine nations (including representatives from all five of the US jurisdictional conferences and all seven of the international central conferences). The membership of the commission includes both men and women, gay and straight sexual orientations, and a full span of ages. In addition, importantly, the group represents a diverse spectrum of theological opinion regarding human sexuality (including traditional, moderate, and progressive perspectives). The vision statement prepared by the Council of Bishops for the commission on A Way Forward is as follows: The Commission will design a way for being church that maximizes the presence of a United Methodist witness in as many places in the world as possible, that allows for as much contextual differentiation as possible, and that balances an approach to different theological understandings of human sexuality with a desire for as much unity as possible. This unity will not be grounded in our conceptions of human sexuality, but in our affirmation of the Triune God who calls us to be a grace-filled and holy people in the Wesleyan tradition. The commission on A Way Forward has met formally on nine separate occasions since their inception. They completed their work in May 2018, proposing several models of church structure that would address the issues of marriage and ordination of LGBTQ members for the worldwide UMC. Based on the advice and recommendations by the commission, the Council of Bishops has produced a report which is currently being translated into all the official church languages (English, French, Portuguese, Swahili). This report is due to be published in July, 2018. Based on recent Judicial Council rulings, the special general conference in February 2019, will be able to consider the models offered by the Council of Bishops, but also can consider other related proposals from other sources.
Who is Bishop Ken Carter? Kenneth H. Carter, Jr. is resident bishop of the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church (UMC). Along with the Cabinet, he gives pastoral and administrative leadership to almost 800 congregations in the conference. He came to the Florida Conference in 2012, following a ministry of almost thirty years in Western North Carolina. He served for nearly twenty-nine years as a local church pastor. Bishop Carter also serves as the president of the Council of Bishops of the UMC, and he was one of three moderators of A Way Forward, the commission authorized by the General Conference in matters of unity and human sexuality. He is author of ten books, most recently Fresh Expressions: A New Kind of Methodist Church (with Audrey Warren; Abingdon Press, 2017) and Embracing the Wideness: The Shared Convictions of United Methodists (Abingdon Press, 2018). His great hope for the church is that she will rediscover an orthodox Christian faith which offers the radically inclusive grace of God to all people, and at the same time calls every follower of Jesus to inner holiness, missional compassion and hopeful witness. He travels extensively across Florida, preaching in local churches and encouraging lay and clergy leaders. Bishop Carter and his wife Pam have been married for thirty-seven years. Pam is also an ordained elder in the UMC, and is a regional team leader in disaster recovery for the Florida Conference. They are blessed with two adult daughters: Liz lives in Los Angeles, where she is a PhD student at UCLA, and Abby is on the staff of Martin Methodist College in Pulaski, Tennessee. Abby and her husband Allen are parents of Paige, the bishop s granddaughter. What is the intention of the Point of View sessions? United Methodist Church (UMC) leaders have strongly advocated that local churches should have conversations among their members about this contentious issue. To help our congregations pursue thoughtful and loving discussions about these difficult issues, the UMC has developed a curriculum called Point of View (POV): Join the Conversation. The POV program recognizes that church is community, and communities sometimes disagree. Further, it recognizes that community is not served when its members avoid candor. Rather, church community is supported through having difficult conversations in Christian love. The POV curriculum helps to support participating congregations by having facilitated discussions with emphases on empathy, understanding, and generative dialogue. The POV curriculum is not designed to support any one position regarding these issues. There is no intent with the program to change the opinion of the participants. Recalling the words in the Great Thanksgiving communion prayer: By your Spirit make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to the world Fostering positive, respectful, and loving communication amongst the participants, the POV curriculum is designed to help us foster Christian community, which values unity with each other, in the midst of the Holy Spirit, and unity in mission over diversity in thought and practice. Several offerings of the POV program will be available between August and November of this year.