“Injustice must
be exposed, with all the tension its exposure creates.” ~ Dr. Martin Luther
King, Jr. “Letter from Birmingham Jail”
The United Methodist
Church struggles with human sexuality. At this time, much attention
in my denomination is focused on the issues of homosexuality and
same-sex marriage. Battle lines are drawn and we grow more
contentious every day. Recently, several United Methodist pastors
have been charged with defying the Book of Discipline—the rule book
of the United Methodist Church—which explicitly forbids pastors
from performing same-sex weddings. Our dialogue and debate has become
a season of crime and punishment. The trials have begun.
In recent months we
have witnessed the trial of Rev. Frank Schaefer, whose ministry
credentials were stripped because he presided over a same-sex wedding
and has refused to promise never to do it again. In March the trial
begins for Rev. Thomas Ogletree. In my own corner of the United
Methodist Church, the Upper New York Annual Conference, we are
awaiting a trial date for Rev. Steve Heiss, who was brought up on
charges last summer.
In this midst of
this difficult issue, both sides have become more hardened, more
absolute. Pastors who are performing same-sex marriages claim that
they are being obedient to their calling to share the love of God
with all people, regardless of their sexual orientation or identity.
They see God’s activity in inclusiveness, in erasing the lines that
separate us, acknowledging that we have drawn many of those lines
ourselves.
Those who are
opposed to these marriages cry for biblical obedience and hold up our
Book of Discipline, claiming that these actions harm the covenant
that clergy enter into when they are ordained. We have obligations
not just to God, they rightly claim, but to one another. We are part
of something larger than ourselves.
Every pastor and
church member is a part of this struggle, no matter where they stand
on the issues. I personally believe that our church’s historic
stance on homosexuality is wrong and I support same-sex marriage and
the ordination of homosexuals. But I also take seriously my church’s
tradition (even when I disagree with it), the vows I made at my
ordination, and the clergy covenant of which I’m part.
What solutions may
come—from full inclusion to church schism—are not coming any time
soon. There is much hard work to be done by men and women of good
faith, clergy and laity. How can we proceed in this atmosphere of
fear and distrust? How can me move forward together?
The United Methodist
Church has historically expected its members to live by three simple
rules:
First, do no
harm. Second, do good. Third, stay in love with God.
As I go forward on
this issue I must first do no harm. It’s very telling that the rule
against harm comes first, before any other. No real, lasting good can
be done through harming another. The kingdom of God cannot be built
upon a foundation of pain.
Those who oppose
same-sex marriages, and who would see pastors who perform them
punished, argue that great harm is being done through these acts of
disobedience, harm to the Church, the world, and to our fellow clergy
with whom we covenant. Putting a stop to these marriages would bring
an end to that harm.
Yet I am not blind
to the harm that has been done—and continues to be done—by our
denomination’s traditional stance on homosexuality. Generation upon
generation have been grievously harmed by our intolerance. Our church
is paying a toll in vitality, integrity, and human lives. Simply
putting a stop to same-sex marriages does not return us to a time of
wholeness and freedom from harm. I find disingenuous those who make
such arguments.
I’ve been
grappling with this issue for a long time, seeking a way to live into
this struggle with faith and conviction. My heart—like Jesus’ own
heart—leans toward the disenfranchised and powerless. Yet, as an
ordained elder in the United Methodist Church, I take my vows, my
tradition, and my covenant with my clergy sisters and brothers
seriously.
After much prayerful
consideration, I know that path I must walk during these
difficulties. I will honor my
vows and will not perform same-sex weddings. But I will also honor my
calling
to serve all
people and until
such time as I can share God’s love in marriage as I feel
called, I will share it with none, gay or straight. Neither will I
allow weddings to be performed by others in the church where I have
been appointed to lead.
This is not fair.
This is not just. This grieves me greatly. But this is the only
principled way forward that I see as I navigate the troubled waters
of this issue. What I am doing is not a solution, but a posture I
must adopt in the midst of this struggle. I invite my fellow clergy
to join me. Whatever their beliefs on this issue, this seems to me
the only faithful way to engage one another and move forward. Let’s
stop the hurting.
Rev. Michael A.
Smith is an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church. He serves
Trinity United Methodist Church, in Whitesboro, New York.
