Some of you may have heard a little bit about the upcoming United Methodist Church trial of Rev. Amy DeLong. There have been media leaks. I’d like to share some personal thoughts, because Amy is a colleague and a greatly admired friend.
I don’t want to get too inside baseball here concerning church doctrine, so I’ll boil down some of the background.
The UMC in this country is divided into Conferences, specific geographical areas under the supervision of a Bishop. Bishops are chosen from the ranks of all ordained elders and elevated into the position of supervisory authority. They are not ordained again, and their elevation is in no way sacramental. Amy and I both serve in the Wisconsin Conference of the UMC. As a matter of fact, Amy was on the committee that interviewed me when I transferred into this conference from the North Texas Conference.
Every quadrenium, all conferences send representatives to the General Conference. It is at this time that our legislative authority for polity, The Book of Discipline, may be amended, if the threshold of votes are reached. To effect change in doctrine requires a 2/3 majority on some topics, and a 3/4 majority on others. The verbiage concerning homosexuality in the church requires 2/3. Some of the clergy who were on committees that determined the exclusionary language that infest the Discipline have publicly disavowed their work on the topic, making statements to the effect that the primary, perhaps only concern, of their committee was institutional protection, with theological, pastoral and scriptural reflection kept to a minimum. The goal was to exclude homosexuals from church leadership.
This language has, more or less, succeeded for over a generation in the Church. A sort of “don’t ask-don’t tell” attitude has reigned. And homosexual clergy were and are forced to remain closeted to serve their church. This has resulted in a tremendous state of hypocrisy, as the church seeks authentic, open clergy leaders. It has had the impact of driving off both LGTB candidates for ministry and, on occasion, straight allies who feel they cannot stand with their brothers and sisters in this environment. In addition, language forbidding the blessing of same-sex marriages or civil unions has prevented all clergy from ministering to couples without prejudice, as we are required by that same Discipline to do.
There is much more detail that could be added to all of this, but I’d like to get back to Amy. Amy serves in an extension ministry at the moment as the Executive director of Kairos CoMotion, an organization dedicated to activism and education concerning full inclusivity in the United Methodist Church. She does not serve a congregation. The complaint against her was filed by a clergy colleague after a heated e-mail exchange in which Amy was upfront about her orientation. Amy is specifically being charged as follows:
Charge 1: The Respondent is charged with conducting ceremonies which celebrate homosexual unions in violation of ¶2702.1b of the Discipline.
Charge 2: The Respondent is charged with being a self-avowed practicing homosexual in violation of ¶2702.1b of the Discipline.
If the trial follows along the path the
Discipline requires, Amy will be found guilty of these charges by her own admission and from evidence presented by others. She will lose her clergy credentials. And the United Methodist Church will lose a grace filled, talented clergy woman who works tirelessly for full inclusion of ALL people into the life and ministry of the UMC.
Amy is guilty of loving her beautiful partner of fifteen years. She is guilty of ministry to a lesbian couple, blessing their loving relationship. It is the United Methodist Church, however, that stands judged through the course of this formality.
With the possible exception of the initial charge, which underlies the deep divisions that exist in our church over these issues, this process has been approached reluctantly and with great sadness. The Conference Committee on Investigation released the unprecedented statement affirming: “Rev. Amy DeLong has shown extraordinary courage to step forward and freely acknowledge her sexual orientation, and her commitment to be in ministry to all persons, regardless of their sexual orientation.” Although she does not lack allies and friends, it is her credentials and role as a minister in the church that is at stake. As allies, we have, I’m afraid come up mostly short.
A brief moment of personal privilege. When I was interviewed for membership in the Wisconsin Conference, I was transferring from a much more conservative part of the country, and I took Amy’s presence on the committee and her role in the Conference as a very hopeful sign. We talked a bit afterwards, and I mentioned that I felt I was learning how to be an ally in my role as a pastor, but didn’t know how to wear that properly. Amy urged me to never give up striving to find the way to be an effective ally and pastor to all people who call themselves Methodists. She was confident it could be done. But, when Annual Conference time rolled around, all I could do was stand silently in solidarity with her, being unable to find the words to express the immeasurable wrong I think is being done here by and to the Church. When it came down to it, I had nothing to say and nothing to offer but tears.
I am, as yet, only commissioned as an elder and not ordained in full connection. I will have to make some decisions in the next few years, concerning whether I can continue to do what I was born to do, and serve in the Church I love. So I watch the General Conference in 2012 with more than usual anxiety and trepidation. The Wisconsin Conference voted to send petitions to the General Conference changing the words of the
Book of Discipline to reflect FULL inclusion of LGTB persons, striking all exclusionary language. Perhaps this will be the year that the UMC becomes the Church God is truly calling it to be. If not, it may well be a church without me, if I can become as courageous and Spirit filled as Amy.
If you are interested in following the details of Amy’s trial, or to offer her words of support and encouragement, her website is
Love on Trial. I know there are many people here with strong feelings about religion. All I ask is that you please respect Amy where she is right now on her journey. And if you pray, please do. For Amy. For the Church. For clergy who want to do the right thing and may lack the courage to stand.