Reconciling Ministries Network
Reconciling Ministries Network mobilizes United Methodists of all sexual orientations and gender identities to transform our Church and world into the full expression of Christ’s inclusive love.
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Reconciling Ministries Network

Reconciling Ministries Network Autumn 2009 Katalyst. It is in the mail, but here is a sneak peek.

Source: www.scribd.com
This is the Autumn 2009 Katalyst for Reconciling Ministries Network
Reconciling Ministries Network

Reconciling Ministries Network Reconciling Ministries Network remembers Transgender Day of Remembrance.

Source: archive.constantcontact.com
Reconciling Ministries Network

Reconciling Ministries Network
Before the United Methodist Church’s [UMC] general convention, the IRD and the Confessing Movement in the UMC went to Africa for what they called training Africans about the general convention; they gave them materials about the church in America, and how bad it has become. Those materials also told them that when you ...come to America, you need to vote for A, B, C, and D. And when the conference came, the Africans found that they had been given these lovely cell phones, and there was no charge, and the reason why was because they wanted them to vote a certain way. The Africans have become a powerhouse to change the direction of the American churches. They have to depend on Africa to bring change at home.Read More

Source: www.religiondispatches.org
A Ugandan MP has proposed creating an offence of “aggravated homosexuality” to be punishable by death.—BBC News, 15 October
Kerm
Kerm
Better yet, show them what hateful people the IRD (which is not a UM group) and Bad News are really.
Yesterday at 7:08am
Peter L. DeGroote
Peter L. DeGroote
It is clear evidence that the claims of those religious leaders that their rhetoric does not produce movements of hatred and violence are false. They are also evidence that the UM church has failed to spread the gospel of love in these countries but have taught them to make enemies--contrary to Jesus' teachings. Now tell me: Why should we continue to financially support this nonsense?
Yesterday at 5:21pm
Reconciling Ministries Network

Reconciling Ministries Network Self-appointed “messengers” of God recently tried to get arrested by demonstrating in front of the Justice Department in Washington. Their goal was to use their arrest to challenge the protection of glbt from hate crimes by way of the 2nd Amendment guarantee of free speech.

Source: www.rmnblog.org
Self-appointed “messengers” of God recently tried to get arrested by demonstrating in front of the Justice Department in Washington. Their goal was to use their arrest to challenge the protection of glbt from hate crimes by way of the 2nd Amendment guarantee of free speech.
Dan Sullivan
Dan Sullivan
Well Sharon, I think that the article has made the point clear. To run afoul of the law they have to break the law first. They need to commit an act of violence. Demonstrating is not a violent act, in and of iteself. They brought condemnation on thier own heads.
Thu at 2:42am
Reconciling Ministries Network

Reconciling Ministries Network Young people that I know and many of us who are not-so-young, have wondered why we have never consistently declared that sexism, racism, classism, militarism, etc when "practiced", are "incompatible with Christian teaching".

Source: www.rmnblog.org
By Rev. Gilbert H. Caldwell (United Methodist News Service headline, November 5, 2009) At the age of 76 and as a 3rd generation Methodist/United Methodist, I like many others, am pleased that our United Methodist Bishops have expressed this commitment....
Craig Hall
Craig Hall
Jesus accepts everyone on the basis of who he/she is. No strings, no expectations. Rather than trying to "transform" others, how about we just concentrate on just BEING- INCARNATING the one that we claim to serve.
November 17 at 6:33am
Andrew Michael Jameson
November 18 at 4:56pm
Reconciling Ministries Network

Reconciling Ministries Network
"Ancient Laws and Contemporary Controversies: The Need for Inclusive Biblical Interpretation," a book by Cheryl B. Anderson, associate professor of Old Testament at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois, was recently released...According to Anderson, inclusive biblical viewpoints are consistent... with Christian tradition. She bases her conclusions on the Bible (Old and New Testaments) and Protestant reformers (Martin Luther, John Calvin and John Wesley), and parallels them with the U.S. Constitution.Read More

Source: 7thspace.com
New Book Explores Relationship Between Ancient Biblical Laws and Contemporary Controversies in Churches - up-to-the-minute news and headlines. 7thSpace is a online portal covering topics such as Family, Business, Entertainment, Headlines, Recipes and more. ...
Reconciling Ministries Network

Reconciling Ministries Network The public crusade currently most analogous to the Civil Rights struggle of the Sixties is probably promulgated by homosexual Americans. Joseph Lowery has recognized a kinship, stating earlier this year, “I support civil rights for all citizens and this includes gay and lesbian citizens. I support civil unions and full benefits (visitation, insurance, etc.) for partners in same-sex relationships.”

Source: www.bhamweekly.com
The Reverend Doctor Joe Lowery will be receiving an award Friday night. This is not an unusual occurrence. The venerable Civil Rights activist is lauded for his contributions to society on a fairly regular ...
Reconciling Ministries Network

Reconciling Ministries Network
The stage began to be set when members of Open Table voted unanimously in January to have their church join the Reconciling Ministries network, a national organization working for full participation of people of “all sexual orientations and gender identities” in the life of the church, and for removal from the United M...ethodist Book of Discipline a rule declaring homosexual practice to be “incompatible” with Christian teaching.Read More

Source: www.projo.com
PROVIDENCE –– It initially seemed to be a perfect fit. They were, after all, two United Methodist congregations dedicated to sharing the Gospel and working for social justice, so sharing the same church building seemed to make sense.
Alan Jay Richard
Alan Jay Richard
It's difficult for me to avoid some grief over the fact that the separation took place along ethnic and socioeconomic lines as well as along ideological lines. We can continue to ignore the continuing appeal of fundamentalism to the disadvantaged - we have done so for at least half a century, as the sociological data have pointed clearly in that ... Read Moredirection for almost that long - but we do so at our peril, and theirs.

I do not enjoy seeing the separation between reconcilers and non-reconcilers follow these obvious cultural and socioeconomic lines. When it does, I suspect something much broader and deeper than homophobia is at work. That's what saddens me, along with our failure to recognize it for what it is. Fundamentalism seems to offer marginalized and uprooted people something compelling that most versions of progressive Christianity do not. I am not optimistic about the future of Enlightenment thought given its recent past, and unless we can offer people something more compelling as an alternative to fundamentalisms than we've been offering, I expect to see fundamentalisms become more and more powerful both in the UMC and in the larger global political arena.

This would be bad news for reconciling UMs, but also for a lot of other people.
November 12 at 8:55am
Kerm
Kerm
No, it is sad and unfortunate. One side is asked to work with the other and does so willingly. The other will not. A more correct response from the DS would be that there had been no violation of the Discipline and to correct their misinterpretation. That is the reason these people are paid the big bucks.
November 14 at 8:22pm
Reconciling Ministries Network

Reconciling Ministries Network
Perhaps the Rev. Gilbert H. Caldwell picked up his unflinching boldness in his pursuit of justice from all those years he spent on the civil rights trail with the man he calls Martin King. But as a new member of PFLAG's national board, the well-respected, heterosexual, African-American, Methodist minister is exactly wh...at the gay rights movement needs today, says John Cepek, the suburban Cook County man who is national president of Parents, Family and Friends of Lesbians and Gays.Read More

Source: www.dailyherald.com
daily herald is suburban chicago's largest daily newspaper. the daily herald provides a local perspective with local content such as the northwest suburbs most comprehensive news on the web. your source for updated news from local to national.
Reconciling Ministries Network

Reconciling Ministries Network Impartial, compassionate God of all lives, In Christ you have shown us your love actualized, Incarnate and weak in the arms of the poor, Destroying all systems that keep closed the door.

Source: www.rmnblog.org
Adrienne Trevathan Tune: St. Denio (same as "Immortal, Invisible God Only Wise") Impartial, compassionate God of all lives, In Christ you have shown us your love actualized, Incarnate and weak in the arms of the poor, Destroying all systems that...
Reconciling Ministries Network

Reconciling Ministries Network
A Cos Cob congregation is joining a national movement to challenge the United Methodist Church's position against same-sex marriage and barring gays and lesbians from becoming ordained ministers. The Diamond Hill United Methodist Church on East Putnam Avenue has publicly declared that it is against policies that discri...minate against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, said Senior Pastor Vicki Flippin. It also plans to team with the national Reconciling Ministries Network, a 25-year-old organization seeking to bring about change in the national church.Read More

Source: www.greenwichtime.com
Greenwich congregation takes stand against Methodist Church policies on homosexuality
Vicki Flippin
Vicki Flippin
Today, the Greenwich Time printed an editorial praising our stance! http://www.greenwichtime.com/editorial/ci_13731398
November 8 at 1:52pm
Reconciling Ministries Network

Reconciling Ministries Network Several staff and members from Norman's St. Stephen's United Methodist Church attended the recent Reconciling Ministries Network Convocation in Estes Park, Colo.

Source: www.normantranscript.com
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Joy T Watts
Joy T Watts
Great article!
November 6 at 10:05pm
Karl E. Cocke
Karl E. Cocke
I missed this earlier. Nice article. Enjoyed my time with the good people of St. Stephen's at the Estes Park meeting.
November 12 at 6:25pm
Reconciling Ministries Network

Reconciling Ministries Network This is a part of a conversation I have been having with friend who happens to believe that homosexuality is against God's will. After I wrote it to him I felt like it was something worth sharing with other cause I realized I had just poured my heart out to him. I would also like to note that out of respect for him these are only my words and nothing he has said.

Source: www.rmnblog.org
By Joey Heath This is a part of a conversation I have been having with friend who happens to believe that homosexuality is against God's will. After I wrote it to him I felt like it was something worth sharing...
Kathy
Kathy
Well said, Joey. God created you as you are. So follow that call to minister to others. Thanks for sharing your writings with the rest of us.
November 6 at 11:26am
Heidi Tierney
Heidi Tierney
Joey, I know exactly how you feel and I am glad you were able to share this with your friend. I am 40(something) - lol - and I had to learn how to be heterosexual in my teens, not something that came naturally for me - but many of us have had too. I also denied any relationship with God because I knew God knew what I was feeling - and everyone told me God was not excepting of this, so in order for me to be accepted I had to pretend to be like them.

This just makes me incredibly sad to think about this and know that there are many young people who are still doing this.

I have a friend, pastor, who taught me it is ok to have a relationship with God and be me. At the time she did not know who I really was, but all the same her care for me made sense and showed me that God loves me, i just had to learn to love God, myself and then be able to love others. FREEDOM !!! I still write this with tears in my eyes, looking back on the prison I had to live in and the joy I know now. ... Read More

Well, it has been a while now (or maybe not that long, it just seems like it)- I am divorced (and my ex-husband is now being loved for who he is, not loved out of some need to fit in and be accepted - can u tell, no guilt there...LOL... but I take solace in the fact that I was finally able to do the right thing, not always the easy way, but the right thing), I have two teenagers who are my pride and joy, I have a faithful, loving partner and I am finishing up my M.Div. I am going to be ready when the UMC will recognize me and look me in the eyes to tell me that I am compatible with Christian teaching and will be ordained. In the meantime I will continue to have conversations with people in our church to change their hearts and teach them a new, more loving Christianity. I will continue to hold our church accountable to loving everyone as Children of God. Loving others in their reality, not making them conform to who it is the institution believes they should be and then love them.

Some of the conversations I have been involved in most recently (this past week) has been on the UMNS facebook page. Check it out if you want - join in and help change peoples hearts, so that we can change their minds and the BOD. I think this is a good forum for conversation, in that there are many who are reading those threads of conversation who may not ordinarily expose themselves or have exposure to such conversations or come on to RMN and read our posts here. In that forum we are not only changing hearts but we are also letting people who are still afraid to come out that there are those willing to speak and working towards full acceptance.

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart bring honor and glory to God.

Peace to you and thank you for being so strong and brave !
November 7 at 7:03am
Reconciling Ministries Network

Reconciling Ministries Network The Vote by a Majority of the Voters in Maine to prohibit Same Gender Marriage when "connected" to the 30 other states that have done something comparable, now means that 31 states have aligned themselves with the hetereosexist legislation of the United Methodist Church re; homosexuality and same gender couples.

Source: www.rmnblog.org
By Rev. Gilbert H. Caldwell The Vote by a Majority of the Voters in Maine to prohibit Same Gender Marriage when "connected" to the 30 other states that have done something comparable, now means that 31 states have aligned themselves...
Mike Blevins
Mike Blevins
Thanks Gilbert--excellent essay.
November 5 at 7:18am
Leigh Dry
Leigh Dry
Love Gil Caldwell.
November 5 at 8:37am
Reconciling Ministries Network

Reconciling Ministries Network
The Rev. Troy Plummer, executive director of the Reconciling Ministries Network, a movement supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender United Methodists, believes church members are simply lagging a bit behind their Protestant counterparts. “The United Methodist Church in the United States clearly follows the tr...ajectory towards inclusiveness mirrored by our North American sister denominations—the UCC, Episcopalian, Lutheran and Presbyterian churches,” Plummer said. “Our timing may differ, but God’s dance with us will be the same.” The next generation is “already there,” he added, pointing to the majority votes approving inclusive membership and gay and lesbian clergy by the United Methodist Student Forum and Global Young People’s convocation in Johannesburg, South Africa.Read More

Alan Jay Richard
Alan Jay Richard
Troy is right. If one's issues with the denomination stopped with sexual orientation inclusiveness, it's worth it to soldier on with the denomination. Unfortunately, for some of us, the entire controversy over sexual orientation - like the earlier ones over race and gender - merely distract from the real issues, which are much, much larger.
November 5 at 5:27am