These are articles with links to official statements of jurisdictions, conferences, organizations, churches, pastors and groups of pastors, news stories, and commentaries of resistance, defiance, non-compliance and revolt against the actions of the General Conference of 2019.
That title is mine, but when you read this, you can see it is accurate. From her article at UM-Insight: "The Rev. Dr. Rebekah Miles is an ordained elder and five-time General Conference delegate from the Arkansas Conference and Professor Ethics and Practical Theology at Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University."
This is another important article following up on her earlier article detailing how the "Traditionalist Plan" "eviscerates: the authority of the basic unit of United Methodism, the Annual Conference.
Down the Rabbit Hole with the United Methodists
The So-Called-but-Not-Very-Traditional Plan (Unconstitutional Parts)
by Rebekah Miles
May 20, 2019
Special to United Methodist Insight
There is much inspirational reading on these pages. The beginning of this collection came from the disastrous Special Called General Conference of 2019 which passed legalistic and punitive legislation on the "practice" of "homosexuality," based on a literalistic reading of Scripture, a myopic view of tradition, and ignorance of the Christian experience of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex Christians, as well as what science is discovering about the biology and genetics of sexual differentiation, sexual orientation, and gender identity. As a friend has said, it's Methodism without Reason and Experience.
But the outcome of the General Conference and the subsequent ruling by the Judicial Council on the constitutionality of much of what was passed, has led to a major revolt across the church, particularly in the U.S. and in Europe. It is the statements accompanying the commitments to ignore, resist, disavow, and not comply with these new laws which are inspiring, because of the vision of a church that is truly Wesleyan, in the sense of "grace, grace, and more grace" and the honoring of all four of the "sources" for Wesleyan theology and ethics: Scripture, Tradition, Reason, and Experience.
Or, how we just eviscerated the constitutional authority of the annual conference and barred celibate gay people and even a few “non-practicing, non-homosexuals” from ordination
by Rebekah Miles
April 29, 2019
Special to United Methodist Insight
[This is a very important exposé of what the General Conference of 2019 just did, and the Judicial Council just approved. Full article from UM-Insight.]
With its April 26 ruling, the United Methodist Judicial Council has affirmed key components of the So-Called Traditional Plan, more accurately titled the Oh-So-Very-Radical Plan. Whatever you want to say about the Traditional Plan legislation that will become church law in January 2020, it is anything but traditional in the history of United Methodism and our understanding of the authority of the annual conference. Our new church law, now confirmed by the Judicial Council, eviscerates the fundamental authority of the annual conference that has been in place for over two centuries and that is at the heart of our constitution. On that score, this is a radical change with far-reaching implications for issues having nothing to do with sexuality.
Bishop Karen shares weekly prayers for those in her Area and Conference. Here's this week's reflection from a Facebook post, following the Judicial Council ruling:
I am praying for the laity and clergy of the Mountain Sky Conference as we prepare to gather for worship tomorrow.
The Gospel message tells the story of Thomas, who wasn’t with the rest of the disciples and so questioned their story of the risen Christ. He said, “Unless I see the mark of nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.” The risen Christ comes to him, stretches out his hand and invites Thomas to touch. It is then that Thomas recognizes Christ and realizes the truth of the resurrection.
Read more: Bishop Karen Applies Disciple Thomas's Experience to GC 2019
Trinity has adopted the strongest statement of non-compliance with the Traditionalist Plan passed by the General Conference 2019 that I have read as yet. Here's the pastor, Sid Hall, in a Commentary: My denomination just died. Our church dissents. Below is the church's statement (from Sid's Facebook post). A partial listing of other churches is here.
TRINITY CHURCH OF AUSTIN
Statement of Noncompliance
March 31, 2019
We, the members of Trinity Church of Austin, believe that every LGBTQIA+ person is a child of sacred worth. We are deeply disturbed by the harmful actions perpetrated by the called General Conference in Saint Louis. WE WILL NOT ABIDE BY THE TRADITIONAL PLAN OR ANY PLAN THAT RESTRICTS THE FULL PARTICIPATION OF BAPTIZED UNITED METHODISTS. We urge our bishop, district superintendents, clergy, and board of ordained ministry to be guided by the Golden Rule taught by Jesus, and therefore, treat LGBTQIA+ United Methodists in Rio Texas by the same standards that you treat straight and cisgender people, even when it means choosing what is right and just over what is prescribed by the Discipline.