By Heather Hahn
May 21, 2019 | MINNEAPOLIS (UM News)
United Methodists are wrestling with what’s next in a multinational denomination still deeply divided over the role of LGBTQ Christians.
Some 350 U.S. United Methodists staked out their position during the May 17-18 gathering, launching a movement centered on voices they see as too often marginalized — namely people of color and queer and transgender individuals.
Organizers see the work started at the Our Movement Forward summit as both influencing The United Methodist Church from within and potentially leading to a completely new denomination.
The Rev. Carlos S. Reyes Rodríguez, one of the event’s organizers, set out the goal for the gathering at Lake Harriet United Methodist Church in Minneapolis. “We intend to articulate the vision, values and non-negotiables of a church that prioritizes and does not compromise queer liberation,” he said. “In particular, we are interested in igniting our collective passion for a fully inclusive church.”
By acclamation, those gathered approved a statement that articulates a vision for the movement. The statement serves as a preamble to action plans developed at the meeting.
“We dream of a just and loving church — one that is relevant, growing, and ignited by the life-giving and world-changing power of the Holy Spirit,” the preamble says. “Our passion for justice is only surpassed by our hope in Christ Jesus. And as people of faith, we proclaim that the Good News of Jesus Christ is for all.”
Read the whole UMNS story by Heather Hahn. (UMNS)
View recordings of the streaming video during the conference. (Facebook)