Dear St. Matthew Church Family,
I am writing on the heels of the 2024 General Conference of the United Methodist Church that concluded May 3rd in Charlotte. I am sure we have all been working to process and understand the important topics that were addressed there. Others in leadership and I felt it important that I write a letter to our congregation to provide a summary of the events as we best understand them. I expect that the reactions among our congregation to the decisions to be varied and I strongly encourage everyone to respect any opinions and beliefs held by each other, realizing that we are a family here and family can love and still differ in opinions.
The General Conference voted to remove certain restrictive language from the Book of Discipline thus allowing space for differences of belief across the diverse global church. The decision whether to officiate same-sex marriages now rests with individual clergy and the local church. The UMC will neither forbid, nor require, same-sex marriages in its churches. As Anderson DS Steve Patterson put it, “This is the gracious response for which so many have hoped and prayed, forming an official and holy balance whereby conservative-minded UM churches and progressive-minded UM churches can all live their ministry authentically. It was also established that a church who wishes not to receive a pastor who is homosexual will not be required to do so.”
Other business occurred as well at the General Conference, such as a general apportionment percent decrease, a new regionalization plan, and a new retirement plan for clergy. If anyone has any questions about the other business conducted, just let me know.
I have talked with some of you who feel elated and others of you who feel saddened by these General Conference decisions. I understand both views. When I started having us say, “We are St. Matthew UNITED” at the end of our worship services, I truly MEANT it. I think that our church can and should be a place where ALL are welcomed – liberal and conservative, Republican and Democrat, gay and straight.
I strongly desire for St. Matthew to be a place where we can “agree to disagree” (a phrase supposedly coined by John Wesley himself) but still do it with a spirit of love for God and our neighbor as ourself. I pray that St. Matthew can continue to be a Christian community that focuses foremost on the Lordship of Jesus Christ yet still allows for differences in doctrinal understanding.
Prayerfully submitted,
Pastor Kurt
