Resolution to be a church of Open Hearts, Open Minds and Open Doors passes after amendments
June 24, 2019
By Cathy Bruce
A resolution to be a church of Open Hearts, Open Minds and Open Doors was passed at AC 2019 after it was amended to remove language rejecting the Traditional Plan.
The Traditional Plan, which was one of the plans presented by the Commission on a Way Forward, was passed by the 2019 Special Session of General Conference and means our current Book of Discipline statements about homosexuality, same-sex marriage and the ordination of LGBTQ persons did not fundamentally change.
Due to the amendment removing the language that rejected the Traditional Plan, the original authors of the resolution, Rev. Jean Hawxhurst and Rev. George Strunk, asked that their names be removed from the resolution.
Here is the resolution as passed at the 2019 Kentucky Annual Conference:
Whereas the Kentucky Annual Conference is a diverse conference made up of United Methodist Christians who love Jesus Christ and want to reach out and serve others in his name who celebrate the diversity with which God has created us, and we also recognize there are some basic guiding principles by which we all want to minister. For example, we long to be passionate followers of Jesus Christ, committed to a Wesleyan vision of Christianity, anchored in scripture and informed by tradition, experience and reason as we live a life of personal piety and social holiness.
And, whereas in our baptismal covenants we committed to resist evil, injustice and oppression in all forms and toward all people and to build a church which affirms the participation, loves and reaches out to persons of all ages, nations, races, classes, cultures, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities.
Therefore, be it resolved that we the Kentucky Conference of the United Methodist Church affirm that all persons are persons of sacred worth, created in the image of God. All persons need the ministry of the Church in their struggle for human fulfillment, as well as the spiritual and emotional care of a fellowship that enables reconciling relationships with God, with others and with self. We affirm that Grace is available to all.
And be it resolved that we will seek to live together in Christian community, welcoming, forgiving and loving one another as Christ has loved us and accepted us.
We will implore families and churches not to reject or condemn lesbian or gay members and friends. We will seek intentional ways to welcome and include LGBTQ persons into the life of our church. We commit ourselves to be in ministry with and for all persons.
And, be it further resolved that, we will continue to live faithfully under the Book of Discipline.
The Traditional Plan, which was one of the plans presented by the Commission on a Way Forward, was passed by the 2019 Special Session of General Conference and means our current Book of Discipline statements about homosexuality, same-sex marriage and the ordination of LGBTQ persons did not fundamentally change.
Due to the amendment removing the language that rejected the Traditional Plan, the original authors of the resolution, Rev. Jean Hawxhurst and Rev. George Strunk, asked that their names be removed from the resolution.
Here is the resolution as passed at the 2019 Kentucky Annual Conference:
Whereas the Kentucky Annual Conference is a diverse conference made up of United Methodist Christians who love Jesus Christ and want to reach out and serve others in his name who celebrate the diversity with which God has created us, and we also recognize there are some basic guiding principles by which we all want to minister. For example, we long to be passionate followers of Jesus Christ, committed to a Wesleyan vision of Christianity, anchored in scripture and informed by tradition, experience and reason as we live a life of personal piety and social holiness.
And, whereas in our baptismal covenants we committed to resist evil, injustice and oppression in all forms and toward all people and to build a church which affirms the participation, loves and reaches out to persons of all ages, nations, races, classes, cultures, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities.
Therefore, be it resolved that we the Kentucky Conference of the United Methodist Church affirm that all persons are persons of sacred worth, created in the image of God. All persons need the ministry of the Church in their struggle for human fulfillment, as well as the spiritual and emotional care of a fellowship that enables reconciling relationships with God, with others and with self. We affirm that Grace is available to all.
And be it resolved that we will seek to live together in Christian community, welcoming, forgiving and loving one another as Christ has loved us and accepted us.
We will implore families and churches not to reject or condemn lesbian or gay members and friends. We will seek intentional ways to welcome and include LGBTQ persons into the life of our church. We commit ourselves to be in ministry with and for all persons.
And, be it further resolved that, we will continue to live faithfully under the Book of Discipline.