i’m still actually working on my first ‘official’ blog posting for this site, but i did want to share something that was placed on my heart last week. at the end of my lenten journey and reflection, i awoke with a prayer to share. may it resonate with each of you as we face this upcoming conference. and may we be reminded that we are indeed a resurrected people, called into this world to share our good news and set each other free.

“o god, in jesus you revealed yourself as radically inclusive, full of love and deep intention. you showed us your very own heart and asked that we share that beating heart with others. we also learned that healing comes in sharing, in listening, and in simply being there. we are your healing vessels placed in this world to set each other free. in liberation we find deep meaning, hope, and promise. and the darkness from which we were created remains a part of us as our shadow and our teacher on this journey towards wholeness.

and god, may we continue to be brave. the road before us is sometimes treacherous. but as the prodigal child reminds us, you meet us there on that dusty road. you love us, embrace us, and welcome us home.

god, thanks for a life to be lived fully, and for continued revelation into our inner-most being.

i am humbled. i am grateful. i am yours.”

Categories: General Post
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In their new book, The Crisis of Younger Clergy, Ann Michel and Lovett H. Weems, Jr. explore a number of issues facing young adult clergy (and candidates for ordination) in the United Methodist Church. Through analysis of a quantitative survey of young adult clergy and the qualitative anecdotes of the Lewis Fellows Program participants, Michel and Weems give a comprehensive look at the obstacles that stand in the way of young adult clergy becoming competent congregational leaders- from the ordination process through the first pastoral position.

The decreasing number of young adult clergy across the United Methodist Church is alarming. But it shouldn’t come as a surprise to those of us who identify as young adults. There are few of us in the pews on Sunday morning; there aren’t many of us serving as committee chairs in our local congregations; and there are even fewer of us sitting on the floor at Annual, General, and Jurisdictional Conferences. Beyond the lack of young adult role models in the Church (both lay and clergy), young adults are often seen as a mission field in order to cultivate “young blood” (i.e. volunteers to do the grunt work for the projects deemed important by a previous generation). This does nothing to develop a life of discipleship, a life that aids in discerning and confirming a call to ministry.

Connected to this “perception problem,” is the fact that young adults, both Christian and non-Christian, see the Church as judgmental, hypocritical, and anti-homosexual. Ouch! The United Methodist Church, through policy and practice, had helped to create this perception problem. From the policies found in our Book of Discipline regarding same-sex marriage, ordination, and incompatibility to the practices of local Annual Conferences discouraging clergy candidates from being open about their opinions on sexual orientation and gender identity, it should come as no big shock that the United Methodist Church is lacking (or maybe frightening, silencing, or ignoring) young adult clergy.

As we prepare for General Conference 2008, let us remember that LGBT issues cannot be easily set aside on the first day of legislation, as suggested by Asbury Theological Seminary’s Chancellor, Maxie Dunnam. Decisions that affect gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender persons have a deeply profound affect on the life of young adults and the United Methodist Church they so desperately wish to call home.

Tags: books,call
Categories: General Conference 2008, General Post, Ordination
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I am re-joining the church this weekend. Actually I am moving my membership from the church of my childhood, Conyers First UMC (CFUMC) in Georgia to my chosen adult-church-home, Holy Covenant UMC in Chicago. CFUMC is an amazing church that had very active children, youth, family and mission programs; many preachers and youth ministers were raised and nurtured in that church. It was a loving and kind community, but for one thing. Without ever preaching about homosexuality in particular the entire community never ever accepted a single person who loved outside of the traditional values we had always upheld. And those traditional values were that men led and women listened; clearly a relationship of love which had two men or two women would not be acceptable, for one of them would be required to step outside of their GOD-GIVEN role to be in that relationship.
I am moving to a very different church, one which has a small children’s program, no youth at all, and most of the members are young people and couples. And many of those loving families are beautifully queer - two men, two women, a beautiful single mother and her adopted daughter… and many other shapes. And yet, while these two churches look very different, I am amazed at how similar they are. Folks at both churches are interested in bible studies, in making the world a better place, in hearing how they can participate in helping their neighbors.
But when we gather in Fort Worth, will the delegates from both of these places see their similarities or their differences? We are hoping that they will see their similarities, will vote to include every family in the church, and will conduct discussions honestly to acknowledge that the church is bigger than tradition, is bigger than creativity and needs to learn to include all. Not by proscribing one particular way of being, but rather by learning to make space for all the churches. The Holy Covenants and the Conyers First United Methodist Churches.
Because I am not joining the church, I am ALREADY a member of the United Methodist Church. And I will simply be moving my “letter” from one local congregation to another… but I will still be UNITED METHODIST.

Categories: General Post
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