By SHANNEN TALBOT
Staff Reporter 

United Methodist Churches may flout new rules

 

Last updated 3/14/2019 at 9:37pm



Last month, a familiar battle raged on at the United Methodist Church General Conference in St. Louis, Mo., one concerning human sexuality and its place in the church. After several days of discussion, United Methodist leaders passed “The Traditional Plan” by a tight margin of 53 percent, re-affirming the church’s stance against homosexuality, marriage equality and LGBTQ clergy.

But according to local religious officials, many churches in the Pacific Northwest and in Cheney specifically are not planning to adhere to those guidelines.

“We have values around inclusion and a deep faith that will not allow us to conform to these new policies,” District Superintendent for the Inland Missional District Gregg Sealey said in an email. “This will not change.”

Many in the United Methodist community have expressed concern with the traditional plan, which, according to Sealey, adds minimum punishments for clergy who are “self-avowed practicing homosexuals,” as well as institutes minimum penalties for any clergy who perform weddings for same-gender couples. It also asks bishops and conference Boards of Ordained Ministry to “certify” that they will follow the rules by a certain date or lose funding from the denomination. Bishops who don’t enforce these new rules could be subjected to punishments from denominational channels.


But those punishments aren’t fazing Pacific Northwest pastors. The region has historically been more accepting of LGBTQ congregants, and Sealey said he doesn’t see that changing any time soon.

Cheney’s United Methodist Church lead pastor Alissa Bertsch said the conference decision shouldn’t have a big impact on the West Plains congregation.


“Cheney is a local church that has figured out a way to live with differences and love each other in Christ,” Bertsch said.

Historically, churches are known for their claims in newsletters and other publications that “all are welcome,” but how LGBTQ people can feel welcome in a church that condemns them isn’t clear to many higher-ups in church leadership.

“If churches follow the letter of the law under the traditionalist plan, I don’t believe they can,” Sealey said. “The vast majority of our churches in the Pacific Northwest affirm every baptized person’s call to ministry, whether that is as a clergy person or a layperson, and regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.”


A disaffiliation plan, sometimes called an “exit plan,” was also passed at the conference. This provides guidelines for congregations who wish to leave the United Methodist Church “for reasons of conscience” regarding issues of human sexuality.

Early reports from pastors and bishops across the country indicate that it’s an option many are seriously considering. It could even happen here, Sealey said, though what the final decision will be “remains to be seen.”

“This has been a galvanizing event for United Methodist clergy and laity to clarify our values and how we want to practice our faith,” Sealey said. “I believe that if that means that we eventually have to start a new Methodist movement then we will do that; those conversations have begun but I don’t expect any immediate decisions.”


Sealey said church leadership was asking local churches not to make rash decisions at this time until a path forward can be more clearly delineated.

Bertsch said her church is “not particularly political,” but will continue to practice the acceptance it is known for. While elsewhere in the country LGBTQ clergy members stand the risk of being defrocked, Sealey says that will not be the case in Washington.

“I hope folks don’t believe these new policies are indicative of UMC’s generally,” he said. “Fully two-thirds of U.S.-based delegates and over 80 percent of our bishops supported a more inclusive plan.”

Whether local churches will be forced to adhere to the new rules or will instead break away from the United Methodist banner and form a self-governing Methodist Church is not yet clear, but for now the Pacific Northwest will be operating as if the more inclusive “One Church Plan” had passed along with many other congregations across the country, Sealey said.

Shannen Talbot can be reached at shannen@cheneyfreepress.com.

 

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