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It's General Conference time, again! Every four years, the members of annual conferences (representing their local churches) elect delegates to attend the worldwide gathering of the United Methodist Church. In this forum, we worship together and we deliberate (and often act) to bring about the future of our church. Nearly the entire Book of Discipline and Book of Resolutions are open for revision, updating the operating process and advocacy positions of our church for the coming four years.

The delegates do not come together in a vacuum. Much of the agenda is influenced by the work of the various general boards, agencies, and caucuses of the church. The Council of Bishops brings its concerns and recommendations, as will the new Connectional Table. Various ethnic caucuses speak eloquently for the diverse face of Methodism in our nation, while nearly 30 percent of the delegates will represent churches outside the United States. Other groups represent the concerns of town and country, as well as urban ministry. There are caucuses that represent political and/or theological perspectives as well, including the left-leaning Methodist Federation for Social Action and the pro-gay Reconciling Ministries Network.

The Renewal and Reform Coalition is the voice of evangelical and moderate United Methodists at General Conference. The Confessing Movement brings a broad-based concern for doctrinal renewal and faithfulness in our church. UM Action focuses mainly on social issue advocacy from an evangelical and conservative perspective. Transforming Congregations promotes ministry with people struggling with all forms of sexual brokenness, including homosexuality. Lifewatch is a faithful voice on bioethics, including abortion, euthanasia, and stem-cell research. Good News is the oldest mainline renewal group, with a broad agenda for reform that will facilitate spiritual renewal and revival in the United Methodist Church. Renew, the women's ministry arm of Good News, fosters renewed and accountable women's ministry at the local and national level and shares responsibility for issues important to women, children, and family. Since 1980, Good News has led the effort to inform and persuade General Conference delegates to help our denomination return to its Wesleyan foundation, built on Scriptural holiness, doctrinal faithfulness, energetic evangelism, and winsome social action and advocacy in the name of Jesus Christ. All six of these organizations are working together in the Renewal and Reform Coalition to lovingly and boldly press our church forward in renewed ministry at the 2008 General Conference in Fort Worth.

In this and the next two issues of Good News magazine, I hope to give a brief overview of some of the important issues facing the 2008 General Conference, along with the perspective of the Renewal and Reform Coalition.

Homosexuality
For ten General Conferences, since 1970, the issue of homosexuality has absorbed increased time and energy and caused deep division in the church. Numerous dialogues, at least two General Church study commissions, official study resources, dozens of convocations, piles of books, demonstrations and disruptions of the General Conference business, and extended impassioned debate have only strengthened our denomination's resolve to preserve the clear Biblical principle that the practice of homosexuality is "incompatible with Christian teaching." Our denominational position is manifestly loving and kind to gays and lesbians and their families, while maintaining the consistent understanding that any sexual relationship outside monogamous, heterosexual marriage is contrary to Christian formation.

We believe it is time to stop debating whether we will remain faithful to Scripture on this issue. The church's position has remained consistent for 2,000 years and in all areas of the globe. The question has been settled in light of the extensive study and debate I referred to above.

Let us move past debating issues and begin learning how to provide effective and compassionate ministry to all persons who experience sexual brokenness. There are many in our congregations who have been victimized by sexual abuse, experienced unfaithfulness, engaged in promiscuity, battled addiction to pornography, suffered with sexually transmitted diseases and AIDS, struggled with their sexual identity, or wrestled with same-sex attractions. "Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear!" (Isaiah 59:1). Indeed, men and women around the world are being healed and transformed by God's Spirit ministering through loving and committed disciples of Jesus Christ who are willing to do the tough task of walking with people through their healing.

It is certainly not time to dilute God's missional call to ministry by adopting some type of "compromise" language that states that "Christians differ" on the issue of homosexuality. United Methodists differ about all of the issues addressed in our church's Social Principles. But there is a clear and growing majority in our church who agree with our balanced and loving approach. Our statement in ¶161G of the Discipline forms the foundation for all our actions on homosexuality. If we weaken that statement, we undermine our clear standards on the ordination and appointment of practicing homosexuals as clergy, same-sex marriage, and using apportionment dollars to promote the acceptance of homosexuality.

We have only to look at other mainline denominations that have weakened or abandoned the Biblical standard on homosexuality. Their "compromises" have not resulted in greater unity within their denomination. Instead, membership loss has accelerated, congregations have withdrawn, conflict has increased (including numerous lawsuits over property issues), and some denominations are in the process of splitting apart. United Methodism remains the strongest and most vital of the "mainline" denominations. We dare not follow the path toward weakness or even schism.

Church Membership
In October 2005, the United Methodist Judicial Council ruled that the pastor has the sole authority to determine the readiness of a person for membership in the church. This decision was based on a case from Virginia, where a pastor deferred membership for an unrepentant practicing homosexual man. Judicial Council Decision #1032 has ignited a firestorm of controversy, beginning with a Council of Bishops Pastor Letter written within three days of the decision's posting.

The Pastoral Letter from the Council of Bishops (November 2, 2005), written in response to Decision #1032, states, "While pastors have the responsibility to discern readiness for membership, homosexuality is not a barrier." Some bishops have interpreted this rather ambiguous statement more broadly, that the practice of homosexuality is not a barrier to church membership. The Kansas East Annual Conference passed a resolution at its annual conference session stating that its pastors would voluntarily renounce any authority to prohibit practicing homosexuals from becoming members of a local church. At least one annual conference has passed a petition to amend ¶214 of The Book of Discipline to state, "No person shall be excluded from The United Methodist Church for reasons related to his or her sexual orientation or gender identity."

These statements are an unfortunate attempt to hijack the church membership process as a weapon in the battle to change the United Methodist Social Principles position that, "The United Methodist Church does not condone the practice of homosexuality and considers this practice incompatible with Christian teaching" (2004 Book of Discipline, ¶161G). Considering that the votes might not be there to change this position at the 2008 General Conference, pro-gay advocates are seeking to undermine the church's position by mandating that practicing homosexuals must be received as church members.

To mandate that practicing homosexuals be received as professing members of the church would undermine the covenantal nature of church membership. The church would be granting an "exemption" in the case of homosexual behavior. Our denomination would essentially be saying, "Although we consider the practice of homosexuality incompatible with Christian teaching, you are welcome to continue living contrary to the teaching of the church." Once a person is a professing member, there would be no barrier to that person assuming any one of the leadership or ministry positions in the church (other than ordained ministry). Therefore, by taking this approach, the church would be inviting into leadership those who are openly living in contradiction to the church's teaching.

Not only is this outcome incoherent, it would be destructive to the teaching authority of the church. The membership vow, where the prospective member promises to reject evil and repent of sin, would become meaningless, since the church would explicitly condone its violation. Why should anyone inside or outside the church pay any attention to what the church teaches on moral issues, if the church can with a straight face teach one thing and at the same time promote behavior that is the exact opposite?

It is important to note that practicing homosexuals are welcome in our local churches today. We hope that they will avail themselves of "the ministry and guidance of the church.as well as the spiritual and emotional care" (Discipline, ¶161G). In the process, we hope that God's transforming grace will enable them to face their struggles with homosexuality and find support to overcome it. We sadly acknowledge that many congregations have failed to reach out in loving ministry to gays and lesbians and their families. Such ministry can and does happen in churches around the country, without affirming homosexual behavior.

To mandate receiving practicing homosexuals as church members would be a serious breach of the church's current loving, balanced position on homosexuality. It would be a major step toward changing the church's position to one of completely embracing homosexual behavior.

Tom Lambrecht is the chairperson of the Good News Board of Directors and the pastor of Faith Community United Methodist Church in Greenville, Wisconsin.

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General Conference By Tom Lambrecht

General Conference
By Tom Lambrecht