Jan Lawrence, Executive Director of the Reconciling Ministries Network and active in the Love Your Neighbor Coalition, has written about where the United Methodist Church is at this "kairos" moment. Here are links to her blog posts:
PART I: An Aerial View of the United Methodist Landscape
Aug 22, 2019 | RMN Blog, UMC News
Despite the deepening cracks threatening the good a global Church can do, The United Methodist Church is still making disciples, providing disaster relief, providing healthcare and schools, and more. United Methodists are still on the forefront, responding to global needs — responding to Christ’s call. The power of The UMC is indeed being exercised in every corner, on every strata, of the Church and in our world....
Frankly speaking, power is being taken by U.S.-led conservative caucuses and by U.S. and Western European Annual Conferences. The rest of us are just trying to keep up....
Believe it or not, we are now at a moment when the opportunity for a just and liberative expression of Methodism is more possible than ever before. Annual conferences are acting upon their power granted through Biblical Obedience in increasing numbers, effectively negating the Traditionalist Plan. Annual conferences showed up in 2019 to elect progressive delegations to General and Jurisdictional Conferences. The result of those elections will likely be progressive bishops who will refuse to uphold the Traditionalist Plan. Yet, some of us can’t continue in this kind of resistance and will look for other methods of being and doing church that embody justice and liberation for all of God’s children.
Through it all, may we have patience when we want to run, courage when we want to maintain the status quo, and hope when we want to despair. The kairos moment of our Church is coming. [Read her complete analysis]
Part II: New Ways Forward & Kairos Moments
Aug 28, 2019 | RMN Blog , RMN News
The Holy Spirit is doing a new thing for justice and liberation for marginalized persons in The UMC. The authority of the General Conference is called into question by 75-80 percent of the U.S. and Western Europe who refuse to follow the Traditionalist Plan. The emerging consensus among progressives is that The UMC should free those who see their future as a Church that does not allow the full participation of LGBTQ persons in its life and ministry to form a new expression of Methodism. They have already created a structure for doing so. ...
General Conference and Jurisdictional Conference delegate elections were decisive in rejecting the Traditionalist Plan and demonstrate a strong consensus among United Methodists to end discrimination against LGBTQ persons, remain a connectional church, reform the institution, and address continued systemic problems in the church.
Since GC2019, the legitimacy of General Conference with respect to anti-LGBTQ provisions in the Book of Discipline has been thrown into question. We long for a path that makes mutual covenant possible, but that path must end discrimination against LGBTQ people in The United Methodist Church. The path to that Church must treat everyone fairly. This moment in Methodism is challenging but full of new possibilities. [Read the whole article.]
Part III: RMN’s Stance on GC2020 Legislation
Sep 9, 2019 | RMN Blog, RMN News
As the September 18 due date for General Conference 2020 (GC2020) legislation approaches, United Methodists are of many minds: rapidly drafting legislation but wondering why. The General Conference is in crisis, with United Methodists across the connection resolving to resist the Traditionalist Plan when it goes into effect (January 1, 2020 for US and May 26, 2021 for Central Conferences). What difference does more legislation make? And, why should those of us who care about the mission and ministries of The UMC care? Whole volumes could be written to address those questions....
Reconciling Churches and Reconciling United Methodists (RUMs) no longer have a single dream for the future of The United Methodist Church. We are no longer just talking about changing discriminatory language in the Book of Discipline and moving towards justice. General Conference 2019 forced a change in the narrative. Many across the Church are accepting that we have reached a point where there must be some separation. RUMs, Reconciling Churches, and Reconciling Communities are discerning the right next steps for them. The narrative has changed for those who are called to continue to work for justice in The UMC to one of reformation or transformation (because significant change is needed even with the removal of the Book of Discipline’s discriminatory language). For others who are considering leaving, the conversation has changed to defining “something new.” [Read the whole article!]