Bishop John R. Schol has ruled that a resolution on human sexuality passed by the 2009 session of the Baltimore-Washington Conference neither “contradicts the [United Methodist Book of] Discipline [n]or establishes a new and different standard on sexuality from the Discipline.”
Bishop John R. Schol
The Baltimore-Washington resolution, which mirrors legislation rejected by the 2008 General Conference, notes that “we have been and remain divided regarding homosexual expressions of human sexuality.”
Bishop Schol’s ruling of law, however, did not directly concern the portion of the resolution that mentions homosexuality.
The Rev. Charles Harrell, pastor of Trinity UMC in Prince Frederick, Md., asked Bishop Schol to rule as to whether the resolution was appropriately couched in the context of the current Book of Discipline‘s statement about human sexuality.
Instead of quoting from the 2008 Book of Discipline, the Baltimore-Washington resolution quotes a portion of ¶161G of the 2004 Discipline, language that was replaced by action of the 2008 General Conference.
The quoted 2004 language reads:
We recognize that sexuality is God’s good gift to all persons. We believe persons may be fully human only when that gift is acknowledged and affirmed by themselves, the church, and society. We call all persons to the disciplined, responsible fulfillment of themselves, others, and society in the stewardship of this gift.
That language was altered by the 2008 General Conference to read:
We affirm that sexuality is God’s good gift to all persons. We call everyone to responsible stewardship of this sacred gift. Although all persons are sexual beings whether or not they are married, sexual relations are affirmed only within the covenant of monogamous, heterosexual marriage.
Mr. Harrell asked Bishop Schol to rule on whether the Baltimore-Washington resolution “lacks the [2008 Book of Discipline's] qualifying language [now in] ¶161F on Human Sexuality, and thereby establishes a new and different standard on sexuality from the Discipline.”
In his ruling (PDF), the bishop offered a four-point rationale for his finding that “the resolution is not out of order based on the paragraph questioned”:
1. The request for a ruling does not state specifically the clarifying language to be included and therefore it cannot be determined what other language may have been included.
2. There is nothing in this paragraph that contradicts the Discipline or establishes a new and different standard on sexuality from the Discipline or the teachings and beliefs of the Social Principles.
3. The paragraph in question is a statement of belief:
We recognize that sexuality is God’s good gift to all persons. We believe persons may be fully human only when that gift is acknowledged and affirmed by themselves, the church, and society. We call all persons to the disciplined, responsible fulfillment of themselves, others, and society in the stewardship of this gift.
An annual conference may without contradicting the Book of Discipline state what it believes.
4. The Social Principles are not church law and encourages [sic] prayerful, studied dialogue. This paragraph was a part of the prayerful studied dialogue of the Church (opening paragraph of 161G of the 2004 Book of Discipline) and the Baltimore-Washington Conference may continue to use the paragraph in question in their prayerful studied dialogue in keeping with the intent and spirit of the Social Principles.
Under standard United Methodist legal procedure, Bishop Schol’s ruling of law will be automatically appealed to the UM Judicial Council, the denomination’s supreme court. The Council is scheduled to convene for its Fall session in October.
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The human sexuality resolution was proposed by seven churches in the Baltimore-Washington Conference, three in Maryland and four in Washington, D.C.
The Maryland churches are Emmanuel UMC in Laurel, Christ UMC in Columbia, and St. John’s UMC in Baltimore. The D.C. congregations are Capitol Hill UMC, Wesley UMC, Dumbarton UMC, and Foundry UMC.
All seven congregations are associated with Baltimore-Washington Area Reconciling United Methodists, a group which “seek[s] to affirm lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and ensure the full participation of people of all sexual orientations and gender identities in the ministry and life of the United Methodist Church, particularly in the Baltimore-Washington Conference.”
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In 2008 one of the seven churches, D.C.’s Foundry UMC, began “recogniz[ing] same-sex unions in special ceremonies that fall just short of an official wedding,” according to a United Methodist News Service report.
Asked to comment on Foundry’s action, Bishop Schol issued a March 2008 statement in which he affirmed Foundry as “a congregation that enthusiastically and faithfully supports the mission and ministry of The United Methodist Church.”
[Foundry UMC] is a congregation…[with] a significant presence of gay and lesbian Christians. It is a church that is doing an unusually good job of reaching young adults with many new members who are under 35 and many families with young children.
I have recognized that they face a difficult question of how in the name of Jesus Christ to minister to all of their members given our denominational policies about homosexuality….
Here in our conference, small groups of people with differing opinions have been meeting to discuss homosexuality. I hope these conversations continue and that we can seek to know and care for each other even when our views and convictions differ….
I would like us to discuss all the controversial issues in our denomination in light of our calling to make disciples and grow Acts 2 churches.
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At a 2004 church trial, Bishop Schol testified on behalf of Beth Stroud, a pastor whose clergy credentials were subsequently withdrawn when she was convicted of violating church law relating to homosexual practice.
Beth Stroud
Ms. Stroud was charged with engaging in “practices incompatible with Christian teachings” after an April 2003 sermon in which she declared she was in a lesbian relationship.
In the late 1990s, Beth Stroud served as the associate pastor of West Chester (Pa.) UMC when John Schol was the senior pastor of that church.
On the witness stand during Ms. Stroud’s trial, Bishop Schol admitted that he was aware of her “sexual identity” when they served together at West Chester, but he said that to the best of his knowledge Ms. Stroud was not in a lesbian relationship at that time.
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Since 1972, the United Methodist Book of Discipline has characterized “the practice of homosexuality” as being “incompatible with Christian teaching.”
Since 1984, the Discipline has further stated that “[s]ince the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching, self-avowed practicing homosexuals are not to be accepted as candidates, ordained as ministers, or appointed to serve in The United Methodist Church.”
It would appear Bishop Schol’s shepherd staff is crooked indeed.
If the Book of Discipline can be so flagrantly circumvented, one wonders why we have a Discipline at all. Who minds the minders?
I am a UMC member in the Baltimore-Washington Conference, and a former member of one of the seven “reconciling” congregations listed in the article.
The true issues at hand are not “expressions” of human sexuality or even the purpose of the Book of Discipline. The underlying issues are:
• Do we believe in the authority of Scripture?
• Do we have faith in the transforming power of God through Jesus the Christ?
Without these, the Bible holds no hope for those of us who have come to feel convicted of sin.
The more I grow in faith, the more I appreciate Wesley’s General Rules and principles, as well as the bishops, pastors, and laity that are often labeled “conservative.” They deserve to be called “Methodist.”