Dear Mt. Pisgah family,
This week I found myself struggling to find the right words. I have wrestled with how to express my thoughts regarding the actions taken by the Western Jurisdiction. I have sought counsel from wise and informed colleagues and have prayed that my words may inform and bring clarity to this situation.

Every four years, regional bodies of representative elected clergy and laity gather in what is called Jurisdictional Conferences. The primary purpose of the Jurisdictional Conferences is for the election and assignment of Bishops in that region. A bishop is the highest supervisory leadership position in the UMC. We are a part of the Virginia Conference which is a part of the Southeast Jurisdiction of The United Methodist Church. I just returned from Lake Junaluska, N.C. where five new Bishops were elected for our region. Similar conferences were held at the same time in the Northeast, North Central, South Central and Western Jurisdictions. A total of 16 new Bishops have been elected and consecrated this week.

Last week, the Western Jurisdiction of The United Methodist Church elected an openly gay pastor to become a Bishop. The individual elected is a self-avowed lesbian in a committed relationship with another woman in the San Francisco area. As news of this event begins to get broader coverage, I thought it would be helpful for me to share a few thoughts.

First, let me provide some context. The United Methodist Church has an official stance on the issue of homosexuality. Our book of doctrine and polity, The United Methodist Book of Discipline, affirms the denomination’s convictions that those who identify as homosexuals are loved by God and that the church should offer grace and ministry to those individuals. At the same time, the Book of Discipline declares and affirms the traditional orthodox view that homosexual practice is incompatible with Christian teaching. As a consequence of this stance, our denomination has sought to accept people where they are in life without necessarily approving of their behaviors. 

In practical terms this has meant that people who identify as homosexual are welcome in United Methodist churches, but self-avowed, practicing homosexuals are not permitted to become United Methodist Pastors. Additionally, United Methodist Pastors are not permitted to perform same-sex wedding ceremonies and same-sex wedding ceremonies are not permitted on property owned by The United Methodist Church. Furthermore, United Methodist funds are not to be used to support LGBTQ advocacy organizations.

The distinction between accepting someone as a person loved by God and not approving of that person’s choices or behaviors is a somewhat nuanced one, and it has become increasingly difficult to maintain that stance during the significant cultural shift that has occurred in America regarding sexual identity and sexual practices.  Those who hold to a more progressive view argue that The United Methodist Church should remove the statement from our Book of Discipline that declares homosexual practice as incompatible with Christian teaching, and allow openly gay persons to be ordained as Pastors and elected as Bishops. Some have concluded that the condemnation of homosexuality found in the Bible is more a reflection of ancient Middle Eastern cultural norms than God’s final will. In spite of these arguments, attempts to move the UMC toward a more progressive stance have repeatedly failed.

Unable to change Church law on this issue, some individual UM churches, Annual Conferences, Jurisdictions and Pastors have decided to violate Church law. This is what has happened in the Western Jurisdiction.

So where do we go from here?  My best guess is there will be a significant attempt to remove this newly elected Bishop from her office and reverse the decision of the Western Jurisdiction. Those efforts will most likely be met with strong opposition from the progressive side.

There is a possibility that The United Methodist Church could split over this issue. In the Church-world, this is called a “schism” which means that different denominations could be formed out of the current UMC. This would take some time (probably a couple of years), and requires thoughtful leadership at all levels of the church.  As you might imagine, church splits are often contentious and ugly affairs, where some people end up behaving in ways that are quite un-Christian (lots of name-calling and harsh attitudes). When this happens in a local congregation, it’s local news.  When this happens in a worldwide denomination with over 12 million members, it becomes big news.

I hope and pray we will find a way to avoid a schism and create a solution where we remain connected as The United Methodist Church.  However, given the nature of this issue, the strong convictions on both sides and the open defiance being demonstrated by the Western Jurisdiction, we are entering uncharted waters as a church.

What does that mean for Mt. Pisgah United Methodist Church? It is important that we respond but not react. We are people of a covenant that we make together and seek to live out together. My personal view is that we should continue to pray for God’s will as we wait to see what happens with the larger denomination in the next few months. We should also continue to work hard to be a place where Jesus Christ changes lives as we seek to Celebrate LIFE. Our focus will be on Jesus as Savior and Lord, who calls us to new life in His name. We will continue to lift up the cross, to preach and teach the Bible as God’s truth. We will continue to call people to be faithful disciples who are empowered by the Holy Spirit. We will continue to be in ministry with the least, the last and the lost.  We will continue to be a blessing to others, and we will continue to support and affirm the United Methodist Book of Discipline.

For Mt. Pisgah, nothing really has changed at all. We remain in the stream of traditional faith and practice that is molded by a biblical worldview and a Wesleyan understanding.  It's my intention to continue to preach and teach the Bible as God’s inspired and authoritative Word, while recognizing that people interpret and apply certain passages differently. And while there may be disagreements, I believe it is important that we seek to model grace and love towards one another.

In times like this, it is helpful to know what is within our control and what is beyond our control.  We can’t control what happens in some regions of our denomination, but we can control where we focus our efforts and energies as a local congregation. My personal hope and prayer is that the possibility of a schism will not distract us from the good work the Lord has called Mt. Pisgah to do in our community and around the world. Let us continue to move forward in the work that God has called us to do. 

I hope that you will join us in this important work as we seek to Celebrate LIFE.

--Pastor Bob 

See you in church!

Pastor Bob