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.
This is a series of exchanges between a large number of Asbury Seminary alumns and the president of Asbury. The originals are linked in the first few words of the excerpts which follow. See also this earlier story from Cynthia Astle of UM-Insight.
The original letter notes that many Asbury-related people have participated in the harm being done to LGBTQ United Methodists. Excerpts:
Asbury Alums, Students Issue Final Version of Opposition Letter
by Cynthia B. Astle
July 10, 2019
Reprinted by permission of United Methodist Insight
A letter from some 70 alumni and current students of Asbury Theological Seminary condemning the Traditional Plan is making social media rounds this week in what’s noted as a “final form.” A bit of history might be in order to understand the significance of the letter.
Asbury occupies an unusual place in the life of The United Methodist Church. The Wilmore, Ky.-based college and seminary fashioned itself as an evangelical multidenominational school in the late 20th century. Although not one of the 13 officially related United Methodist seminaries, Asbury has been approved to educate United Methodist clergy. In the four-decade battle over LGBTQ acceptance, Asbury became the heart of the UMC’s evangelical political movement. At one point it was estimated that Asbury had trained as many as half of the estimated 40,000 U.S. United Methodist clergy, as well as a providing training for a hefty contingent of pastors from Central Conferences, especially Africa. In some instances, entire annual conferences reportedly discouraged their clergy candidates from attending any seminary but Asbury.
Rev. Jeremy Scott says this about this article by J. Philip Wogaman:
Rev. Dr. J. Philip Wogaman is a titan in United Methodism–and he has a Wikipedia page! A fellow graduate of Boston University School of Theology, he’s been a seminary professor, dean, seminary president, senior pastor to presidents, and many other inspirational roles over his lifetime. While Dr. Wogaman is retired, he is involved in the politics of United Methodism enough to want to speak out against errors in logic from his long experience as a Christian ethicist.
The following is an original essay from Dr. Wogaman that he submitted for publication at Hacking Christianity. (Read it at Hacking Christianity!)
"The recently concluded special United Methodist General Conference voted against removing policies against Gay and Lesbian ordination and forbidding clergy from presiding over same-gender marriages. The “traditional plan” not only called for maintaining those policies but increasing enforcement. The votes were fairly close, with about 10% separating traditionalists and progressives. The final outcome of the conservative changes awaits decisions by the church’s Judicial Council as to their constitutionality. But, as it stands, the General Conference has reinforced existing teaching and law. Progressives had hoped for a different outcome, providing a way forward for the denomination. ... I have followed the debates within the church, before and after the General Conference, with special interest. As an ethicist I have been struck by significant flaws in the reasoning of the traditionalists, led by the UM Good News and Confessionalist movements. Here are some of them: [Continue reading]
An article on the possibility of a North American/USA-based Central Conference, from UMNS.
By Heather Hahn
April 10, 2019
United Methodist leaders are pressing ahead with an effort to create a new decision-making body for U.S. matters — despite concerns that it will become another battlefront in the homosexuality debate.
The Connectional Table in its April 3 vote gave the go-ahead to submit legislation to the 2020 General Conference that, if the legislative assembly approves, would offer two steps toward creating such a structure. The 64-member church leadership body acts as sort of a denominational church council coordinating the work of ministry and money. [Continue reading...]
This is another commentary on the Traditionalist Plan passed by the Special Called General Conference in St. Louis in February, 2019. This is a response to a critique by Tom Lambrecht of the "Good News" organization. Her other commentaries on this site are: Witch Hunts in the UMC and The United Methodist Oh-So-Very-Radical Plan. These three articles are also on UM-Insight.net. Please visit and support Cynthia Astle's important and independent journalism. The UM-Insight links are:
- The United Methodist Oh-So-Very-Radical Plan
- Down the Rabbit Hole with the United Methodists
- St Louis as a 'Damascus Road' Conversion
St Louis as a 'Damascus Road' Conversion
Why Many United Methodists are Appalled by the So-Called-Traditional Plan, Dismayed by the Actions of our Friends in the Conservative Renewal and Reform Coalition, and Newly Awakened from our Ecclesial Slumber
by Rebekah Miles
May 28, 2019
Special to United Methodist Insight
- Witch-hunts in the UMC
- Inspirational Reading
- The United Methodist Oh-So-Very-Radical Plan
- Bishop Karen Applies Disciple Thomas's Experience to GC 2019
- Austin Trinity: We dissent and will not comply
- Conferences, Pastors, Churches Speak Out
- GC 2019 News: Voting Irregularities Surface
- GC 2019 Articles: U.S. United Methodists