The Human Sexuality Question in the United Methodist Church

This past Sunday, my sermon was on the current presenting issue in the United Methodist Church that may lead to schism: same-sex marriage in UMC churches and married LGBTQ clergy serving in the UMC. Currently, the Book of Discipline prevents both and all clergy covenant with the church to abide by those rules.

The scripture I used was Romans 1:16-2:1 and Mark 10:1-12. My intent for those sermons was to argue that the current issue is the same as divorce-and-remarriage was in the 1920's and 30's in the Methodist Episcopal Church (one of the former denominations that formed the UMC in 1968). I am not sure that I got that intended message across, so here goes.

First, the issue and history of divorce-and-remarriage can be read in this document: "Moral Exemplar or Ethical Professional? Clergy and Sexual Sin in Methodist Church Law" by Darryl W. Stephens.

Today, some in the UMC see same-sex-marriage and married LGBTQ clergy as a "sexual sin". Before the 1930's, divorce and remarriage was also seen as a serious sexual sin and was banned by the Book of Discipline at the time. Clergy (all men at the time) who divorced and remarried someone who was not their original spouse had give up their elder orders, their credentials. I also doubt that most clergy of the time would bless a second marriage of a congregational member who was divorced. D&R was labeled "adultery" (a sexual sin) by Jesus in Mark 10:11-12:

[Jesus] said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

In the 1930's and 40's attitudes and understandings began to change. Eventually all bans on D&R were removed from the Book of Discipline. All of us minister with people who have gone through the heartache and upheaval of divorce and we would never deny happiness and remarriage to them. We no longer consider remarriage to be the sin of adultery. We also understand the pressures of ministry and how it can tear couples apart. The UMC offers counseling to clergy who are divorcing and does not prevent clergy from continuing their ministry in the church.

So, my question is, "Why do we treat our LGBTQ brothers and sisters differently?" We should stop thinking that wanting to love and be in a covenanted married relationship with another who happens to be of the same gender a sin. We should stop thinking that LGBTQ clergy who are faithfully married cannot be in ministry in the UMC. We should stop taking Romans 1:26-27 out of the context that we are all sinners (Romans 1:18-32) caught up in the web of sin and idolatry. We should start applying Romans 2:1 to ourselves and begin to see all of humanity in the light of God's love.

 But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise. (Galatians 3:25-29)

We need to extend Paul's sentiment to all divisions within the United Methodist Church. There should no longer be "straight and gay". God willing, one day it will be. Praise be to God who was and who is and who is to come, One God. Amen.