Now What? Excerpts

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Mark Tooley, president of the conservative Institute on Religion and Democracy, called Tuesday a "momentous" and "historic" day. Approving the Traditional Plan signals the denomination is "moving from its USA liberal Mainline identity to a new global identity rooted in Christian orthodoxy," Tooley said in an email. "The church is following a very different path from its sister USA Mainline denominations, all of which are fast declining," he said. Tooley acknowledged some parts of the plan already had been ruled unconstitutional by the Judicial Council and were not amended before they were passed. Still, he said, the decision was important. "Passage of even part of the plan that is constitutional is a symbolic great step forward into the church's emerging global role," he said. Tooley expects there will be additional legislation at the next regular meeting of the General Conference, scheduled for 2020 in Minneapolis. "Overall, the church's future, although with many bumps ahead, looks bright," he said.

Declining church/ Divisions run deep, Now what?, Quoting person/ someone responding to GC, clergy/ professor/ delegate, mentioning judicial review/council

She is hardly the only person who believes a split may be near. Ted Campbell, a professor of Methodist history at Southern Methodist University, noted that many congregations — both evangelical and progressive — are interested in breaking from the denomination. "I really hope we keep connected," he said. "But it's typical of Protestants to separate over issues that seem enormous at the time, then get back together in 50 or 75 years." Rob Renfroe, pastor of discipleship at The Woodlands UMC, is head of the national evangelical organization Good News, and recently co-authored a book, "Are We Really Better Together?," which argues that evangelicals' and progressives' differences are irreconcilable, and that both would be better off if the denomination can split apart amicably. Renfroe, too, doesn't believe that the recent vote marks a lasting victory for evangelicals. He predicts that progressive Methodists will disobey the rules "in large, dramatic ways." If so, he predicted, conservative churches would be likely to withhold the money they pay the denomination. "Then the church is in chaos," he said. Renfroe belongs to the Wesleyan Covenant Association, an orthodox group that could form the backbone of a new denomination, should evangelicals eventually split from the UMC. In the wake of the recent vote, there's talk of forming a similar group for LBGT-affirming churches. On Twitter, Adam Hamilton, a high-powered progressive pastor, announced that a group of progressive leaders will convene after Easter at his church, near Kansas City, "to discuss where Methodism goes from here."

Declining church/ Divisions run deep, Now what?, possibility of a split

The Rev. Scott Field, lead pastor of First United Methodist Church in Crystal Lake, Illinois, and part of the conservative WCA, called the St. Louis meeting "the Humpty Dumpty General Conference." In observations shared after the meeting, Field told his congregation that unity within the denomination was unlikely. He wrote, "We are divided. Period." The Rev. Matt Miofsky pastors one of the fastest growing UMC congregations in the country—the Gathering in St. Louis—which is LGBT-affirming. "What happened at General Conference didn't solve anything," he told me in an email. "The diversity in thought and practice still exists within United Methodism and is something we are not done grappling with yet." The United Methodist Church as an institution may be intact for now, but it's hard to look at the events in St. Louis without noticing seemingly irreconcilable differences or seeing a growing split in the church. The church also recently approved a plan to secure pensions for clergy who might choose to leave the denomination, and they approved a disaffiliation plan to enable churches to leave more easily. Any attempts from denominational leaders to foster healing and unity will likely fall on deaf ears as congregations further entrench and brace themselves for the unknown future. Regional bodies of the church have also started announcing that they have no intent to abide by the Traditional Plan. It is unclear how much of the plan will go into effect as many within the denomination expect a large portion of plan to be ruled unconstitutional under church law. Adding to the confusion are new allegations of voter fraud taking place at General Conference, which were uncovered by The New York Times, putting the whole process under a cloud of suspicion.

Declining church/ Divisions run deep, Now what?, possibility of a split

"What happens next, however, is unclear. Global UMC delegates will convene again in May 2020, and progressive leaders could introduce new legislation to reverse actions taken at the February conference. Delegates to the 2020 conference were chosen at the recently completed regional meetings, and tallies suggest that progressive slates gained ground. Owing to declining UMC membership in the United States, however, the U.S. representation at the upcoming conference will be reduced. Methodist congregations are growing steadily in Africa and Asia, where views on marriage and sexuality are far more conservative, and those churches will see their delegate shares grow."

Mentioning Africa/ Global Church, Now what?

For years, the UMC has been grappling with the possibility of a schism over whether to welcome queer Christians. Progressive members of the church are in favor of ordaining queer clergy and allowing Methodist ministers to officiate at same-sex weddings. Despite the church's official prohibition of such actions, progressive clergy members have become increasingly vocal in recent years ― coming out as queer or unapologetically conducting same-sex marriages. But conservative Methodists want the church to crack down on those who flout the church's official rules. And as the UMC experiences a growth spurt overseas, this bloc is becoming increasingly significant. About 30 percent of the delegates to this week's meeting hail from Africa, The Associated Press reports, and tend to hold conservative views about homosexuality. "We Africans are not children in need of Western enlightenment when it comes to the church's sexual ethics," Rev. Jerry Kulah, dean at a Methodist theology school in Liberia, said at the conference, the AP reported. "We stand with the global church, not a culturally liberal church elite in the U.S."

Mentioning Africa/ Global Church, Now what?

"Some people have to go, but they can choose to go in a nice way — not in the way I'm seeing things going," he said. "That's an option. I'm sorry if that makes some people unhappy. We have made a decision and it should be respected." Khegay told UMNS that something like the One Church Plan would absolutely be unacceptable for the church in Russia, where United Methodists already face restrictions and anything deemed as "propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations" can be ned. The Rev. Kimberly Reisman, a delegate from the Indiana Conference, spoke to those gathered about her experience as executive director of World Methodist Evangelism that serves the Wesleyan family beyond The United Methodist Church. "There are ways for us to be together that are creative and life-producing as long as there is enough space for us to be ourselves in that context," she said. "I am not sure we're there yet in that conversation or what that would look like for The United Methodist Church itself. But there are ways for people to be together in mission in following Christ." Jorge Lockward, an openly gay delegate from the New York Conference, said he thinks the special General Conference "has given us a beautiful gift." "It's the gift of a mirror that shows us where we are," he said. He said the regional divisions show how The United Methodist Church began as a colonial enterprise. "We've trying to cover that up the best that we can with good intentions and good words," he said. "But now it's coming to a head and we need to be honest about that." Hahn is a multimedia news reporter for United Methodist News Service.

Mentioning Africa/ Global Church, Now what?, Quoting person/ someone responding to GC, clergy/ professor/ delegate, Declining church/ Divisions run deep

"At First United Methodist Church of Pittsburgh, which prides itself on being welcoming to all, the vote was on the minds of many."Nothing has changed in this place. Nothing has changed in this place," the Rev. Tracy Cox, pastor of the Bloomfield church, told worshippers before Sunday's service got underway.Congregants together also recited the words on the front of the church program that all are welcome there, "regardless of Christian perspective, education, economic condition, race, gender, national origin, physical and mental abilities, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, or marital status.""

Now what?

"Congregants also hung rainbow bunting and flags outside the church after Sunday's service."We are the church that God has called us to be. We're not changing that," Rev. Cox said. "

Now what?

"We're in this to the end," sang LGBTQ United Methodists and their allies.

Now what?

After the delegates approved the Traditional Plan, pro-LGBT inclusion supporters began protesting outside the entrance to the floor of the special session. Several local law enforcement officers as well as building security guarded the doors as the supporters wearing rainbow stoles and waving rainbow flags chanted "open the doors." Ken Guest, a member of a United Methodist Church in New York City and a straight ally, joined the group. "Our church has just taken a vote that has thrown out people," Guest said. "We're here to say that's not the church we want to be part of and we've been excluded from the conversation and we'd like to join our brothers and sisters on the floor for a conversation."

Now what?

Passage of the Traditional Plan left both its supporters and opponents alike worried about the future of the nation's second-largest Protestant denomination. But the Rev. Karen Oliveto of the Mountain Sky Area of the United Methodist Church, the only openly LGBTQ bishop in the denomination, tweeted afterward that the plan can't "erase" LGBTQ people from the denomination. "For children will receive the waters of baptism & know God claims them," she tweeted. "Some will hear a call to ministry. Some will be queer. And then it starts all over again."

Now what?

The Villager and Courier reached out to several other United Methodist churches in the county seeking reaction and comment on the decision. The churches that were asked for comment included the Covenant United Methodist Church in The Woodlands, Metropolitan United Methodist in Conroe, Wildwood United Methodist Church in Magnolia and Montgomery United Methodist Church in Montgomery. Most churches did not return phone calls or emails; a few declined to comment. The Woodlands United Methodist Church, led by Senior Pastor Ed Robb, is one of the most-attended United Methodist churches in Texas with 13,000 members. Initially, Robb agreed to a phone interview about the decision on Wednesday but then declined to make any public comment for this article.

Now what?

When the Methodist pro-LGBTQ movement began, the aim was to make churches into sanctuaries from social and legal violence. The irony today is that the greatest opposition to pro-LGBTQ Methodists now comes from within their own denomination. That opposition portrays the trend toward increasing LGBTQ tolerance as a byproduct of secular influence, and stokes fears of secularization to maintain its grip on denomination policy. But this viewpoint is flawed. It makes far more sense to see the trend toward acceptance as the expression of a long and determined tradition, made up of people who show up every four years for another round of bruising debate not because they want to fit in with their secular neighbors but because they see the work of LGBTQ justice as a divine calling. They are in this fight because they are Methodist. That their opposition is also Methodist does not make their tradition any less part of the faith.

Now what?

The United Methodist Church is going to schism over this, right? Some kind of split in the church seems inevitable. Going into the special session, the Rev. Keith Boyette, the president of the Wesleyan Covenant Association and a supporter of the Traditional Plan, made clear if the General Conference passed another plan that allowed for the ordination and marriage of LGBTQ United Methodists, he would recommend the conservative group — which formed after the last General Conference and includes 1,500 congregations in the U.S. alone — leave and form its own denomination. WCA leadership met afterward in St. Louis and released a statement saying "the debate cannot continue forever." The WCA is committed to restoring "good order and missional effectiveness" to the denomination and will work toward that at the next General Conference, according to the statement. But, it said, some United Methodists, pastors and churches are so frustrated with the denomination, they are prepared to exit. Some already have left. While the Traditional Plan it had supported passed, it said, "We remain prepared to launch a new Methodist movement." The Rev. Adam Hamilton, a delegate who supported the One Church Plan, is pastor of the largest church in the denomination, Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kan. Hamilton has said that since the vote he also has heard from many United Methodists in the pews and pulpits saying they're ready to leave. At a congregational meeting over the weekend, Hamilton said he wouldn't want the congregation to become a nondenominational church. If anything, he said, it would join "lots and lots of other people forming the next United Methodism." "We are United Methodist, and I'm proud of that — not embarrassed and ashamed of it — but if we're going to walk down this path and nothing changes, then I think we were pushed out of the church. We didn't want to leave," he said. The pastor also discussed the possibilities of withholding part of the money the church regularly pays to the denomination or reconsidering the Connectional Conference Plan. The Rev. Alex da Silva Souto, a delegate and co-convener of the United Methodist Queer Clergy Caucus, said that some LGBTQ United Methodists will leave the denomination because "there's just so much abuse human spirits can take — human bodies — until they have to find healthier places." Others, he said, will be even more motivated to stay and speak out. Several groups advocating for the full inclusion of LGBTQ United Methodists in the church that had opposed the Traditional Plan have expressed a commitment to staying in the denomination. Among them, the Reconciling Ministries Network released a statement urging its members to "stand your holy ground." "Reach out to your neighbors and community with love. Proclaim your welcome of God's LGBTQ children with boldness. This Church does not belong to exclusionary forces, and we remain committed to reclaiming it for all God's people," it said.

Now what?, Declining church/ Divisions run deep, loving/ welcoming everyone, possibility of a split

The Rev. Pamela Lightsey, associate professor of constructive theology at Meadville Lombard Theological School in Chicago, feared the Traditional Plan could "usher in a host of greater evils." "People are not yet talking about leaving, though we feel as though the church is attempting to leave us," Lightsey said before all the votes were finalized. LGBTQ United Methodists and those who support their full inclusion in the church have to decide what comes next, said the Rev. Gregory Gross, a delegate from the Northern Illinois Conference and organizer with the Queer Clergy Caucus. There may no longer be room for them in the denomination, he said. So LGBTQ Methodists may have to envision "a new expression of Methodism." "It's sickening how much people clearly dislike us — clearly do not like — LGBTQ people and must be threatened by us," Gross said. "It's sickening and disheartening, and yet at least we finally know where people are."

Now what?, Declining church/ Divisions run deep, possibility of a split

The ramifications of the General Conference action are not yet fully evident, but fractures are likely — between progressive clergy and conservative laity, between young and old church members, and between Methodists in the United States and those in Africa, Asia and other parts of what's known as the "Global South," mostly less-developed countries where conservative social views and a more strict interpretation of the Bible are prevalent. A majority of U.S. delegates at the United Methodist General Conference opposed the conservative resolutions on sexuality and marriage, but the U.S. share of global Methodism is declining while the church is growing in the Global South, especially Africa. "The old ladies in the villages, the old men in the villages, the young boys in the towns and villages, are all celebrating that the United Methodist Church has maintained its traditional view of the Bible," says Dr. Jerry Kulah of Liberia, general coordinator of the church's Africa Initiative. "Other denominations all across Africa are celebrating the United Methodist Church. That is the kind of euphoria being expressed right now across Africa." I think it's unfair for Americans to blame Africa or South America or the Philippines for this decision. Valerie Bridgeman, Methodist Theological School in Ohio. Some United Methodists in Africa say they hear U.S. and European liberals lecturing to them on what positions they should take on issues of sexuality, family and marriage, and it strikes them as the latest example of a colonialist attitude. "The chickens have come home to roost," says Valerie Bridgeman, the academic dean of the Methodist Theological School in Ohio. "Colonialism is a real thing. But I also want to point out, having talked to several of my friends in Africa, that not all Africans agree with this decision," she says. "I think it's unfair for Americans to blame Africa or South America or the Philippines for this decision." In fact, there were many U.S. Methodists who joined United Methodists from Africa and elsewhere in supporting the new resolutions at the General Conference.

Now what?, Mentioning Africa/ Global Church

"We've had the schism. We just don't know what's next," said Andrew Ponder Williams, a candidate for ministry in the church who is in a same-sex marriage and who previously chaired a denominational committee on LGBT issues. "Yesterday ended us as we've been."

Now what?, Quoting person/ someone responding to GC, clergy/ professor/ delegate

The next general meeting will be held in 2020 in Minneapolis. "The full outcome may not be for a year or two because there are still a lot of things that have to be worked out and that will take time," said Ken Walden, president-dean of Gammon Theological Seminary in Atlanta. ""That's everything from who is going to leave, who is going to stay and how this will manifests itself in their faith and ministry.""

Now what?, Quoting person/ someone responding to GC, clergy/ professor/ delegate

Westbury is not officially an "affirming" church, with a stated policy of fully including LGBT people in all aspects of church life. Its congregation is one of the most racially and economically mixed in Houston, and includes significant demographic groups — African-Americans, recent immigrants — that haven't traditionally embraced LGBT causes. But like much of American culture, the church has been leaning in that direction. Two years ago, when Gilbert and his husband, lawyer Marc Waters, joined the church together, standing up as a couple, it felt like a watershed moment. Gilbert was hoping merely to have their membership approved. Instead, the congregation broke out in applause. Yang isn't sure what lies ahead, whether his church will choose to leave the UMC or to stay and fight to change the denomination. But if anything, he said, the UMC decision seems likely to propel his church toward being more inclusive, not less. "It made such a strong statement. We have to make a stronger statement: The story of our denomination is not the story of this church. This moves us out of complacency."

Now what?, Quoting person/ someone responding to GC, clergy/ professor/ delegate

"I certainly hope this season can birth something new (and soon) that allows diering sides to move on in ministry with integrity, no longer biting and devouring one another but loving deeply, from the heart." Pat Henry, a member of Trinity United Methodist Church, Conway, South Carolina, said it is not a time to celebrate but it is a time to be thankful that General Conference 2019 adopted a scriptural view. "It is also a time for the church to make sure that the LGBTQ community understands that all people are welcome to come and worship in (United) Methodist churches and that they are loved the same as all the rest of us sinners," he said. G

Now what?, Quoting person/ someone responding to GC, clergy/ professor/ delegate, loving/ welcoming everyone

Houston-area Methodists, like Methodists across the country, are struggling to figure out what all this means. On Facebook and church websites, many conservative and moderate pastors reminded their congregations that their denomination still declares that "all persons are of sacred worth," and that LGBT members are still welcome and valued.But many other pastors were openly appalled by the decision."It was a dark day for Methodists," said Rudy Rasmus, co-pastor of St. John's UMC in Midtown. "The denomination made a decision not only to eliminate the LGBTQIA community from its churches but also to minimize its impact on a generation of people under 35 years old."He isn't sure what the decision will mean for his involvement, and St. John's involvement, with the United Methodist Church, he said.Many African-American congregations, including Houston's Windsor Village, supported the ban on same-sex marriage and gay clergy. But not Rasmus: "Discrimination and injustice of any form — whether it's sexual identity or race — it all leaves the same scar. I grew up in Houston drinking from a separate water fountain as a child. At 62, I'm still waiting on healing from that scar." The Houston church most likely to leave the denomination appears to be Bering UMC, which since the 1980s has been one of Houston's most visibly LGBT-affirming churches. Pastor Diane McGehee says that for the moment, with so much uncertain, Bering is focused on comforting members who feel deeply wounded by the denomination's decision, and on making sure that LGBTQ+ members know that the denomination's decision won't change their church's stance. She has planned her Sunday sermon with that firmly in mind. God, she plans to tell her congregation, is more manifold and various than the human mind can comprehend. God includes all colors, all genders, all sexual orientations, and it is their church's joyful duty to reflect that boggling breadth. "God," she'll say, "is more queer than we can imagine." Scott Jones, the bishop over the Houston and East Texas region, urges calm, and believes that tempers are cooling after the heated St. Louis meeting. "People are breathing deep," he said. "They're allowing their emotions to subside. They're praying and thinking, 'How best can we serve God and the United Methodist Church?'" At 10 a.m. Saturday, via livestreamed video (www.txcumc.org), Jones will answer questions submitted by email. Methodist C.J. Yeoman isn't waiting for matters to resolve. For 13 years, she and her husband belonged to Chapelwood UMC in Memorial. But as the St. Louis gathering drew near, she became convinced that no matter what the outcome, the UMC would split, and she felt sure that Chapelwood would go with the traditional churches. So two weeks ago, they switched to the more LGBT-friendly St. Paul's UMC in the Museum District. "I literally have been begging my friends to be ready," she says. "It's almost like I'm telling people on Election Day 2016 that Trump is going to win."

Now what?, Quoting person/ someone responding to GC, clergy/ professor/ delegate, loving/ welcoming everyone

Bishop Gregory Palmer, local bishop for the church's West Ohio Conference, which has about 170,000 members, will talk to members and answer questions during a broadcast shown at area churches on Saturday morning. "There have been words and speeches that have done harm to people, especially our LGBTQ sisters and brothers," Palmer said in a statement. "I lament this and our lack of capacity to hold the whole together." Palmer restated his commitment to the church's mission of bringing people to Christ and being unified for the sake of that mission. Graham, of Linworth United Methodist, acknowledged the division in the church, but he added: "We are people that are passionate about making disciples of Jesus Christ, and I think we'll find our way."

Now what?, Quoting person/ someone responding to GC, clergy/ professor/ delegate, possibility of a split

Regardless of the outcome, it may be months or years before any changes to church policy go into effect, particularly if they involve constitutional amendments. But in St. Louis, Daron Smith and his husband Chris Finley aren't giving up hope. "If the decision doesn't go our way this time, we'll keep fighting," he said. "The church belongs to everyone, not just a select few."

Now what?, Quoting person/ someone responding to GC, general member

He said he would continue to do the Lord's work. "I still have people in my community that need love and grace and care and hope," he said. "General Conference doesn't do ministry, local churches do ministry. So we go back to doing our regular jobs." Though he can't perform same-sex marriages, there are ways around it. Last year, a couple from his Methodist congregation were married at a nearby Disciples of Christ church. "Many of us went," Clem said. "It's just a few blocks away."

Now what?, loving/ welcoming everyone

I sat down Friday with Shawn Anglim, pastor of First Grace United Methodist Church in Mid-City, to talk about his views on sexuality and inclusion and whether there is a path forward for the church to minister in unity. Anglim supported the "One Church Plan" and said his congregation was disappointed in the vote. The homepage of the First Grace website says: "First Grace is an urban community of faith embracing all of God's children as persons of sacred worth regardless of station in life, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or gender identity. "We invite and welcome all persons to join us as disciples who believe in the transforming love of God revealed in Jesus Christ from which nothing separates us."

Now what?, loving/ welcoming everyone

"After the vote, Bishop Ken Carter, president of the Council of Bishops, urged Methodists to focus on their mission. "We continue to teach and believe that all persons are welcomed in the church, all persons are persons of sacred worth, and we welcome all to receive the ministry of Jesus. Human sexuality is a topic on which people of faith have differing views," Carter said. "Despite our differences, we will continue to work together to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world and share God's love with all people."

Now what?, loving/ welcoming everyone, Quoting person/ someone responding to GC, clergy/ professor/ delegate

From now on, says the president of Virginia Wesleyan University, the school won't be following it. He and his colleagues who run the 93 United Methodist colleges and universities across the country are opposed to the church's recent ruling against LGBTQ clergy and same-sex marriage."We will defy church policy and practice to be inclusive on our individual campuses," Miller said Friday. He sent a letter to 16,000 people Friday expressing his opposition to the church's decision, announced this week at an annual conference in St. Louis. The decision still needs to be reviewed before it becomes official, but for now, it's making waves around the world. Virginia Wesleyan is the only United Methodist college in the Hampton Roads region, and has prided itself on being an inclusive community. It will not sever ties with the church, Miller said, but will "be inclusive and represent all humans." He said he has the support of the school's board of trustees and senior administration. "I want it to be clear to our campus community, we were not happy with the church and are committed to all individuals." As a lifelong Methodist himself, Miller said the decision was "disappointing."

Now what?, loving/ welcoming everyone, Quoting person/ someone responding to GC, clergy/ professor/ delegate

Similar scenes played out this month at other Methodist conferences across the country. Resolutions condemning the General Conference's LGBTQ-related moves were approved in Kansas, Iowa, Michigan, northern Illinois and various other regions. Several presiding bishops, including Easterling at the Baltimore-Washington meeting, ordained LGBTQ clergy in open defiance of the official UMC position. "There are bad, human-created rules that are contrary to the commandment to love God and love neighbor," said Ginger Gaines-Cirelli, the senior pastor at Foundry United Methodist in Washington, D.C. "This is one of them." Gaines-Cirelli and other progressive UMC leaders are vowing to resist the LGBTQ prohibitions, despite the new threat of severe penalties. For conservatives like Baker, the progressive stance suggests that the denomination in effect is already splitting."We've been discussing this since 1972," Baker said. "The only reason we're at this place is, we've gone from discussion and disagreement to disobedience."

Now what?, loving/ welcoming everyone, Quoting person/ someone responding to GC, clergy/ professor/ delegate

The church knew going into St. Louis that congregations on both ends of the spectrum were weighing their future in the church depending on the outcome of the special session, Carter said. That remains a concern, he said. "We are now and will be doing a lot of outreach to our progressive communities to say we love you, we care about you, we see you, we hear you," Carter said. And supporters of full inclusion are not giving up.In a Tuesday statement, Reconciling Ministries Network recognized the harm caused to LGBT people in the church."Despite the passage of the deeply unjust and painful Traditionalist Plan, we remain committed to justice, inclusion, and the full love of Christ for LGBTQIA+ people in The United Methodist Church," the statement said. "By no means is our work abandoned. This is our church. This is our Christ. This is our God."

Now what?, loving/ welcoming everyone, Quoting person/ someone responding to GC, clergy/ professor/ delegate

The divide prompted questions among some church members about whether the United Methodist Church might someday split, as members on both sides of the issue seek their own communities with similar views. Bishop Elaine Stanovsky oversees the Greater Northwest region of the church and says this issue won't drive her away. "We will continue to be fully inclusive as we have been for a number of years, of LGBTQ people, and we're not going to leave, we're going to stay, and we're going to be a church, the phrase we're using right now is one church for all people," Stanovsky said. The official news service for the United Methodist Church says it's still uncertain whether this week's vote will change practices in progressive congregations, like those in Washington, which have gay clergy and perform same-sex marriages, in open defiance of church rules."

Now what?, loving/ welcoming everyone, Quoting person/ someone responding to GC, clergy/ professor/ delegate, possibility of a split

The passage of the Traditional Plan is seen as a setback for those pushing for inclusion of LGBT people in the church. It also has emotionally pained LGBT Methodists and their straight allies.The Rev. Dr. Mark Holland, the executive director of Mainstream UMC, acknowledged that in a Tuesday night letter posted to his organization's website. He encouraged Methodists to reach out to LGBT people in the wake of this decision. ""No way around it, this hurts. My heart breaks for all the LGBTQ persons in our connection. These are the ones who live the discrimination every day,"" he said. ""Please reach out to the LGBTQ persons around you. At the end of the day, this was not about legislation, or tactics, or votes. This is about our people and my heart is broken for my people.""Mainstream UMC wanted the more progressive One Church Plan to pass. It would have lifted the bans on LGBT clergy and same-sex marriage while protecting those who did not agree with the marriages. But supporters of inclusion like Mainstream UMC say they are not giving up. Reconciling Ministries Network released a statement Tuesday night to that effect. ""We continue our pursuit of a church that loves as Jesus loves,"" the statement said. ""We will gather soon to determine the next steps in our continued advocacy for LGBTQIA+ people in The UMC. There may be a "traditional" (divisive) plan, but by no means is our work abandoned."" There is a good chance human sexuality in the church will come up again next year.The General Conference meets again in 2020 for its regularly scheduled quadrennial meeting. The top policy making body of the church will gather next in Minneapolis. Communicating and ministering to the people in the pews: But the 2019 special session is over and that means Methodist leaders will be relaying what happened in St. Louis to the people in their church pews and ministering to them in this fraught time. Bishop Bill McAlilly, who leads the church in much of Tennessee as well as western Kentucky, started that work Tuesday night from St. Louis with a video message to the United Methodists in his region. He acknowledged the range of emotions as well as the pain that the passage of the Traditional Plan has caused some. ""My first reminder today as your chief pastor is to love one another. Some of your neighbors, some of your church members are hurting because of this decision,"" McAlilly said. ""It'll take time for all of us to understand how these decisions will affect us at the grassroots, how they will affect the future of the United Methodist Church."" He made an appeal to those who may be thinking of leaving. ""I ask you to allow us the opportunity before you or your church make any decisions regarding your relationships with the United Methodist Church to be in conversation with you,"" McAlilly said."

Now what?, loving/ welcoming everyone, possibility of a split , Quoting person/ someone responding to GC, clergy/ professor/ delegate

"The Traditional Plan will now go back to the Judicial Council in April. John Lomperis — a delegate and director of UM Action, a program of the conservative Institute on Religion and Democracy — said he expects council members to "affirm what they have already said is constitutional and to invalidate what they have already said is unconstitutional." "The petitions that did pass that are constitutional are very significant, and have real teeth," said Lomperis, who supported the Traditional Plan. A key provision of the Traditional Plan that would have required bishops to sign a statement certifying "I will uphold United Methodist standards on marriage and sexuality in their entirety" was jettisoned before the vote. Other petitions already found unconstitutional allow the Council of Bishops to recommend a bishop for an involuntary leave of absence or retirement and create a committee to hear those requests in order to establish a "process by which the Council of Bishops may hold one another accountable." As part of the process to determine whether to ordain a candidate, another petition found unconstitutional allows the Board of Ministry "shall conduct an examination to ascertain whether an individual is a practicing homosexual, including information on social media." The Rev. Mark Holland — a delegate and executive director of Mainstream UMC, which advocated for the One Church Plan — called the Traditional Plan's win merely a "symbolic victory" in a post on the Mainstream UMC website. "In reality, we passed no legislation at General Conference. ... We are essentially at status quo," he said. So does this settle things once and for all?Probably not. Many United Methodists are waiting to see what the Judicial Council will decide. Any parts of the Traditional Plan that are found unconstitutional won't be added to the Book of Discipline, according to the Daily Christian Advocate. And some opponents of the Traditional Plan already have indicated they don't plan to follow the new rules. The General Conference meets again next year in Minneapolis."

Now what?, mentioning judicial review/council

But LGBTQ United Methodists and their supporters still see reason for hope. In April, the Traditional Plan goes to the denomination's top court, the Judicial Council, which already has found parts of it to be unconstitutional. Not all of those parts were able to be amended by delegates before they approved the plan. The Rev. Jeff Greenway — chair of the conservative Wesleyan Covenant Association, which advocated for the Traditional Plan — told the United Methodist News Service he worries the plan as approved by the General Conference has "no teeth" and "little likelihood of accountability." And the Rev. Mark Holland — a delegate and executive director of Mainstream UMC — which advocated for the One Church Plan, called the Traditional Plan's passage merely a "symbolic victory" in a post on the Mainstream UMC website. The plan that was passed was "gutted" and "had nothing in it," Holland wrote in his post. An exit plan that was passed also was "fatally flawed," he said. "In reality we passed no legislation at General Conference. ... We are essentially at status quo," he said. After $3.7 million to put this week's meeting together and a wrenching three days of deliberations, in other words, the United Methodist Church has only marginally more clarity on its future than when the meeting began.

Now what?, mentioning judicial review/council

However, a judicial council still must decide if what was approved is constitutional, Mr. Merrick said. Additionally, a future General Conference could reverse course, he said

Now what?, mentioning judicial review/council

In the weeks since General Conference, there has been reinvigorated progressive activism within the UMC. "There is a rallying cry of progressives like I haven't seen before," Dreff said. Within ten days of General Conference, the Reconciling Ministries Network, a United Methodist organization uniting LGBT-affirming individuals and congregations, announced on Facebook that more than 1,000 new individuals had become Reconciling United Methodists. "Something new is in the process of being born," Day said. "Or maybe some things, plural, new are in the process of being born. Our faith is in a God whose life is about bringing new life from death and hope over despair and growth and transformation through challenge and dead ends." Much of what happens next for the United Methodist Church is still unknown. The Judicial Council will not make a final ruling on the Traditional Plan as passed in St. Louis until late April. While many anticipate that the council will rule large portions of the plan unconstitutional, it is unclear whether that means the whole plan will be ruled invalid or only the specific parts found to be unconstitutional tossed out. Even if the Judicial Council allows parts of the plan to remain, it won't go into effect until January 1, 2020, and no large-scale formal separation can occur until May 2020 at the earliest, when the General Conference meets again for its regular gathering in Minneapolis. "I honestly don't know what's next for the UMC," Greer said. "However, I do know that God is not done. God isn't done with the church. God isn't done with the UMC. And God is not done doing what God does and that is; extending love, grace, hope, and truth to a world in need of reconciliation and healing."

Now what?, mentioning judicial review/council

Still, Boyette said he is worried about the denomination. "The future of the church is uncertain," he said. The constitutionality of the Traditional Plan still needs to be evaluated by the Judicial Council, which is like the supreme court for the denomination.

Now what?, mentioning judicial review/council

The Judicial Council will review the Traditional Plan at its next scheduled meeting: April 23-25 in Evanston, Ill. Any piece of legislation declared unconstitutional at that meeting will not be included in the Book of Discipline, said the Rev. Gary Graves, secretary of the General Conference, according to United Methodist News Service. All other changes will take effect Jan. 1.

Now what?, mentioning judicial review/council

The Rev. Beth LaRocca-Pitts, senior pastor of St. Mark United Methodist Church in Atlanta, said the traditional plan passed but the constitutionality of the plan is still up for review. The plan does not take effect until January 2020, and next week one of the large groups of more conservative Methodists are expected to meet to consider pulling out of the denomination, she said. Some conference speakers warned the church risked alienating not only progressives with the traditional plan, but those in the center as well.

Now what?, mentioning judicial review/council

also has asked for the court to rule on the constitutionality of the church-disaliation provision delegates passed. The Judicial Council, during General Conference, ruled a previous version of the disaliation legislation unconstitutional. The bishops argue the amended version that passed doesn't solve the constitutional problem the court identied because it does not require an annual conference to ratify the local church's decision. The church court also has previously ruled parts of the Traditional Plan unconstitutional. The denomination's top court has already agreed to address the Traditional Plan when it meets April 23-25 in Evanston, Illinois. Regardless of what the court decides, people across the denomination will continue to look at next steps. Carter, in a pastoral letter on behalf of the Council of Bishops, said this will be a time for local church leaders to step up. "Every church I have known in my life has had spiritual elders, mature spiritual leaders who care for the body, that is the people God has called together in a place," Carter wrote. "I pray in this moment for mature spiritual leadership among the clergy and laity of our global church." H

Now what?, mentioning judicial review/council

The denomination's top court will determine the constitutionality of the "traditional plan" next month. Anything the council finds unconstitutional will not become official policy, according to the Rev. Gary Graves, the General Conference secretary. Any increased enforcement of violations of the Book of Discipline would take effect Jan. 1, 2020, said the Rev. Arthur McClanahan, the communications director for the Iowa Conference. The next General Conference is scheduled to take place in May 2020, in Minneapolis. Haller said her message to all United Methodists is to stay focused on the church's mission "to be the arms, and the feet and the eyes of Jesus." "We're kind of in an in-between time right now," she said. "We're waiting to see what the plan is actually going to look like ... In the meantime, we're going to keep going to church on Sunday morning." Blaedel said they fear the denomination is losing relevance as it moves toward more restrictive policies. "There is this whole generation that is seeking deeper belonging, community, ritual and spiritual practices to sustain social justice work," they said. "It makes me so sad to see this church that I have loved kind of killing itself by its refusal to focus on what really matters."

Now what?, mentioning judicial review/council, Declining church/ Divisions run deep

The Western Jurisdiction, which encompasses seven conferences in the western United States, has long acted as if church restrictions related to LGBTQ ministry do not exist. The jurisdiction is home to the Mountain Sky Conference's Bishop Karen Oliveto, the denomination's rst openly gay and married bishop. Oliveto and other Mountain Sky leaders said during a livestream March 1 that the jurisdiction intends to continue to maintain its openness on matters of homosexuality. Still, the bishop acknowledged that General Conference has left its mark on many, and she has already heard about families leaving the denomination. "The theology I was taught, the spirituality I was grounded in, was voted down at General Conference," she said. "The big tent we have always held in tension, a beautiful tension, a beautiful witness to the world, was shrunk by 54 votes." However, she added, it's not over. New legislation does not take eect in the U.S. church until Jan. 1, 2020. In Africa, Europe and the Philippines, the legislation doesn't take eect until 12 months after the next General Conference in May 2020. Before the Traditional Plan can take eect, General Conference has referred it for review by the Judicial Council, the denomination's top court. The Council of Bishops

Now what?, mentioning judicial review/council, Quoting person/ someone responding to GC, clergy/ professor/ delegate

The delegates approved a conservative measure known as the Traditional Plan that strengthened the church's prohibitions on ""self-avowed practicing homosexuals"" from ordination as well as same-sex marriage. The plan passed in a 438-384 vote. Mark Tooley, the president of the conservative Institute on Religion & Democracy, called it a historic moment in a post he shared on Twitter. ""Transitioning from liberal Mainline to global orthodox, our great church has future,"" Tooley said. But the Traditional Plan has another hurdle to clear. Delegates voted to send it to the Judicial Council, which is like the denomination's supreme court, for a review of its constitutionality under church law. The Judicial Council had already ruled pieces of the Traditional Plan as unconstitutional. On Tuesday, the delegates sent them an amended version for consideration. ""There will be pieces that already are constitutional, there are pieces that are already unconstitutional,"" said the Rev. Gary Graves, secretary of the General Conference. ""And we have other pieces that they will be reviewing after the body did some work. Right now, we will not hear the final disposition of all those pieces until we hear the results."" ""United Methodists meet again in 2020

Now what?, mentioning judicial review/council, Quoting person/ someone responding to GC, clergy/ professor/ delegate

But the vote still hurt many who support a full welcome of LGBTQ members. Jen Ihlo, a delegate from the Baltimore-Washington Conference, said it is hard for her to believe the Judicial Council "will do the right thing," she said. "But we'll see." Numb and exhausted after the General Conference, Ihlo said she came to the Love Your Neighbor Coalition's worship service Wednesday because she needed to be with her community. She needs to rest and recover from the exhaustion before she can decide what to do next, she said. "I was baptized and confirmed in the United Methodist Church, but that church doesn't seem to exist anymore. It's judgmental. It's divisive, it's harmful. And that's not what Jesus preached," she said. "That was why I needed to be here. And that's what I was hoping for and fighting for as a delegate."

Now what?, mentioning judicial review/council, Quoting person/ someone responding to GC, clergy/ professor/ delegate, Declining church/ Divisions run deep

he full ramications of what happened at the 2019 General Conference are still unknown. However, a few things are coming clearer into view. Since the denomination's top lawmaking body adjourned Feb. 26, the following developments have occurred: • One group that had previously raised the possibility of leaving The United Methodist Church announced that it has no immediate plans to do so; • The General Conference Committee on Ethics announced it found no evidence to substantiate a delegate's allegation of bribery; • The denomination's top court publicized deadlines for briefs ahead of its April meeting that will determine which of the newly approved legislation is in line with the denomination's constitution; • Bishops and other church leaders began the work of explaining what General Conference did and what lies ahead for the multinational denomination where church members still have divergent interpretations of Scripture and differing views of ministry with LGBTQ people. A number of church leaders spoke of healing after a more than two-year process and days of rancorous debate that have left many feeling exhausted and hurt. "Our interest is in the healing of the church — not the church as an institution or a bureaucracy — it's for the healing of the church so that we can be better together, so that we can be there for each other," said Bishop Kenneth Carter Jr., president of the Council of Bishops. "And it is to acknowledge the great harm people feel in the LGBTQ community."

Now what?, mentioning judicial review/council, possibility of a split , Quoting person/ someone responding to GC, clergy/ professor/ delegate

Another split may occur between the United Methodist Church as a whole and some of the 13 official Methodist seminaries, many of which are institutionally committed to an LGBTQ-inclusive approach. If the seminaries refuse to abide by the church's more stringent positions, they could conceivably lose some of their church funding. On the other hand, if they go along with those positions and alienate prospective students, they could also suffer.

Now what?, possibility of a split

Historically in the United Methodist Church, churches can't take their buildings with them if they leave the denomination, since the larger church, not the local congregation, owns the property. In the final hours of General Conference, delegates passed a disaffiliation plan pushed largely by conservative members of the church that some have called a "gracious exit" to ease this potential transition. Detailed legal agreements are needed when large denominations fracture because of issues related to property rights and clergy benefits. When, for example, the Episcopal Church officially split in 2008 over the question of same-sex marriage and full inclusion of LGBT people, many of the departing churches found themselves in court with the denomination regarding their church property. In the meantime, the work of local congregations will go on. The Sunday after General Conference, Day—the head of the UMC history commission—attended a small rural church where the pastor chose not to address the meeting. Day was "stewing in his seat" at this omission before his wife leaned over to say, "Look at the bulletin, look at all they're doing, look at all they're involved with, look at all their engagement in the community. They're cooking for the homeless and they're providing beds here, and they're educating, they're doing all these great things and this isn't interrupting that so maybe there's some good news in that." Similarly, Kaylor of the Wesleyan Covenant Association said "things will continue as normal" for his congregation. "The primary focus of most people is their local church, and denominational issues only tend to rise when they hit the news media or when there is a change in pastoral appointment," he wrote in an email. "Our people will continue to love everyone who comes to the church and love the people of our community; we will continue to preach the good news of Christ's transforming and redeeming love and grace, and we will always speak the truth in love." To church members, Greer wrote a letter after General Conference, "encouraging them to discern what God may be saying in this moment and in the future." As a queer pastor, Greer said, "I also assured them that as long as I am appointed to be their pastor that I will journey with them in whatever form that takes."

Now what?, possibility of a split

Methodist leaders who fought for unity a day ago were mulling some sort of division after the meeting ended. The Rev. James Howell, an author who leads a 5,300-member church in Charlotte with a diversity of political views in its pews, was one of the leaders pushing the one-church plan that failed. "Periodically, people would say, 'Let's talk about a new denomination. Let's talk about where to go.' We the leaders really pushed back. Our goal is unity," he said. On Wednesday, he was reconsidering. "At this point, there's a lot of feeling from centrists and from moderates, much less progressives, that the kind of far-right conservatives, the Russians, the Africans — they don't want to be with us. They want to be rid of us. That grieves me, but I think it's just a reality." As he headed back to Charlotte, he sent a mass text to all his church members, and watched his phone blow up with their reactions — many heartbroken, others pleased. "We're going to have dissolutions and departures, and those institutions [like hospitals and schools] are going to break down," he said, noting that one-church proponents had prepared "no plan" in advance to start a new denomination. Adam Hamilton, who leads the nation's largest United Methodist church, in Kansas, was one of the most high-profile proponents of the failed one-church plan. Some members of his congregation have said they plan to leave, but most churchgoers care about their individual pastor and community, not the denomination, he said. "I don't want to leave," he said. "But I don't want to stay long-term if we are going to continue to treat gays and lesbians as second-class in our churches." He plans to gather Methodist leaders from across the country at his church to discuss options in May. The Rev. Donna Claycomb Sokol, who leads Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church in the District, said her phone started ringing early in the morning as congregants at her LGBT-welcoming church voiced their hurt at the decision. She said she would like to stay in the denomination, and she predicts that few churches will leave. Her members, however, have already told her they will be hesitant to donate to the church, knowing some of their money will go to the denomination. "I would not want to be a denominational official right now trying to gauge how much money's not going to come in," she said. "It was almost flabbergasting for people to not see the financial implications of a decision like this." And for gay clergy, and those who ordain gay clergy and marry gay believers, the question is the opposite: not just whether they will leave the church but whether the church will force them to leave it. The Rev. Angela Flanagan, a bisexual pastor at Silver Spring United Methodist Church, said she won't leave on her own accord. "We're severely disappointed and hurt, but we remain undeterred," she said. "Part of our role in the UMC is to hold it to account." Ponder Williams, the married gay man pursuing ordination to the clergy, struggled to put the feeling into words. "We love our church so much, and we believe in its purpose so much, that we are willing to be leaders and participants and active members in an institution in which more than half of its members — more than half! — believe that we should be in jail," he said. "There's no Hallmark card for that."

Now what?, possibility of a split

Next month, they may learn if they will be able to keep their property and assets, and if their gay and lesbian colleagues will be tossed out. Pastors and lay people are already debating if they should start a new denomination — or if, in a move perhaps more threatening to those who voted them out, they should refuse to leave. Nationwide, these high stakes are playing out in the blur of grief. The day after the vote, Foundry felt like it was in mourning. An assistant pastor made almost 50 calls to counsel and comfort parishioners. Neighbors from the Jewish Community Center came by with a box of tarts for the office, remembering how the pastors had brought them ice cream the day of the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting. "I was numb," said the Rev. Ginger Gaines-Cirelli, Foundry's pastor, her voice raw as she described the moments after the vote. Yet in the swirl of confusion, Foundry is also resolute. A schism may be on the horizon, but it has not happened yet, leaders point out. The new rules do not go into effect until January, and the Methodist judiciary must decide if parts of the new rule are constitutional. Shortly after the vote, Ms. Gaines-Cirelli joined a conference call with like-minded church leaders to start to plan their next steps. "We are not going anywhere," she said in an interview. "If someone wants to come for me, for us, then bring it." For decades, the stone church on 16th Street, a few blocks north of the White House, has been one of the most prominent religious institutions in Washington. The Clinton family called it home for years. It has also made religious rights for L.G.B.T. people core to its ministry. Foundry's pastors have married same-sex couples and hired gay clergy. One retired minister surrendered his credentials in protest when a lesbian member's ordination was blocked.

Now what?, possibility of a split

The creation of separate pathways for conservative and progressive churches would be a complicated endeavor. The February UMC General Conference approved measures that would allow churches to "disaffiliate" from the denomination without giving up their property or assets, but they would still be required to cover their share of the denomination's unfunded pension liabilities for retired clergy, among other costs, and they would have to continue those payments for a year following disaffiliation. Moreover, two-thirds of a church's membership would have to approve a church exit, a requirement that would be hard to meet in those churches where congregants are divided on LGBTQ-related issues. The exiting church would also need the approval of a majority of the members in its regional conference. At this point, it is not even clear whether it would be the conservative or the progressive churches that would be most inclined to leave. While the "traditionalists" prevailed at the February meeting and appear to have the delegate strength to prevail again at the next global meeting, they are clearly in the minority among U.S. churches, and with attitudes on LGBTQ issues moderating in the United States, the conservatives are losing clout. Wesleyan Covenant Association leaders, already organizing a UMC splinter group, estimate that nearly three-fourths of the 2020 General Conference delegates elected at this month's regional meetings are in centrist or progressive camps, and it is the WCA that is pushing hardest for a clean UMC division. At the February General Conference, conservatives rejected a compromise "One Church" plan that would have allowed local congregations to decide on their own whether to accommodate same-sex marriages and allow the ordination of LGBTQ clergy. Baker, a WCA leader in the Baltimore-Washington region, opposed the plan as unrealistic. "Behind those [LGBTQ-related] distinctions is a deep theological divide," he says, "over how we see the Scriptures, how we read them, how we interpret them. We start in different places, and we end up in different places. We've built ourselves as [a place] where you can believe a lot of things and still feel at home here. We put belonging before dogma. But when an organization fails to have any unifying principles it has a hard time finding itself." To progressive UMC leaders like Gaines-Cirelli, the conservatives' rejection of the One Church plan showed that they are the faction pushing for dissolution. "We tried to stay in connection with those folk," she says. "They said, 'We're not interested.' And so there is a sense that something needs to change." On that point, UMC leaders now seem to agree. Given the challenges facing the denomination in the months ahead, however, the contours of that change are far from clear.

Now what?, possibility of a split

Religion News Service (RNS) notes that a split between member churches within the denomination over the restrictions means that certain conservative churches will likely sever ties with the denomination if the conference elects to drop the language. But if the assembly keeps the prohibitions in place, more liberal churches may leave. The vote could represent a turning point for the nation's second-largest Protestant denomination, one that has 7 million members and almost 32,000 churches in America. It has 12.5 million members worldwide. About 1,500 churches, almost all of them from the U.S., have expressed support for a movement to separate from the denomination if the rules are changed to ordain and marry LGBT people, RNS reported. The Wesleyan Covenant Association, a conservative group within the denomination, is reportedly openly working on a split.One of the churches expected to leave the denomination over a vote in favor of the rule change is Mt. Horeb in South Carolina, which counts former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley as a member."I'm a believer that the church has to transform the culture, not the culture transforming the church," Rev. Jeff Kersey, senior pastor at Mt. Horeb, told RNS.

Now what?, possibility of a split , Declining church/ Divisions run deep

The move threatens to split America's second-largest Protestant denomination, one that has 7 million members and almost 32,000 churches in America. It has 12.5 million members worldwide. Advocates of the "One Church" proposal had argued that the plan would help keep the denomination together during a time when views are changing on same-sex marriage. But many churches opposed this argument. About 1,500 churches, almost all of them from the U.S., expressed support for leaving the denomination if the rules were changed to allow ordaining and marrying LGBTQ people, according to Religion News Service. CNN reported that more liberal churches will likely leave the Methodist denomination because of the decision. "Many of us have members who are saying they will leave," said Rev. Tom Berlin of Virginia, a member of the church's legislative committee. "A virus of conflict will spread." "God weeps," Reconciling Ministries, a pro-LGBTQ church group, tweeted after the decision to reject the "One Church" proposal. "The Spirit rages. The children of God are undefeated."

Now what?, possibility of a split , Declining church/ Divisions run deep

Before the vote, the Rev. Keith Boyette, president of the WCA, had said he would recommend the association leave the United Methodist Church and form its own denomination if LGBTQ members were permitted to become clergy and marry. On Wednesday, Boyette said, such a split was "unlikely." But a split is not always a bad thing, he said, pointing to examples in the Bible when people parted ways. He had submitted legislation calling for the dissolution of the denomination, he added, though it ultimately was not included in the legislation considered by the special session. But few delegates and observers opposing the Traditional Plan in St. Louis expressed a determination to leave. Many had spoken throughout the week about the church as their home or as their family. "Centrist and progressives never wanted a divorce. We never were looking for a gracious exit. We were looking for a little more space," said the Rev. Adam Hamilton, a prominent pastor and delegate from the Great Plains Conference who had advocated the One Church Plan. On Tuesday, Hamilton said from the floor that those who had voted for the Traditional Plan had not just alienated progressive United Methodists, but also those in the middle. They'd also inspired a number of people who hadn't been engaged in the debate, but now were hurt, angry — and energized. Afterward, he tweeted that his Kansas church was looking into holding a meeting with bishops and other key leaders to discuss "where Methodism goes from here." But many of the speakers Wednesday said they knew where they were going "I ain't going nowhere," said Adama Hathaway-Brown, a certified candidate for ministry in the New England Conference, who identified as a "same-gender-loving woman." "There are just too many people to serve and I've come way too far to leave them now." In her conference, she said, there are people to feed at the soup kitchen; veterans and senior citizens to reach; and a number of people wanting to worship in a community that welcomes and affirms LGBTQ people. They were there before the General Conference, she said, and they are still there after the meeting. There also is a generation coming up that needs to see them be the light in a dark world, added Dan Levine, a ministry candidate in the New York Conference, who identified as transgender. Levine came out after seeing the example of so many at the 2016 General Conference, he said, and he wants to do the same for others. And that's not unique to the church in the U.S., said the Rev. Kennedy Thomas Mwita of the Kenya-Ethiopia Annual Conference. While African United Methodists have been characterized as unanimously supportive of the Traditional Plan, he told the group he supported them as an ally. "You have brothers and sisters in Africa who need this kind of hope," Mwita said. J.J. Warren, a delegate from the Upper New York Conference, said he wasn't sure just the day before if the church was going to be his home. Earlier in the week, Warren's speech on the conference floor about his experience as a gay student reaching out to others at his college with a message of God's love had drawn cheers and applause from observers and tons of shares on social media. With it came messages asking how he felt after the Traditional Plan vote and what he was going to do. But joining a room full of LGBTQ-affirming and welcoming United Methodists gathered together as a church showed him he was home, he said. It showed him what the church was. "We are the church," Warren said. "The General Conference is not the church."

Now what?, possibility of a split , Declining church/ Divisions run deep, Mentioning Africa/ Global Church

The subject of a denominational split exploded publicly when an email written by the Rev. Jerry Kulah was published by Mainstream UMC, which was organized in support of the One Church Plan by the Rev. Mark Holland. Holland, executive director of Mainstream UMC, characterized the email from Kulah, a General Conference delegate from Liberia and general coordinator of the Africa Initiative, as answering a call for unity with "a call for divorce." Holland wrote that Kulah's email highlighted the fundamental dierence between One Church Plan supporters, who believe United Methodists of dierent opinions could live together, and Traditional Plan supporters, who don't think the two groups can live together. Kulah, a General Conference delegate from Liberia, general coordinator of the Africa Initiative and dean of United Methodist Gbarnga School of Theology, urged Holland to "move on" in the email, which he said was in response to an email he received from Holland that called the outcome of the special general conference a "mess." Kulah also said he never intended for the email to be published. "I was simply challenging him and his followers to discontinue their deant attitude including demonstrations when things do not seem to go their way. If one is a part of an institution or an organization and it reaches the point where he or she no longer feels comfortable in submitting to its governing policies, principles and rules, he or she has the liberty to disassociate and move on to another that he or she feels comfortable with. So, in essence, I was encouraging Mark and others to discontinue their deant posture, and let us live and make disciples of Jesus Christ in peace," Kulah told United Methodist News Service. Holland said the email wasn't just sent to him but to a 72-person email blast. "When you send an email to that many people it is public," he said. "If you are going to put something in writing you should be prepared to stand behind it. "The irony that the U.S. church is funding 99.3 percent of global budget and someone who is the dean of an institution that is receiving U.S. support is asking two-thirds of his funders to leave the church is a tone-deaf statement that has no connection with reality."

Now what?, possibility of a split , Mentioning Africa/ Global Church, Quoting person/ someone responding to GC, clergy/ professor/ delegate

"It's a sad day for the United Methodist Church," Butler said by phone after the vote. "Today is probably the end of the United Methodist Church as we have known it." The denomination claims more than 12.6 million members worldwide, and more than 650,000 in North Carolina. Butler is not gay but said he will continue to support his many congregants who identify as gay, lesbian, transgender, bisexual or queer. "We reject this result, are saddened by it and grieve with our LGBTQ friends who have been damaged so much today," he said. "We stand in solidarity with them. We don't believe we can vote on somebody's humanity and their worthiness to serve and be and lead in the church." It's not clear what will happen next, but many United Methodists believe that members or entire churches will leave the denomination. How exactly that will happen, including how property would be disposed of, is not yet clear. Allen Morris of Fayetteville, a longtime Methodist and editor of the Christian Methodist Newsletter, attended the General Conference. Reached by phone at the arena just after the vote, Morris said he had mixed feelings about the decision. In the background, supporters could be heard chanting, "No, no, no." "It's very bittersweet," said Morris, who has been working to revive the United Methodist Church in the United States, which he said has been losing members since 1968 at roughly the rate of the equivalent of a congregation per day. Morris said he expects Tuesday's vote to accelerate members' flight from the church. "But if you look at what the Bible has to say about (homosexual) practice and what the United Methodist Church has to say, it calls it sin," he said. He added that sinful behavior between heterosexuals is a much more prevalent problem in the church. "It's the decision that is the right one," he said. "But it was very close and it's a very tough vote. It's been a really long battle and there are some really hard feelings." Morris said he expects some people will leave the church immediately, and others will do so in the coming weeks or months. "It's going to take a little time for this to settle down and for people and churches to decide what they're going to do," he said.

Now what?, possibility of a split , Quoting person/ someone responding to GC, clergy/ professor/ delegate

Matthew Pearson, an openly gay methodist minister from California who rejects the traditional plan, said it's possible a new church is being born."We are prepared to live into our full calling as a church," Pearson said. "What that looks like at this point, I don't know."

Now what?, possibility of a split , Quoting person/ someone responding to GC, clergy/ professor/ delegate

The Wesleyan Covenant Association had advocated for the Traditional Plan, a related modied version and an exit plan. Before General Conference, association leaders said they were considering calling a Convening Conference in April to form a new denomination. The group specically rejected the bishops' recommended One Church Plan that left questions of marriage up to individual churches and ordination up to conference ordaining bodies. With the passage of the Traditional Plan, the WCA's leadership has decided to forgo an April gathering and any immediate plans to depart en masse. The group thanked General Conference for rearming church teachings on sexual ethics and said it would remain committed to the missional eectiveness of The United Methodist Church. "Our work will continue unabated as we address factors that have contributed to dysfunction and ineectiveness," the group said in a Feb. 28 statement. "We are committed to working with other United Methodists to achieve that end at the next General Conference in 2020, including a gracious exit provision. And should circumstances warrant, we remain prepared to launch a new Methodist movement."

Now what?, possibility of a split , Quoting person/ someone responding to GC, clergy/ professor/ delegate

While there have been some rumblings of a schism within the church, with those who oppose the decision splintering to form their own denomination, local congregations weren't yet willing to take that step. Darren Cushman Wood, senior pastor at North United Methodist Church in Indianapolis, said he and his congregation are going to have conversations for the rest of the year to figure out the next steps. "We are going to continue and advocate for full inclusion," he said. "Whether that places us outside the Methodist church remains to be seen. It's too early for us to say what our congregation will decide."

Now what?, possibility of a split , Quoting person/ someone responding to GC, clergy/ professor/ delegate

Meanwhile, conversations across the multinational denomination are already dealing with possibly splitting the church. Part of the debate is deciding who gets to call themselves United Methodist. Complicating matters is that United Methodists in the U.S., where the denomination began, still fund the bulk of general church operations. The Rev. Jay Williams, who identies as a queer pastor, told those gathered in the Philippines: "If exclusion of LGBTQ folks is essential to being United Methodist, then there is no way for us to remain together." The Rev. Adilson de Almeida, a delegate from the Western Angola Conference, later told United Methodist News Service he thinks it's time for people who want to change the policies related to LGBTQ individuals to leave.

Now what?, possibility of a split , Quoting person/ someone responding to GC, clergy/ professor/ delegate, Declining church/ Divisions run deep

Ted Campbell, a professor of Methodist history at Southern Methodist University, told HuffPost he believes the conference will trigger a schism in the UMC. "I think the divisions are already in place," Campbell said. "We're just waiting to see what concrete forms they will take." The breakup will likely be messy, he added, because next year's general conference could overturn some or all of what is decided at this year's meeting. It would also take a few years to sort out who will go the route of separation and how soon they will form other church bodies.

Now what?, possibility of a split , clergy/ professor/ delegate, Quoting person/ someone responding to GC

"STRIVE FOR UNITY: Delegates have handled emails and phone calls from Arkansas United Methodists that have crept up in volume in the weeks leading up to the denomination's special session. Delegates, including Burris, said those communications have urged for votes among the three plans, but many strive for unity. ""Methodists have the ... reputation of being very moderate in most of our beliefs,"" Burris said. ""However, those that are moderate by and large are not the ones that are driving the conversation when it comes to this issue."" ""Some people are just writing, saying 'I'm praying for you' and not advocating for any plan,"" said delegate the Rev. Dede Roberts, founder and director for the Arkansas conference's Center for Vitality. ""And you might be surprised by the number of congregations and people in those congregations that have no clue that any of this is happening. They're just living their lives and ... figuring out how to make a witness for the Gospel in that place."" The Rev. Mark Norman, the lead delegate for Arkansas, said that even after the special session of General Conference is over, there will still be the need to make disciples of Jesus Christ. ""There is still a hurting world that [God's] called us to heal,"" Norman said. ""There are still injustices in this world that we are called on to speak to, and we're still called to help people. ""At one time, I have to admit that I didn't really see that too well because I thought I was dismissing the process [of discerning for General Conference], but it's kind of been my saving grace lately, to be reminded that when this is all said and done the church will be the church.""

Now what?, possibility of a split , loving/ welcoming everyone

SENSE OF LOSS: The Rev. David Freeman, senior pastor of First United Methodist Church in Little Rock, spoke of the congregation's activities leading up to the conference and the congregation's overall stance supporting the removal of LGBT restrictions in an email sent this week. Freeman also emphasized the sense of loss and need to persevere that will be felt no matter the decision made at General Conference.""We, as a local church, have been talking about this for over two years through Sunday School classes, small groups, leadership meetings, and a series of open conversations,"" Freeman wrote. "" ... Because of [our stance], I anticipate we will grieve if no change to the policies is made and find relief if there is some movement toward inclusion of LGBTQ people.""Yet, every option before us will bring mourning as it exposes the brokenness in the Body of Christ,"" Freeman added. ""There will be no victory lap for anyone. And no matter what happens, the fight for full inclusion is not over.""The Rev. Michael Roberts, husband of the Rev. Dede Roberts, held the first session of discuss-and-reflect gatherings for the congregation he leads at First United Methodist Church in Conway, answering questions week by week.""These are questions that are behind the whole reason we are having a General Conference,"" Michael Roberts said. Those gathered Feb. 13 in small groups seated at the fellowship hall's round tables discussed their views on ordination, marriage, incompatibility and other topics related to the denomination finding a way forward. ""As your pastor, I would encourage you to always to reflect on this [issue] at that deeper level,"" Roberts said. ""There you will find common ground, you will find unity with other people that are going to have a different opinion, and that's a unifying thing. ""That glorifies God, when that happens."""

Now what?, possibility of a split , loving/ welcoming everyone

The church faces a possible split. But the debate's not over. The UMC's Judicial Council -- think of it as the church's Supreme Court -- is set to review the Traditional Plan at its meeting in Illinois next month to decide whether it's constitutional. If the council upholds the plan, many fear a split is imminent, and that liberal members and more progressive churches will leave the denomination.And while that's no one's preferred route, Mcilwain and Martin are coming to terms with the possibility. Mcilwain made clear he prefers the church stay together, and he's hopeful. "But if some people feel that they cannot remain," he conceded, "then I love them enough to let them leave." Martin pointed out she would have been staunchly opposed to a split in years past. But now she wonders if there's a way the UMC could split amicably, illustrating to the world that people who have different beliefs can "agree to disagree agreeably." But Harris said he's determined to stay, and he doesn't believe he's alone. "The vast majority of the response that I've seen ... has been one of faithful resistance." "I don't see a whole lot of progressive pastors or LGBTQ people who are adamant about leaving or giving up," he said. "Rather, I think a lot of us are reinvigorated." But right now he's focused on Sunday, and what he'll say when he steps into the pulpit. All he can do is share "the same truth I preached last Sunday, and the Sunday before and before that," Harris said, "which is, you are loved by God."

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The Rev. Laura Young, a lesbian pastor in the local West Ohio Conference of the church, told The Dispatch on Tuesday night that it was too soon to tell if she'll leave the denomination. While not surprised by the decision, she was dismayed and heartbroken. "Now my task is to care for myself and other LGBT people and to envision what a fully inclusive Methodist expression of church might be," she said.

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"Our work is to live like that Book of Discipline no longer exists and to be the church," said the Rev. David Meredith, an Ohio pastor who has faced denominational discipline hearings since he married his longtime partner in 2016. "Let us not step back from challenging, resisting, everything — ignoring the book so that we can simply be beloved children of God and the beloved people of God," Meredith said.

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"To be sure, centrists, progressives did well in the recent elections," says the Rev. Walter Fenton, a leader of the Wesleyan Covenant Association, a Methodist group that advocates for the conservative church perspective. "But we believe that is short of what they need to reverse a church that is increasingly driven by a diverse body of delegates elected in regions around the world." The prospect for repealing the UMC ban on LGBTQ clergy and same-sex weddings is remote enough that some progressive leaders are warning against a legislative strategy. "The problem with legislation is that we are putting our emotional and spiritual lives in the hands of a system that is broken," Bickerton cautioned in his "State of the Church" sermon at the New York conference. "It is time for a new model and a fresh way. It must be a way that provides a pathway for those who embrace a more traditional conservative approach to ministry and also provides another pathway for full inclusion of all God's children."

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Jorge Lockward, a delegate from the New York Conference who wore a rainbow stole Tuesday, said that during the special session, United Methodists were honest about their divisions. Now, he said, it's time to pray. "Stay hopeful!" Lockward told a group of university students on the sidewalk after the General Conference had adjourned. Coming into General Conference, Lockward said he hoped to see "the movement of the Spirit." That happened on Tuesday when delegates gathered in the center of the floor and bishops came down to pray with them. "I've always felt loved by the church, but always at the edge of the church, and for the first time in my life I felt that I was right at the middle of the church," he said. Despite Tuesday's results, Lockward said God was still at work in the United Methodist Church. "What I know is that the wind of the Spirit is blowing and that we need to have our weather vanes nicely oiled ... so we can follow it," he said.

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he Rev. Donna Pritchard, chair of the Western Jurisdiction leadership team, made that clear on the oor of General Conference 2019. She read a statement that the Western Jurisdiction intends to continue to be one church, fully inclusive and open to all God's children, across the theological and social spectrum. The bishops of Western Jurisdiction also made a statement and produced a video arming they are "a home for all God's people."

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Wayne Snead, superintendent for the Elizabeth River District of the United Methodist Church, was at the conference in St. Louis but couldn't vote. He said many people have "emotional feelings" about the ruling, and some don't fully understand it. "A lot of people are saying the United Methodist Church is rejecting LGBTQ persons," he said. "That is not true. Everyone is welcome in our churches and many people are involved and active in our churches already." Snead said he has been talking to local pastors so everyone has the correct information. They're still processing everything. Because the church is global, he said, its members are diverse. The goal at the general conference, he said, was to find a way to be unified. "We're called to love people because Christ called us to love people," he said. "That's the bottom line for the church."

Quoting person/ someone responding to GC, clergy/ professor/ delegate, Now what?, loving/ welcoming everyone

When the Traditional Plan passed, Keith Mcilwain, a pastor in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, said he was pleased with the outcome. "I wanted to see my preferred plan pass, just like every pastor did," he said. "But I was keenly aware that no matter which plan passed, people were going to be upset, disappointed and people were going to be in pain.""So I could not really celebrate," he said.Mcilwain supported the Traditional Plan because it most closely aligned with the church's theology and its historic stance on homosexuality -- that it is "outside the bounds of orthodox Christianity," he said.But prior to the conference Mcilwain held meetings with the members of his church to clarify the meeting's purpose and start a dialogue. He wanted them to understand that the church was not deciding whether gay people were allowed to come to church. That much was not up for debate.He explained in a letter to his congregation that "our Church is debating how to be in ministry with LGBTQ persons -- not whether we will be in ministry with them."Mcilwain's congregation has a mix of members with different political perspectives and beliefs, he said, including gay people."They are loved and they love others. We welcome them, they welcome us and we love them," he said. "They are part of our family.""Whether or not we will include them isn't an issue," he said. Rather, General Conference's purpose was to decide "to what extent would it be appropriate to include them."

Quoting person/ someone responding to GC, clergy/ professor/ delegate, Now what?, loving/ welcoming everyone

Pastor Holly Hardsaw of Speedway United Methodist Church believes some parts of the Traditional Plan are not allowed under the church's Constitution, and looks forward to more discussion about the matter. "It's just especially difficult when we know that words or actions have hurt someone because of who they are because they don't fit in the norm or the understanding of one or a group of people," she said. But she hopes down the line some people in the church will see things differently. "As light comes to people, wherever that may be, in whatever place, I'm always reminded that we are not there yet," Hardsaw said. "What shall be has not yet been revealed, but hope stands strong."

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Pastor Rachel Gilmore said The Gathering at Scott Memorial United Methodist Church in Virginia Beach has quite a few LGBTQ members. She's heartbroken at the pain it's caused both them and the church community, she said. National reports have said some parishes may break with the United Methodist organization, but Gilmore said hers has no plans to leave right now. Everything that was approved at the general conference still has to go through the Methodist Judicial Council to determine if it's constitutional. "The story is not quite finished yet," Gilmore said. "The Judicial Council will review it in April. There's a chance that aspects of this plan that have caused a lot of pain will be struck down." For now, her church has redesigned its worship for Sunday to address the impact that the conference has had on the community, she said. She noted that about two thirds of American Methodists voted for a more inclusive plan. "There are Methodists outside of the U.S. who haven't arrived where we are yet, but we're still united with them," she said.

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"The disagreement is so sharp and the visions for ministry so different that some sort of separation needs to take place for the sake of the mission," said the Rev. Bob Kaylor, lead pastor of Tri-Lakes United Methodist Church in Monument, Colorado, in an email before the meeting. Kaylor serves as a regional contact for the Wesleyan Covenant Association, a conservative organization within the denomination. Its members support the measures passed in St. Louis and are against condoning homosexuality or becoming more inclusive of LGBT people in the UMC.

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Many predicted schism. So far that hasn't happened. But conference members on the West Coast vowed not to observe the traditional plan and continue to be a sanctuary for the LGBTQ community and honor their marriages. Leaders in some jurisdictions have openly disobeyed official church teaching. Pastors such as Clem work in a different reality. "I would be brought up on charges," he said. "And I would probably lose my credentials."

Quoting person/ someone responding to GC, clergy/ professor/ delegate, Now what?, possibility of a split

In a pastoral note published on Facebook, Great Bridge United Methodist Church Pastor Tim Craig said he's received messages from parishioners that are both happy and sad. For any who were considering taking time away from the church, he issued a plea. "Please don't," he wrote. "The takeaway message from the General Council could be interpreted that the church has closed hearts, minds and doors toward homosexual persons. I will greet you with love as my heart is open as well as my mind. The doors will be open!" Underneath the letter, about a dozen congregants thanked Craig. "I feel so much better," one person wrote.

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Gail Smith, a retired staff manager who lives Monroe, said she was "very disturbed about the situation. I do not care if you are red, green, yellow, black, LGBT or white, we are all the same in God's sight and I certainly am not going to judge since I am not God." She plans to stay put and "live with the outcome," she said. "It surely will be sad to see other fellow members leave. We will just have to live with the outcome and pray for the best."

Quoting person/ someone responding to GC, general member, Now what?, loving/ welcoming everyone

Melanie Cramer, a congregant at the Ghent church, said she was saddened by the decision and heartsick, but quickly moved to anger. "This is not how we love each other," she said. Her experience with the church has been one of "openness and love for all," she said. That's why she chose it. For now, she said, she's taking time to mourn, grieve and figure out next steps. She doesn't plan to leave. "Some things are wrong and some things are right. If you don't participate in what is right and fight for it, nothing changes, so I'm staying."

Quoting person/ someone responding to GC, general member, Now what?, loving/ welcoming everyone