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declaring that pastoral care, the sacraments, and the rituals of the United Methodist Church are means of God’s grace by which all Christians are blessed. Therefore we, as clergy, lay persons, and congregations declare our commitment to offer such means of grace to all persons on an equal basis. We pledge to make marriage equality a lived reality within the United Methodist Church, regardless of sexual orientation or gender expression. Further, we pledge to one another our spiritual and material support in fulfilling this declaration of conscience.
As we make this declaration, we are connecting ourselves to a growing movement of United Methodists across the denomination who have publicly added their names to declarations of support for same gender marriages. This movement is in response to the longing of gay and lesbian persons for a sign from their church that the power of their faith is a foundation for their relationships. Clergy and laity have been speaking to their congregations of the need to be a church where God's grace is freely offered to bless and bind all relationships. Some congregations passed resolutions endorsing the conduct of marriage and holy union services in their local churches.
All of this has arisen out of language recently incorporated into our Discipline that discriminates against faithful persons and threatens to toss asunder the unique character of our Wesleyan institutional principles. John Wesley emphasized a church bound together through a unity of love based on holding only to the essential elements of our faith and the love of God and others. To assure that our hearts were right with God and each other, he taught us to live in truth by loving and praying for each other, provoking each other in both our love and in good works, and to move beyond words to deeds. He also warned that if we rely on opinions with little regard for love of others, that we would tear asunder the fabric of that unity of love.
Clergy are well aware of the tears in the fabric of the “unity of love”. The discriminatory language that has been added to our Book of Discipline conflicts with the fullfillment of our pastoral duties. On one hand we are restricted from conducting same gender marriages or holy unions. On the other our ordination vows include the promise that we will “seek peace, justice, and freedom for all people.” If we are to be in harmony with our ordination vows, our pastoral responsibility is to reject discrimination against any of God’s children, no matter its source, and pledge our commitment to offer all of the means of grace equally to all persons.
Under the circumstances we cannot do both; we cannot comply with institutional prejudice while also fulfilling our ordination vow to provide pastoral care to all people. Therefore, we joyfully declare for marriage equality and affirm that we will offer the grace of the Church’s blessing to any prepared couple desiring Christian marriage in accordance with our individual congregational wedding guidelines.
(Baltimore-Washington clergy persons who conduct weddings may make their declaration by clicking here. )
Clergy in support of marriage equality but not yet able to conduct same gender marriages click here.
Lay persons are faced with a similar tearing in the fabric of the “unity of love”. In our baptismal, confirmation, and membership vows we promised to “accept the freedom and power God gives us to resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves“. While recently added provisions of our Book of Discipline would have us discriminate against LGBT persons we are also aware of faithful gay and lesbian persons sitting near us in our pews, singing in our choirs, serving on committees and mission groups, participating in Bible study, and working on our church staffs. Likewise, we are aware that some of our brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews, and even our children are also LGBT folks. Some of us have heard gut-wrenching stories from them of how the church has worked to demean their persons and their relationships.
We have concluded the impossibililty of complying with the call to discriminate against LGBT persons while also fulfillillling our membership vows “to resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever form they present themselves” Therefore, in harmony with our membership vows, we joyfully declare our support for marriage equality and for those clergy that affirm that they will offer the grace of the Church’s blessing to any prepared couple desiring Christian marriage in accordance with their individual congregational wedding guidelines.
(Lay members of a local church may make their declaration by clicking here. )
Congregations must also deal with these tears in the fabric of the “unity of love.” Personal and congregational integrity are challenged when we seek to hold together as a “unity of love” and also comply with the discriminatory language of the Discipline. Quite frankly, it cannot be done without risking the label of hypocrite. Therefore, we join together as a congregation and joyfully declare our support for marriage equality and for those clergy that affirm that they will offer the grace of the Church’s blessing to any prepared couple desiring Christian marriage in accordance with their individual congregational wedding guidelines.
(To publicly record your congregations declaration, contact Matthew Mustard at Foundry UMC. Email: mmustard@foundryumc.org)
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