Commentary: General Conference shows church’s will for unity
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A UMNS photo by Mike DuBose. The
Rev. John Schol speaks at a press conference at the denomination's 2004
General Conference following a vote affirming unity within the church.
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Rev.
John Schol, Eastern Pennsylvania, speaks at a press conference at the
denomination's 2004 General Conference in Pittsburgh following a vote
affirming unity within the church. The resolution followed several days
of contentious debate on the issues in the church related to
homosexuality. Photo #183 |
May 21, 2004 A UMNS Commentary By the Rev. John R. Schol* We
who call ourselves United Methodists may not be of one mind, but we are
of one heart. We proved that on the last day of General Conference
2004, when a resolution calling for the denomination to stay united and
work toward our common mission received overwhelming support with a vote
of 869-41. The
vote came after a group within the church, concluding that the gap of
opinion on the issue of homosexuality is too wide to bridge, began to
voice that the United Methodist Church should amicably split. Although a
fear and pain of schism gripped some delegates, our sense of and
commitment to unity prevailed. Our
long-held policy forbidding the ordination of gay and lesbian persons
as pastors to serve our churches is an issue that has challenged us for
more than 30 years. As in prior General Conferences, it received a
significant amount of our attention in Pittsburgh. The
difference was that we experienced some closer votes on the issue. This
clearly demonstrates we are not, and may never be, of one mind on the
issue. From my experiences at this General Conference, I learned three things about our denomination: 1. The
thread that holds us together is our commitment to Jesus Christ and his
commission to make disciples. We also share a commitment to nurturing
disciples in the Wesleyan tradition of practical holiness, working for
justice and mercy around the globe. 2. Our unity is
not uniformity. We can and will disagree about important matters,
including homosexuality, but we are committed to remain united as we
serve others in the name of Christ. In essence, we said our relationship
with one another is more important than being right about a particular
issue. 3. We will face the difficult issues with conviction instead of separation. “Never
attend a church where they expect you to swallow without chewing,” said
Gestalt therapy founder Frederick “Fritz” Perls. We did some chewing
during General Conference on a variety of issues, in addition to
homosexuality. Some of the issues included the global AIDS epidemic, the
use of television commercials to promote our churches, embracing 1
million new members from the Ivory Coast in Africa, and the rights of
farm workers.
These
are some of the issues United Methodism will continue to face, along
with how we will live with our differences, which are at the core of our
faith and understanding. In that, we are no different than the original
Apostles, whose different understandings in faith and practice were not
always resolved in council (see Acts 15:1-21, 21:17-26 and Galatians
2:1-10).
For some, the homosexuality debate is about bending to
culture; for others, about bending to the hospitality of Jesus — two
very different concerns related to the same issue. Behind both of these
is the quest for godliness.
I am grateful to serve in a church
that faces its storms by choosing unity of heart and purpose rather than
discord of doctrine. Difference may be difficult but we’re staying at
the table.
*Schol,
a clergy delegate to the 2004 General Conference, serves as senior
pastor of West Chester (Pa.) United Methodist Church. He co-authored and
presented the General Conference unity resolution, drafted in response
to a call for an amicable split within the denomination. News media can contact Tim Tanton (615)742-5470 or e-mail: newsdesk@umcom.org.
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