Commentary: General Conference shows church’s will for unity
May 21, 2004
A UMNS Commentary
By the Rev. John R. Schol*
We who call ourselves United Methodists may not be of one mind, but we are of one heart. We proved that on the last day of General Conference 2004, when a resolution calling for the denomination to stay united and work toward our common mission received overwhelming support with a vote of 869-41.
The vote came after a group within the church, concluding that the gap of opinion on the issue of homosexuality is too wide to bridge, began to voice that the United Methodist Church should amicably split. Although a fear and pain of schism gripped some delegates, our sense of and commitment to unity prevailed.
Our long-held policy forbidding the ordination of gay and lesbian persons as pastors to serve our churches is an issue that has challenged us for more than 30 years. As in prior General Conferences, it received a significant amount of our attention in Pittsburgh.
The difference was that we experienced some closer votes on the issue. This clearly demonstrates we are not, and may never be, of one mind on the issue.
From my experiences at this General Conference, I learned three things about our denomination:
1. The thread that holds us together is our commitment to Jesus Christ and his commission to make disciples. We also share a commitment to nurturing disciples in the Wesleyan tradition of practical holiness, working for justice and mercy around the globe.
2. Our unity is not uniformity. We can and will disagree about important matters, including homosexuality, but we are committed to remain united as we serve others in the name of Christ. In essence, we said our relationship with one another is more important than being right about a particular issue.
3. We will face the difficult issues with conviction instead of separation.
“Never attend a church where they expect you to swallow without chewing,” said Gestalt therapy founder Frederick “Fritz” Perls. We did some chewing during General Conference on a variety of issues, in addition to homosexuality. Some of the issues included the global AIDS epidemic, the use of television commercials to promote our churches, embracing 1 million new members from the Ivory Coast in Africa, and the rights of farm workers.
These are some of the issues United Methodism will continue to face, along with how we will live with our differences, which are at the core of our faith and understanding. In that, we are no different than the original Apostles, whose different understandings in faith and practice were not always resolved in council (see Acts 15:1-21, 21:17-26 and Galatians 2:1-10).
For some, the homosexuality debate is about bending to culture; for others, about bending to the hospitality of Jesus — two very different concerns related to the same issue. Behind both of these is the quest for godliness.
I am grateful to serve in a church that faces its storms by choosing unity of heart and purpose rather than discord of doctrine. Difference may be difficult but we’re staying at the table.
