By Robin Blair
No room for movement,
No agenda, but a time to talk about the sexuality issues, No vote, just talk,
Why do we insist on the closed door?
Jason Moore says he has no agenda for the open door of the UMC.
“It really is God’s time and God’s door.”
Jason is not alone in his thinking and prayerful discernment, in fact, he has good company.
Friday evening the General Board of Church and Society hosted a dinner and, in celebration of the General Conference gathering, Rev. Dr. Joseph Lowery was invited to speak, and speak he did.
Though Rev. Lowery needs little invitation, suffice it to say as a founder of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, he is fondly known as the ‘Dean of the Civil Rights Movement,’ one of the men who with Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, implemented actions of civil disobedience in response to this country’s Euro-centric majority voice that oppressed and segregated the voice and vote of the African American citizen. It was not only a painful time in the United States of America, but also for the Methodist Church.
The United Methodist Church in the United States has been on a path of reconciliation with its African American sisters and brothers, and there is plenty, with God’s grace, yet to do. NCNY Annual Conference 2003 celebrated a worship service of reconciliation which was powerfully received by the conference community. The doors of the church and the hearts of the millions in and out of the churches, were slammed shut for far too long; thus the richness of God’s grace in the human family as our life experiences were limited by the myopic view that personal or collective growth was not necessary, we were all just fine thank you very much, change is too hard, those people are not like me – well, most folks can recite the reasons we close our hearts, minds and doors.
Often hindsight is one of the gifts God gives us, memory work, as perspective for the future.
Rev. Lowery called upon this memory work to address issues that affect us all with respect to social concerns that would appear to act as barriers to the love and grace of God through the arms of the UMC. He asked the question, “ will not justice roll down like the mighty waters?” If a believer in the God of creation and salvation, one could only reply, ‘yes Rev. Lowery!”
Rev. Lowery passionately declared Friday evening at the Marriot Hotel, that he has, ‘wept too bitterly, bled too profusely to deny anyone the rights that I enjoy. The church has something better to offer,” Rev Lowery exclaimed. “My faith is built on the love of God!”
In other words, I am not the one to judge you as you are not the one to judge me. That is the job of the Creator, Sustainer, Redeemer – and not the people. How can the church visit the notion of exclusivity with the arms of a loving God wrapped around it so beautifully. It is a curious question. One that will not be answered at this General Conference.
This message of ‘open the doors to all’ has also been declared by Rev. Gil Caldwell who was honored by the Methodist Federation for Social Action Saturday evening for his “Excellence in Social Justice Ministry.” He begged the question of the over 800 persons in the audience (and now you through this reading) about our church, “In the beginning of the 21st century, who will want to look back and say, ‘I stood in the way.’ Who would want this?”
So, I asked Jason Moore, on your second trip to a United Methodist General Conference, do you feel as though your voice is heard?
Jason: Not really.
RB: Why not?
Jason: It seems to be less Holy Conferencing and more political agenda. It is not a happy place to be.
RB: What do you mean?
Jason: The struggles here are overwhelming. There is just no room for dialogue and compromise. People seemed to come here with their minds made up and it is difficult to take emotionally.
RB: How was the work on the subcommittee (General Board of Higher Education Ministries)?
Jason: There was some dialogue, but still, minds were firmly set before actions were proposed or taken.
RB: Can you talk about your preparation for conference?
Jason: We (the delegates) met to prepare, but the best thing I did was go to Chicago in October 2003. Knowing the various issues surround sexual identity and how the church responds to it was going to be something intensely present at General Conference. There was no agenda in Chicago except to talk about the sexual identity issues - really, just talk. There were young and less young, parents of gay young people, gay people, straight people – all who came together to be open with one another and talk. It was quite an experience. My constant prayer is that we would have that opportunity here at General Conference.
Jason is searching for and present to the Holy Spirit at General Conference 2004. Keep all the delegates in prayer as the weeks’ journey continues.
