March 3, 2014

An Open Letter to the General Board of Discipleship

Though many of you from the General Board of Discipleship were not present, Love Prevails aided the Connectional Table meeting in Nashville, November 2013 in breaking its silence regarding the discriminatory anti-LGBTQ legislation of The United Methodist Church. It was a kairos moment. Here is a link to help you remember that meeting. We believe The United Methodist Church is still in the process of growth and learning. This is a sentiment you affirm on your website: Discipleship, practicing the means of grace, is how we move from the circumference of the circle closer and closer to the center. In the process, we grow in love and are drawn closer and closer to our neighbor and to God. [Opening Ourselves to Grace: The Basics of Christian Discipleship] Now a significant test comes to you. Will you initiate a self-disruption of your silence on the effects that anti-LGBTQ prohibitions have had on the work of the General Board of Discipleship. Will you talk about, research, and publicize the impact of our churchs restrictive legislation which makes honest dialogue, growth in grace and love, and true discipleship impossible? The decision-makers and members of The United Methodist Church need and deserve details regarding: What the funding ban (Book of Discipline, 161F) has done to the work of our Publishing House? How the publishing house has interpreted this to mean no resources mentioning LGBTQ matters will be published? What the effect has been on our children as our human sexuality curricula have been diminished? When and how you will educate current and potential United Methodists about the actual legislation against LGBTQ United Methodists? What it does to the soul of The United Methodist Church when the members of one group (LGBTQ United Methodists) have their discipleship categorically denied? Your silence about the effect on the whole church of intentional discrimination against LGBTQ United Methodists makes completely untrue your claim that Every product, service, and ministry of GBOD begins with the mission of equipping world-changing disciples of Jesus Christ. This is not sustainable and you must begin to evaluate how the prohibitions against LGBTQ people have hindered your work to develop disciples of Jesus Christ. As the General Board of Discipleship moves forward to consider our recommendation to identify and disclose the consequences of the anti-LGBTQ legislation on the UMCs discipleship mission, remember that no authentic conversation or research can take place without the presence of LGBTQ persons at the tables of dialogue and as an integral part of the creation and implementation of any and all investigatory efforts. Only by such practices of inclusion will we grow in love and be drawn closer and closer to one another and to God. You are the General Board of Discipleship of the whole United Methodist Church. We urge you to honestly and inclusively do the work to which you were called. We eagerly await word from you outlining your plans to self-disrupt your silence and engage the discipleship of LGBTQ United Methodists. Love Prevails, Laci Lee Adams Rev. Dr. Julie Todd Mary Anne Balmer Brenda Smith White Rev. Amy DeLong Rev. Wesley White Laura Ralston Alison Wisneski Dr. Mary Lou Taylor

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