tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37589721331585843.post3955865426584128596..comments2024-03-26T11:33:59.219-06:00Comments on Religion in American History: "Open Hearts. Open Minds. Open Doors.": The Discipline, Gay Rights, and Methodist HistoryPaul Harveyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13881964303772343114noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37589721331585843.post-83976665174331908772014-01-19T14:51:45.929-07:002014-01-19T14:51:45.929-07:00LATE ADD:
Dan Gangler, spokesman for the UMC Ind...LATE ADD: <br /><br /><i>Dan Gangler, spokesman for the UMC Indiana Conference, told The Christian Post that First United Methodist Church of Alexandria had other reasons for not re-hiring Adam Fraley.<br /><br />"The position was not open. Mr. Fraley had resigned earlier in the year and the pastor did not think it wise to re-hire him since he already have once resigned from the position," said Gangler. "This was a personnel decision. The position was the church's position in the first place. The church has the option to fill or not fill a particular position."<br /><br />First UMC also reportedly suffered a steep decline in its worship attendance, with several online news sources claiming that as many as 80 percent of the congregation had opted to worship elsewhere.<br /><br /><br />News of the large exodus from First UMC made the rounds at various LGBT websites, including Towleroad, The Advocate, and the "Gay Voices" section of The Huffington Post.<br /><br />"The laws for the United Methodist Church say that gay men and women are welcomed and are allowed to be members of the church; however, they are forbidden from having any sort of leadership position," wrote Christian Walters of Towleroad. "This was the rationale used when the United Methodist Church in Alexandria, Indiana chose to not re-hire choral director Adam Fraley, who was driven from his position by a new minister after six years of service to the church."<br /><br />Gangler told CP that the 80 percent number was "not true", noting that church records indicated that the small congregation continued to have normal levels of attendance for worship.<br /><br />"The Rev. Michelle Cobb, who is the North Central District Superintendent who oversees the churches in this region of Indiana, reported to me that attendance has been maintained at an average level of around 35 worshippers per Sunday," said Gangler.</i><br /><br /><br /><br />more: http://www.christianpost.com/news/united-methodist-official-denies-that-ind-church-fired-gay-choir-director-over-sexual-orientation-112796/Tom Van Dykehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07121072404143877596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37589721331585843.post-42838566175112520662014-01-17T22:32:34.071-07:002014-01-17T22:32:34.071-07:00Interesting. For accuracy's sake: a gay websi...Interesting. For accuracy's sake: a gay website notes<br /><br /><i>Methodist doctrine does allow for the LGBT community to attend services, but prohibits openly-gay people from "serving" the church.</i><br /><br />There is the dimension that "choir director" is indeed a church post, and putting an obviously coupled-up LBGT person* in that post could be fairly read as approval, not simply "inclusion"/tolerance per the church's “Open Hearts. Open Minds. Open Doors” motto.<br /><br />BTW, even if its rhetoric is not, the precision of the article is praiseworthy<br /><br />http://instinctmagazine.com/post/indiana-church-loses-80-percent-congregation-after-pastor-gets-rid-choir-director-being-gay<br /><br /><br /><i> Former Lay Leader David Steele has come forward to claim that 80 percent of parishioners have left the church due to Mantor's homophobia. </i><br /><br />IOW, the 80% figure may not be the exact truth, for further reference. It may be an accurate figure, but at the moment it's a "claim" by an interested party.<br /><br />As for how "malleable" Methodist discipline is, it's an interesting question. However, for clarity's sake, that "choir director" is a position of "service" in the church is at least arguable. How "malleable" Methodist "canon law" is by the <i>local congregations</i> is also of interest. <br /><br />[As we know, LGBT issues have been the source of schism and litigation throughout the Protestant mainline, where local congregations--pro or con] ask, whose church is it anyway?]<br /><br />http://www.wsls.com/story/20830404/virginia-churches-win-lawsuit-to-split-from-episcopal-church-over-gay-issue<br />________<br />*ibid.: "'Raw Story' reports:<br /><br />Fraley, who took the job at the behest of David’s wife, Nancy Steele, six years ago, said he was not openly gay while working at the church. But his partner attended services with him and the Steele family said it was “obvious” Fraley was gay."Tom Van Dykehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07121072404143877596noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37589721331585843.post-72885798616954941232014-01-16T13:25:16.439-07:002014-01-16T13:25:16.439-07:00The Bible has considered homosexuality sin for hun...The Bible has considered homosexuality sin for hundreds of year. That sin like all sin need to be repented of just as any other sin. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37589721331585843.post-74755319355221478672014-01-16T11:57:04.349-07:002014-01-16T11:57:04.349-07:00Came to add my affirmation that discipline was ind...Came to add my affirmation that discipline was indeed malleable in the 19th century and change could come from lay popular opinion or clerical mandate (or both) The disciplinary transformations I studied regarded alcohol manufacture and consumption, and the Christian responsibility of church members to their enslaved people in 1840s and 1850s North Carolina. <br />cghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16752296141303148989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37589721331585843.post-61178531996812261672014-01-16T11:28:19.324-07:002014-01-16T11:28:19.324-07:00I've spent most of this morning going over Met...I've spent most of this morning going over Methodist debates on slavery and related changes in the Discipline in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, so this is a timely post. Thanks, Charity.Christopherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13838699621239633661noreply@blogger.com