USA

Veteran Demonstrator Fails to Sway Methodist Vote

Have your say!
Visit our new "Forum" where you can post your comments.

You have the option of "signing up" to the forum or to post views as a "guest"

While "free speech" is encouraged, please bear in mind libel etc. Any posts deemed libellous under the laws of England and Wales will be removed. Also, offensive posts will be removed.

The Rev. Gilbert Caldwell once stood outside the Methodist General Conference in Pittsburgh as part of a peaceful demonstration.  Today, forty years later – and now retired – he was again peacefully demonstrating outside the United Methodist Church’s General Conference.

Back in 1964, the “issue” was about trying to get “inclusiveness” into church thinking. Today, it was also an “inclusive” issue – sexuality.

“The issue then was race and abolishing the racially segregated Central Jurisdiction,” he said today, standing in prayer outside the convention centre once again.

“This is part of my ministry, my calling.  The church is continuing to hurt people.”

He went on to say that he regrets that the church seems to be lagging behind society in justice issues.

“In 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated 'separate but equal,'” he said.  “Until 1968, the church remained segregated.”

Rev. Caldwell said the church today is also behind in accepting the “sacred worth” of those with different sexual orientations.

But he refused to compare the two faces of bigotry.  “It is a waste of time to say my oppression is more difficult than yours.  Comparisons are irrelevant.

“It is still human pain,” he insisted.

Rev. Caldwell was among some 200 United Methodists who braved the near-freezing temperature this morning for their peaceful demonstration.

The silent protest, supporting the full inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the United Methodist Church, was sponsored by the grassroots group Common Witness.  It is made up of people from the Methodist Federation for Social Action, Reconciling Ministries Network, the Parents Reconciling Network and Affirmation: United Methodists for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Concerns.

By the afternoon, Conference had voted by a 60-40 margin to keep in place the church’s condemnation of homosexuality – a victory for the conservatives.  Liberals had proposed adding the phrase We recognize that Christians disagree on the compatibility of homosexual practice with Christian teaching to the United Methodist Social Principles.

Following the vote, a statement was issued by Rev. Ken Rowe, the spokesperson for Affirmation, the church group addresses the concerns of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender members.

“The United Methodist Church had a moment to tell the truth that Christians are not of one mind on homosexuality,” the statement began.  “It is ironic on the day we focus on Ecumenical worship and witness to unity within diversity, that the Conference would turn around and continue the lie – that we are of one opinion and that Christian teaching on the subject is also of one mind.

“This afternoon we have the opportunity for another type of truth telling – as delegates process through a number of similar petitions as this morning.  I'm not confident of the vote on those petitions, but I am confident that our diversity of opiion will continue to be expressed, no matter what the General Conference passes.

“I'm generally optimistic about the next 4 years and the rest of General Conference, the fact that 3 out of 4 new members of the Judicial Council are moderate to progressive, means that the current conservative activist Judicial Council is not likely to continue without clear dissent.

“The issues around Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Concerns will continue as long as bishops, and pastors, and members continue to have lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered children.

“The fact is, we are here in the United Methodist Church. It's not debatable, the statement concluded.

This report was compiled from various sources, including the United Methodist News Service and Affirmation.

4 May, 2004