Being let go - the day after the vote
A lot is said that the "real work begins on Oct. 2nd" - the day after the vote. The messages is very clear when you have conversations with leaders - we need to unify, or else. With independence, there is no higher authority to rely on.
The hard truth is that on the day after Bethanys vote we will still have our differences.
Below is a real story of someone who went thru disaffiliation, held true to their conscience through discernment, and the real persecution on the day after the vote. This was posted by a former leader of our church.
We start with a conversation - 1 year after...
How do you deal with someone who disagrees with you?
This morning, I brought into question a friend of mine who is a Global Methodist about some of the things they are posing about and inclusivity of the Global Methodist Church.
I remained with UMC and even after a year I still am connected to others in GMC. In one conversation I brought up questions about GMC:
- does the Global Methodist Church recognize that God can choose anyone to be an ordained minister of the church, if
- they earnestly repent of their sins and follow Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior?
Speaking one's conscience
For far too long I (poster) have been silent about what happened to me at the previous church I’ve served for over nine years.
As a leader, I went through discernment. I asked right at the beginning if we, the staff, were to remain silent, or if we were given the opportunity to voice our opinions about the possible disaffiliation. The pastor said in front of the entire staff and lay leaders of the church - “yes, it’s okay to say what you need to.”
- I spoke up at a church meeting that out of 31,000+ verses in the Bible the GMC chose seven to hang their new beliefs on. None of which were spoken by Christ about homosexuality or other LGBTQ+ members of the church.
- I spoke up about how the Methodist Church, five times prior, bucked the rules of the then current Book of Discipline to make reasonable changes to follow the social norms of the time.
- I spoke up that Jesus himself spent his time with the lost and the least, not just those who looked and thought like him.
- I made a post before the vote that me and my family will vote to stay UMC, but we love everyone who votes either way.
Clear picture of accountability without grace
The Monday after the vote,
I’m called into pastor's office and was let go for my beliefs.
One of the elders of the church told me that being homosexual
was the same as being a pedophile.
I wasn’t even given the dignity to say goodbye to the congregation I served for nine years. They were told I left on my own accord.
I got accused of being a part of starting the new church that is now Mosaic UMC, which at the time, I wasn’t. After I got let go, you better believe I jumped on board to start a church that reached out to those hurt by the same church I served for years. Now that church is thriving, to which I couldn’t be more proud of.
I remained silent as I watched the church I call home split at the seams at what this meant.
I remained silent for more than a year. It took that long to process the hurt.
Looking back - seeing God's Spirit at work
I hate that all this has happened. I hate the church has splintered the way it has.
I hate that we are missing key messages for NO TO DISAFFILIATION:
- I’m in no place to judge anyone for their beliefs. But don’t judge me for mine.
- God works in mysterious ways - to be patient and be open to what the Spirit is doing.
- Could God model faithfulness/fidelity through same sex couples?
- Could God work through people that look and act differently from me?
- Might God be showing us his glory through the majesty of our differences - DeColores?
Someone please, bring some enlightenment to the thought process of the only way we can solve our differences is by cutting off each other. I’m open for the conversations.
Love you all.
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