Just hours ago, the New York Times ran the headline: Breaking News: The United Methodist Church removed its ban on gay clergy. This follows General Conference’s historic votes today that remove the restrictive language that previously barred members of the LGBTQ+ community from ordination and marriage in the church and that punished clergy for officiating same-sex marriages.

The image above shows one of the now-changed paragraphs in The United Methodist Church’s Book of Discipline. By removing restrictive and harmful language the UMC now takes the grace-filled and open-hearted stance that all belong and no one is incompatible.

Both Christ United Methodist Church and the Minnesota Conference already had declared ourselves inclusive of all persons, and today’s actions by the General Conference move the denomination into the same commitment for inclusive ministry.

This is a new day in the denomination, one that has been long worked for, hoped for, and that comes after years of heartbreak and harm for those who were left out or who saw loved ones left out. As a congregation, we share in the laboring and prayers that led to this moment. And our call now is to continue building up inclusive ministry in and through the denomination.

To paraphrase a friend and colleague, now may the words of our Book of Discipline and the meditations of all our hearts be pleasing to you, O God, our strength and our redeemer.

Be well and keep the faith,
Pastor Kirkland