The voting for judicial council was held this morning in Portland. This is the Supreme Court of the UMC. The good news is that the conservatives swept the election – both lay and clergy. This is significant!
Please continue to pray for the delegates and the voting process. I believe tomorrow will be an important day re: votes on sexuality issues.
I think it is unfortunate that you would praise this measure. Why do we have to subdivide ourselves into conservatives and liberals. Why can’t we just be Christians
Thank you for this update. Will continue to be in prayer for #GC2016
Thank you for this information. God is in control
Thanks, Wes, for reporting this, and for praising this measure. We’re already tragically subdivided, and it’s not the fault of the conservatives. The liberals left Wesley decades ago. If it had gone the other way, the long-range results would have been cataclysmic on the local level.
That’s great news. It seems that conservatives are finding their voice and the Spirit’s empowerment.
My wife and I were both lay speakers in umc we left over their earlier Stand on hmosexuality. I hope they open the Bible read it, and get it right thus time.
From my perspective this is sad news.
Awesome News!
Awesome News it’s time for God to take His church back. Hopefully this will be the first step for people who want follow the Bible to leave the church.
Well this is wonderful… Christians are in control of the Judicial Council! (Remember we are not CONSERVATIVE or LIBERAL… WE ARE CHRISTIANS!!!)
GOD WINS, ONE!
Many of us are praying for the UMC, not just current members and clergy. For me this isn’t about categories of “conservative” or “liberal/progressive.” It is about having a judicial council that trusts in the authority of Scripture and is willing to uphold the spirit of the Book of Discipline. In too many cases, in church and in politics, the different sides of an issue exploit the judicial process to override the legislative process. Time we get back to the judges being objective no matter what the venue.
I guess “good news” is all a matter of perspective. I truly thought the Methodist Church was better than this. I’ve been a member of the denomination for over 30 years, but this suddenly makes me question whether it’s the place for me and my family moving forward.
Well, one can see what the liberals has done to the Church in the USA, 40 years of decline and disunity over same sex marriage, ordination of GLBT’s and disobedience to Doctrine. Yes just what we need is more liberals, really!
Great News!
This is so sad and disappointing!
I thought the good news is that Jesus died for us and was raised on the third day.
Praying for everyone that God’s will will be done. Love snd peace may be the cornerstone.
Prayers are being answered! The gates of hell shall not prevail against Jesus’ Church!
Every soul is important. Jesus was questioned when he talked to the woman at the well. He accepted her and offered her “living water”. When he was questioned about what to do w/ the woman caught in adultery, he said,” Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.” He did not condemn her. If we follow the W.W. J. D. philosophy, then we should accept all people who wish to be a part of our church. Don’t we, as Methodists, have a policy of “Open minds, Open doors, Open hearts? Sometimes acceptance promotes understanding.
Praise the Lord!
This is good news. The bad news is the bitter division in the UMC. Yet it is impossible to say that “liberal” or “progressive” or “conservative” interpretations of God’s will are not relevant. Better to be hot or cold than lukewarm…and the church has to define itself other than vague theological “mush”. At present no one can even define what the denomination is or stands for…
“Open minds, open hearts, open doors” should continue to be our guide. I’ve been a Methodist for 71 years and I follow the idea that Jesus accepted ALL people. Now, why not our church leaders?
I’m late to this discussion and a complete outsider. I’m an ordained Presbyterian minister who teaches science at a Catholic high school. I found this via the FB page of a Methodist friend from seminary days.
I would like to point out something about the story of the woman at the well. So many people miss the end of the story, perhaps because it doesn’t fit their laissez faire theology about sexual ethics. His last words to her were not “neither do I condemn you.” He added further, “Go and sin no more.” That’s the piece that is always missing from liberal statements about sexual preference, orientation, practices, etc. Of course, once one gives up the notion that there might even be such as a thing as sexual sin, Jesus’ last statement to the woman becomes superfluous. But while Jesus does not condemn us for our sins, he certainly condemns our sins.
Our culture has come to equate love and sex. If you love someone, it means sex is ok, regardless of status – male, female, uncertain, married, single, whatever. And if you have sex with someone, it is ipso facto love. Our culture is wrong on both points, but the liberals have bought into the whole package.