General Conference

Returning Resolution

/ Robert D / Leave a comment

I’m resubmitting my resolution to the Annual Conference in 2024 that was ignored by the 2023 Annual Conference. Why? The reality is that we didn’t get to the work, but the work still needs to be done. Is it weird to submit a petition for 2028’s General Conference in 2024 before the General Conference in 2024? Possibly. Will it be considered out of order? Probably. Will I lift it up anyway? Yes. What better way to celebrate “National Be Heard Day”? (Yes, I know it is about advertising, but I see a nudging where others see an ad campaign to get small businesses to pay for more advertising. An advertising campaign to get small businesses to spend more on advertising: that’s a bold strategy)

Will it be rejected out of hand? Probably. It is pretty early to consider the subject, so I guess I will have to bring it up again. That’ll be three times I’ve raised the issue. Then maybe four times. Then possibly five times. I wonder how many times it will take before it becomes clear the goal is raising the issue because we met a resolution on the unethical use of silence around IPV with even more deafening silence.

Also, before I bore you, here’s a helpful set of resources if you’re a church official and have asked yourself how you would even begin to ascertain if there’s a problem in your setting or even how you go about home visitation. It could possibly be really helpful for a Safe Sanctuaries training for those working with vulnerable adults. It includes tools for assessing how prepared you are and how your tools are working. Kudos, Minnesota Department of Health: thanks for the help.

Title: Domestic Violence and Intimate Partner Violence Awareness

Since the 2016 publication of the Book of Resolutions and Book of Discipline, the United States’ Center for Disease Control has released information through their publication “The National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey: 2016/2017 Report on Intimate Partner Violence ” indicating that almost one in two women (47.3% or 59 million) in the United States and more than 40 percent (44.2% or 52.1 million) of U.S. men reported contact sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking victimization by an intimate partner at some point in their lifetime.

On a global scale, for the year ending March 2022, the Crime Survey for England and Wales estimated that 1.7 million women and 699,000 men aged 16 years and over experienced domestic abuse in the last year. This is a prevalence rate of approximately seven in 100 women and three in 100 men for that single year. In addition, while numbers are not equally reported with the same statistical standards across various cultures and communities, the World Health Organization has stated that slightly less than 1 in 3 women (30%) have experienced sexual violence. It can be inferred that this issue is global in nature and should be addressed more thoroughly by our Book of Resolutions and our Book of Discipline.

Whereas The United Methodist Church is already on record as stating: “We recognize that family violence and abuse in all its forms—verbal, psychological, physical, sexual—is detrimental to the covenant of the human community.” (2016 Book of Discipline ¶ 161.II.H)

Whereas The United Methodist Church is already on record naming sexual violence and abuse as sins and pledging to work for their eradication (“Domestic Violence and Sexual Abuse,” 2000 Book of Resolutions; “Violence Against Women and Children,” 2008 Book of Resolutions).

Whereas The United Methodist Church is called to express itself both carefully and clearly in matters that affect all people of sacred worth which includes both those who experience and perpetrate acts of contact sexual violence, physical violence, and or/stalking victimization. (2016 Book of Discipline ¶ 161.II.H)

Whereas it is statistically probable that whenever any given United Methodist Church within the United States gathers more than 40% of people in that community may have experienced (or may experience in the future) contact sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking victimization regardless of their gender, sexual, and/or cultural identities. It is also statistically probable that whenever a congregation of The United Methodist Church gathers around our world, around 30% of the women gathered within our communities may have potentially experienced gendered violence.

Whereas there may be cultural norms and mores that allow certain aspects of these actions to go unreported or unspoken due to the gender, sexual, or cultural expectations placed on individuals of sacred worth by forces outside of those individuals both within and without church communities.

Whereas there are places within our Church and cultural spaces where the silence is deafening, especially when there are often comorbid conditions that can further complicate conversation (i.e., mental illness, addiction, toxic expectations, etc.).

Whereas there should be places within our Church and local churches where individuals can find support, affirmation, and resources from the church community during moments when abuse may be clouding the ability to research church stances, affirmations, resolutions, and resources.

Whereas the Book of Discipline is one resource that touches every level of our connectional church and is one place where our church looks for guidance when considering the nature of our ministry together as a “Nurturing Community.” The Book of Discipline ¶161 on “The Nurturing Community” is one place where we acknowledge that we are called to help people of sacred worth who may be facing the difficult and isolating experiences previously mentioned.

Therefore be it resolved that the 2028 General Conference insert the statement (bold) into Book of 19 Discipline, ¶161.H:

“We recognize that family violence and abuse in all its forms—verbal, psychological, physical, sexual—is detrimental to the covenant of the human community. We recognize that these forms of insidious violence affect people of sacred worth of every gender, sexual, and cultural identity. These detrimental acts are often overlooked, ignored, downplayed, or met with silence. We encourage the Church to provide a safe environment, counsel, and support for the victim and to work with the abuser to understand the root causes and forms of abuse and to overcome such behaviors. Regardless of the cause or the abuse, both the victim and the abuser need the love of the Church. While we deplore the actions of the abuser, we affirm that person needs God’s redeeming love.”

Responding to a Weird World

/ Robert D / Leave a comment

Friends, Tuesday was an odd day for me as a minister. Two things happened which led me to go for a long walk around the block. The first is probably obvious to anyone who knows I am United Methodist or even goes back a few blog posts.

General Conference was taking place and the institutional global church further pressed back against people pushing for inclusion. I did not see the legislation pass in person because I felt the need to go and pray for the church.

The second thing that happened was that I had a conversation with a colleague from a nearby church who came to discuss recent events during worship at our church. His church now has locked doors during worship. They were concerned. I was asked about what happened, was I afraid, and we discussed churches that have panic buttons and armed security. My colleague and I discussed that he doesn’t carry the panic button because he is aware as one of the people up front he might be the first one targeted by a shooter.

I went to take a long walk because it is weird to feel both slammed with pressure from above when there are people and colleagues in my neighborhood in the middle of nowhere that are now worried that church is literally a physically unsafe place without locked doors.

I have received threatening notes in the past regarding my own safety for taking stands on including folks from the margins, although honestly more about racial inclusion and less about LGBTQIA+ inclusion. I have upcoming meetings scheduled for dates before the Judicial Council will meet to determine whether what was just passed is enforceable under our constitution. I am concerned about what will happen between now and when the Judicial Council will (in my opinion) likely strike down portions of what passed.

I’m just concerned because my honest response to both issues is the same. If someone came into my church with a theological or physical gun, my place is between the church and that person. I have children and a family to provide for in this life, but that place of risk is my place as a minister.

I have taken a number of long walks between Tuesday and today. I will likely continue to keep walking, praying, and honestly playing a few video games on my phone to help keep my anxiety down.

I will find that ditto… I need the Pokémon who is all things to all people.

Poem for General Conference

/ Robert D / Leave a comment

Hear the deep sound of how my heart does pound.
Listen to the call of Your servant child.
Draw madly near to those with this task dear
To those who seek You in these times so wild.

Fill Your children full in ways which will pull
Our community through this way forward.
Give them a deep trust in the ways which must
Guide our ships from seas of chaos: shoreward.

We really don’t know how things will go
As we trust Your Spirit to guide us all.
Abba please lead our way on through this day
And be with all those whose faith may shrink small.

God give us the grace which we need to face
The way we seek by the light of Your Son.
Things may be rough; help those tender be tough
When all is done may we who pray be one.

“Poem for General Conference” by the Distracted Pastor, 2019

An Honest Opinion

/ Robert D / 2 Comments

In honesty, I have spent a bit of time looking around the internet this morning. My normally scheduled blog post has been posted and I spent the morning looking at debates on the Facebook feeds of my colleagues. I have read carefully statements from groups like the Confessing Movement. I have prayed through debates around the video clip circulating around social media by Bishop Ough.

Honestly, watching the back and forth about the Council of Bishops recommendation is a bit heartbreaking. I hate watching colleagues, laity, and friends debate, argue, and occasionally attack one another. In some cases (but not all), we stand in direct opposition to the recommendation of Paul in Galatians 5:13-15—less concerned with serving one another in love and more concerned with biting with sharp teeth before we are consumed. My soul is a bit bruised from trying to find a space of peace in the midst of the debates.

My own discernment (for today) revolves around Acts 5:27-39. In Acts 5, we find the Apostles brought before the High Priest and the council in Jerusalem for sharing the Good News. There are folks who want to kill the Apostles, but a wise leader named Gamaliel advises them to be careful. Leaders had come, gathered followers, died, and the followers dispersed. If the Apostles were like those leaders then their movement would fizzle out in time. Human plans lead to failure. If the Apostles were acting with God’s blessing, they might find themselves fighting against God.

The council saw the wisdom of Gamaliel’s words and let the Apostles live. Obviously, their movement lasted beyond the lives of those Apostles. There was wisdom in Gamaliel’s counsel. Nobody wants to stand in the way of God when God is preparing to act. Still, here we are with sharpened arguments and deadly counterpoints while the world watches.

I admit that I have a more progressive outlook than some of my conservative colleagues, but I honestly wonder how long this battle can go on legislatively. More than that, I am wondering what is served by any of this battling? Is this constant argument truly of God?

Some context on why I wonder. We were debating the questions around human sexuality when I was teenager. My first time visiting Annual Conference with a friend and mentor included watching people debate questions relating back to Central Conferences with people stating on the floor of Annual Conference that this was a ploy to push what was then known as the “gay agenda.” We had debates around human sexuality as I went through seminary, became a pastor, went through the ordination process, was ordained, and as I have continued in my service. This debate has been going on longer than I have been alive. This debate has been the context of my entire faith journey.

So, why are we continuing to push a legislative solution? Clearly, saying “You have to believe this to be a part of the church” has been neither effective nor conclusive. Now there are people calling for a schism in the church. What good will that do? We have been down that road before on issues like pew rentals and slavery. Nothing concrete was solved through schism. The same debates came back time and time again until we ceased legislating and let the Holy Spirit work within us as a body.

So, why are we here again? Why are we assuming that this is something new? Why don’t we listen to Gamaliel? Do we really need to make human laws? If you believe scripture says “This is the way,” what good will a church law do? Do you hold the church law above scripture? If you believe that God is leading the church in a way contrary to one reading of scripture, do you believe that a human rule should overcome your obedience to the Spirit of God? In either case, when you look at the motivations on both sides, who truly believes that a church law made by humans would ever trump the conviction of another person?

Beloved friends, this is madness. I do not mean to be so very blunt about this, but go and take a deep breath and relax. If this is of God, then God will prevail. If this is from humans alone, it will not succeed.

I find wisdom in an offhand comment made by Father John Mefrige at the last session of the Academy for Spiritual Formation. His church, the Antiochian Orthodox Church, believes that the Orthodox Church is the one true church that follows in Christ’s path. How does he understand the rest of us Christians if God has led to one right way while we continue in our own faith? He said he sees a paradox in us! We are not Orthodox, yet there is evidence of the Spirit in us. We are Heterodox, but God lives and breathes in us. We do not make sense, yet here we are giving glory to God as best we can! How very peculiar and marvelous it is that God is praised through people like us!

Maybe we are also called to live in paradox. Apparently, that’s a thing that happens sometimes. If members of the Orthodox clergy can have a sense of humor about the very powerful and deep differences we share with their church, can we have a sense of grace with and for each other?

Go, take a deep breath, and remember that faith, hope, and love are what remain will after all of this has long since passed away. When you have done that, do everyone a favor and remember to continue to breathe!