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The
Rights of Women and Sexual Minorities At Issue for Southern Baptists and United
Methodists
ORLANDO, FL and CLEVELAND, OH -- The inclusion and role of
sexual minority people and women in the church are items of contention at the
gatherings of two denominations. On June 13-14, messengers (delegates) to the
Southern Baptist Convention’s annual meeting in Orlando, FL, voted on a
proposed statement of belief declaring that women should no longer be allowed to
serve as pastors and eliminating the belief in the "priesthood of all
believers" in favor or the inerrancy of the Bible. On May 11, two United
Methodist bishops were among a group of 31 people arrested in Cleveland, OH,
during a protest that temporarily halted proceedings at the General Conference
of the United Methodist Church.
The
Southern Baptist Convention, America’s largest Protestant denomination,
brought a statement to its membership for ratification, June 13 -14, that
prohibits women from serving as pastors. The statement reads: "While both
men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor is
limited to men as qualified by Scripture."
While
the statement opposes ordination of women, the 1,600 or so current Southern
Baptist clergywomen, about 100 of whom are pastors leading congregations, would
not lose their credentials. The statement is not binding on individual Southern
Baptists, and local congregations would remain free to ordain women. But the
statement represents Southern Baptist policy and affects hiring decisions by the
denomination, which has 15.9 million members in 41,000 congregations.
In
1998, the Southern Baptists declared that a wife should "submit herself
graciously to the servant leadership of her husband." That was the last
straw for about dozen congregations that quit the denomination. Approval of the
men_only clergy clause will probably drive out other congregations, said the
Rev. Daniel Vestal of Atlanta, coordinator for a group of 2,000 theologically
moderate congregations.
The
Rev. Anne Thomas Neil, 80, of Wake Forest, N.C., a foreign missionary who was
ordained March 19, said the passage of the male-only-clergy proposal would leave
the denomination "a crippled body." She said, " Women have never
had opportunity for full expression of their gifts."
Prior
to the vote, the Rev. Molly Marshall, the only clergywoman teaching at Southern
Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, KY, until her 1994 dismissal,
predicted passage. She said the proposal "signals a long, repressive
period."
The
first known Southern Baptist clergywoman was the Rev. Addie Davis, ordained in
1964. Davis was not able to find no position in the SBC and joined the American
Baptist Churches, which has ordained women since the 19th century.
Other
statements voted on include new wording against abortion, homosexuality, mercy
killing that the Bible is "totally true." The SBC also dropped the
basic Baptist belief in "the priesthood of all believers" and the
"soul's competency before God." The belief that any individual
believer can have a direct relationship with God without intervention of a
pastor or other church official has been replaced in the SBC by an emphasis of
the inerrancy of the Bible. This central tenet of fundamentalism - saying
"the Bible is the source of our authority." The statement about Jesus
was removed because it has been subject to misunderstanding," wrote Adrian
Rogers, who chaired the revisions committee.
The
action at the United Methodist convention is believed to be the first time
anyone has been arrested on the floor of the denomination’s General
Conference.
Bishops
C. Joseph Sprague of Chicago and Susan Morrison of Albany, NY, were among those
arrested. As the 27 were escorted from the Cleveland Convention Center, their
supporters _ among them General Conference delegates _ shouted
"Shame!" to the police officers for removing the demonstrators and to
the assembly for passing anti- gay legislation. The supporters joined together
singing "We Shall Overcome." Several delegates, overcome by emotion,
burst into tears, and the presiding officer called a 15_minute recess.
Those
arrested were charged with "disrupting a lawful meeting," a
misdemeanor that carries a $250 fine or 30 days in jail, said Cleveland Police
Lt. Sharon MacKay. She characterized those arrested as "very
cooperative." The protesters were demonstrating against church laws that
condemns homosexuality as "incompatible with Christian teaching," bans
ordination of gay men and lesbians and forbids pastors from conducting same-sex
unions.
The
arrests were the second of the 11_day assembly. Just a day earlier, 191 people _
including Sprague _ protested the church’s anti_gay policies by blocking a
convention center exit. Those protesters, organized by the Soulforce coalition,
were processed and released by the end of the day.
The
May 11 demonstration occurred as the General Conference voted on major
legislation concerning homosexuality. The protest was organized by AMAR, a
coalition of United Methodist groups that support full inclusion of gay men,
lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered persons.
During
the morning session, after the assembly voted 628_337 to retain the
"incompatible" language in the Book of Discipline (church laws), about
48 AMAR members interrupted the proceedings by lining the front and main aisles.
About 150 more circled the perimeter of the floor and balcony.
Jeanne
Smile, an observer, suddenly stood and shouted, teetering on the edge of the
upper balcony. "I've been gay all my life," she said weeping, her arms
out. Fearing she might fall, two other demonstrators grabbed and pulled her to
safety. Smile, who said she was not United Methodist, was later escorted from
the auditorium.
After
demonstrators refused to leave the aisles, presiding Bishop Dan Solomon of
Louisiana called a 20_minute recess. When the session resumed in the afternoon,
delegates were considering petitions concerning pastors who performed same-sex
unions. After they voted to retain the ban on pastors performing such unions, a
handful of demonstrators walked onto the stage and refused to leave. Solomon
tried to regain order, gently chastising the demonstrators for "breaking
covenant" by disrupting the conference.
After
conferring with the protesters, Solomon allowed the group to address the
assembly. AMAR member Randy Miller, of Bethany United Methodist Church in San
Francisco, took the microphone. "We are not strangers to this church,"
he said, noting that he and other gay and lesbian United Methodist had been
raised in the church, confirmed in the church and attended Sunday school. But as
they came into adulthood, they were told they were not welcome, he added.
"The
covenant is already broken; the tapestry is unwoven," Miller declared. He
and the others continued singing, joined by about 50 people in the visitors'
gallery and 20 to 30 delegates scattered throughout the assembly floor.
The
issue of homosexuality has been at the center of tortuous debate at every United
Methodist General Conference since 1972. The 2000 assembly voted to retain: the
declaration that homosexuality is "incompatible with Christian
teaching;" the ban against homosexual ordination and same-sex union
ceremonies; and the prohibition against using official church funds for any
organization or program that promotes homosexuality as acceptable.
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