equality in marriage kickoff

The purpose of this blog is to track the progress of my effort to recruit pastors to support same sex marrriage in the western Pennsylvania branch of The United Methodist Church.
How's that for excitement? Actually, it could affect the lives of thousands of people. I'm told there are approximately 180,000 United methodists in 860 churches stretching from Erie to West Virginia and Ohio to Johnstown.
I'm in Washington County near The Meadows Racetrack and Casino. I have 3 small congregations in 3 separate buildings, each about 15 minutes apart.
None of those churches openly support same sex marriage. Each congregation has a mix of folks ranging from conservative to more liberal in theology and politics.
So why this blog? I am collecting signatures on a statement called Equality for All in Christian Marriage.
here is the statement:

Equality for All in Christian Marriage

 Western Pennsylvania Annual Conference 2012

 We joyfully affirm that we will offer the grace of the Church’s blessing to any prepared couple desiring Christian marriage. We are convinced by the witness of others and are compelled by Spirit and conscience to act. We thank the many United Methodists who have already called for full equality and inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in the life of the Church.

 We repent that it has taken us so long to act. We realize that our church’s discriminatory policies tarnish the witness of the Church to the world, and we are complicit. We value our covenant relationships and ask everyone to hold the divided community of The United Methodist Church in prayer.
 Any United Methodist person in the Western Pennsylvania Annual Conference who conducts Christian marriages is welcomed to sign.
 I have chosen to sign the Equality for All in Christian Marriage Statement and I belong to the Western Pennsylvania Annual Conference.

So far, 4 people, including me have signed it.

Our United Methodist rules say:

paragraph 341.6 "Ceremonies that celebrate homosexual unions shall not be conducted by our ministers and shall not be conducted in our churches."
paragraph 2702.1(b) "practices declared by The United Methodist Church to be incompatible with Christian teachings, including but not limited to: being a self-avowed practicing homosexual; or conducting ceremonies which celebrate homosexual unions; or performing same-sex wedding ceremonies;" (these are chargeable offenses with a six year statute of limitations according to 2702.4)
 
I think the time has come to disobey unjust rules. We elect delegates to vote on our rules every 4 years. That convention, called the General Conference, just wrapped up in Tampa, Florida. The vote was 61% to 39% to maintain the current rules. I don't have much hope for getting enough votes to overturn this in our nextGeneral Conference to be held in Portland, Oregon in 2016.

I do believe that nonviolent direct action such as practiced by Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi, will work to bring change. The Bishops of our Church will respond if enough pastors indicate that they will no longer abide by rules that discriminate against gays and lesbians in the Church. So far, about 1200 United Methodist pastors across the US have signed statements like the one above.

If a pastor does celebrate a same sex union or marriage, whatever it's called, they are liable for a church trial and a penalty ranging from a suspension with pay to defrocking, which means our ministerial credentials are revoked and we are kicked out of the clergy.

I hope and pray that doesn't happen to anyone but I am willing to take my chances in a trial if it will help to bring equality. I am encouraged by the recent verdict in Rev. Amy DeLong's case last year in the Michigan Conference. She was suspended for 20 days and ordered to write a position paper discussing the imporatnace of the clergy covenant.

I'll close with a few quotes that inspire me:

"One has a moral duty to disobey unjust laws." Martin Luther King

"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Jesus Christ