1. United Methodist Structure
In 1968 the UMC as we know it was created when the Methodist Church and Evangelical United Brethren Church combined
Book of Discipline
Governing rules (law and doctrine) of the UMC
Covers organizational structure, finances, ordination, discipline of pastors, leaders, etc.

3. United Methodist Structure
Social Principles
Adopted in 1972 with revisions in 1976 and at each successive General Conference every 4 years after
No legal authority
Expresses political positions of the UMC

4. How Did We Get Here?
1972 General Conference adopted Social Principles added the phrase, “We do not condone the practice of homosexuality and consider it incompatible with Christian teaching,” to the phrase, “persons of homosexual orientation are persons of sacred worth.”

5. How Did We Get Here?
1980 GC added to the Social Principles, “We affirm the sanctity of the marriage covenant, which is expressed in love, mutual support, personal commitment, and shared fidelity between a man and a women.”

6. How Did We Get Here?
1984 Adopted, as a standard for ordained clergy, commitment to ‘fidelity in marriage and celibacy in singleness.”
1988 GC changed Social Principles to read, “Although we do not condone the practice of homosexuality and consider…

7. How Did We Get Here?
…this practice incompatible with Christian teaching, we affirm that God’s grace is available to all. We commit ourselves to be in ministry for and with all persons.”

8. How Did We Get Here? Continued General Conference debates
2016 GC wanted to vote to change the Book of Discipline but there was no consensus.
GC asked for bishops to lead in light of overwhelming number of proposals
Commission on a Way Forward was created

9. How Did We Get Here? Way Forward Commission included:
Bishops, pastors, laity
32 people from 9 nations
All jurisdictions
Wide spectrum of positions and theology

10. How Did We Get Here?
At the Special Called General Conference (Feb 23-26, 2019) in St. Louis, Missouri delegates will receive report of the Way Forward Commission and will act (vote).
Only delegates vote. The bishops have voice but no vote.

11. Three Options for the Future
There will be at least 3 options presented for consideration, amendments and voting
Traditional Plan
Connectional Conference Plan
One Church Plan

12. The Traditional Plan
Would reaffirm The United Methodist Church’s present standard on human sexuality and call for enhanced accountability standards for clergy, bishops, and annual conferences.

13. The Traditional Plan
United Methodist clergy would not be allowed to preside at same-sex weddings, and same-sex weddings would not be allowed on United Methodist property.

14. The Traditional Plan
Self-avowed, practicing homosexuals would not be eligible for ordination in The United Methodist Church.
Self-avowed, practicing homosexuals and performing a same-sex wedding would be a chargeable offenses.

15. The Traditional Plan
Strengthens the process to discipline or remove Bishops and pastors who “break the rules”
Have to sign an affirmation of current Discipline language
Is the only plan that provides a sanctioned means of leaving the denomination within a limited time frame
Churches and leaders who cannot abide by the existing rules have an option to leave

16. The Connectional Conference Plan
Would create three branches of the church, referred to as Connectional Conferences.
While the three branches would share responsibility and receive support from a number of general church boards and agencies…

17. The Connectional Conference Plan
…and operate under a unified Council of Bishops, each branch would have a significant degree of autonomy when it comes to sexual ethics, teachings on marriage, and ordination standards.
Translation: This essentially splits the UMC into 3 sub-groups aligned strictly around the single issue of sexual sin although they still share resources across the wider umbrella

18. The Connectional Conference Plan
Three conferences under 1 “UMC” umbrella:
Traditional Connectional Conference
Marriage shall continue to be defined as between one man and one woman, same-sex weddings cannot be performed, and those practicing homosexuality cannot be ordained, along with a covenantal commitment to a more traditional understanding of the doctrinal and moral standards of the church with enhanced accountability.

19. The Connectional Conference Plan
Unity Connectional Conference
Members are not of one mind regarding biblical interpretations related to human sexuality, in which pastors are allowed but not required to perform same-sex weddings, annual conferences are allowed but not required to ordain those practicing homosexuality, local churches are allowed but not required to receive an LGBT person as pastor, and in which no bishop, pastor, or congregation is compelled to act against conscience in these matters.

20. The Connectional Conference Plan
Progressive Connectional Conference
Same-sex weddings are performed by all clergy, all annual conferences ordain qualified LGBT persons, and all local churches welcome LGBT pastors who match the needs of the congregation and its ministry.

21. The One Church Plan
Would have the denomination recognize that marriage is between two adults, not explicitly between one man and one woman.

22. The One Church Plan
We agree that we are not of one mind regarding human sexuality. As we continue to faithfully explore issues of sexuality, we will honor the theological guidelines of Scripture, reason, tradition and experience, acknowledging that God’s revelation of truth and God’s extension of grace as expressed in Jesus Christ (John 1:14) may cause persons of good conscience to interpret and decide issues of sexuality differently. We also acknowledge that the Church is called through Christ to unity even amidst complexity. We affirm those who continue to maintain that the Scriptural witness does not condone the practice of homosexuality. We believe that their conscience should be protected in the church and throughout society under basic principles of religious liberty. We also affirm those who believe the witness of Scripture calls us to reconsider the teaching of the church with respect to monogamous homosexual relationships.

23. The One Church Plan
The plan states that we are not of one mind regarding human sexuality and affirms “those who continue to maintain that the Scriptural witness does not condone the practice of homosexuality,” as well as “those who believe the witness of Scripture calls us to reconsider the teaching of the church with respect to monogamous homosexual relationships.”
The definition of marriage is changed from “one man and one woman” to “two adults.”
The plan deletes the language, “The United Methodist Church does not condone the practice of homosexuality and considers this practice incompatible with Christian teaching.”
NOTE: the above three changes apply to the whole church and are not adaptable by the central conferences outside the United States, meaning it permanently re-defines marriage and homosexuality for the entire denomination

24. The One Church Plan
It would allow pastors to decide whether or not to preside at same-sex weddings, and it would give local churches the right to decide whether or not same-sex weddings could take place on church properties.

25. The One Church Plan
Finally, it would allow annual conferences (clergy session and Board of Ordained Ministry)to decide whether or not to ordain self-avowed, practicing homosexuals.
It removes language saying that same-sex attraction is a sin, and would allow practicing homosexuals to be ordained as ministers.
But it allows some pastors to still call it wrong, just without any authority of the UMC behind them. ???

26. The One Church Plan
Local Church laity involvement will be able to decide whether same-sex weddings can take on church property (The local church congregation has to vote to allow this)

27. The One Church Plan
Clergy will retain right to discern readiness for marriage
Translation: the local pastor decides if he will perform same-sex weddings. It is unclear how it would practically work if an “activist” pastor comes to a traditional congregation and decides he wants to push this agenda

28. What is Mt. Pleasant Doing?
Mainly we have been doing what a church should do, sharing the love of Christ with the community as the Bible calls us to.
We are taking a “wait and see” approach
Likely there will be many amendments and last minute changes to generate some compromise
Until a final plan is adopted, with or without provisions to exit the denomination, we aren’t changing anything we do.
We have a committee who for the past year has been keeping abreast of the developments and issues

29. What are Mt. Pleasant’s Beliefs?
East Africa Bishop Daniel Wandabula:
While the African bishops believe that both the Bible and the Book of Discipline say marriage is between “one man and one woman,” he wants to see unity.
“But also, we are praying for the West. What I want to see as a bishop in this denomination is unity. I see homosexuality as one of the many sins. So, I don’t separate one sin from the other. What we need to do is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. And Christ says come the way you are. And when you accept you’re a sinner, then the Holy Spirit works through you and you become a new creation; you can change,” he said.

30. Key Issues to Keep in Mind
The issue is about authority, not sexuality or discrimination
Who gets to define sin, man or God?
Is the church at large responsible to follow the Biblical examples or man’s desires
If the Bible is the source of our knowledge of God, then what does it say about God’s view of this issue
Specifically what does God call a sin and how should a church deal with organizational disruptions such as this?

31. 1 Corinthians 5
1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that even pagans do not tolerate: A man is sleeping with his father’s wife. 
2 And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have gone into mourning and have put out of your fellowship the man who has been doing this? 
3 For my part, even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. As one who is present with you in this way, I have already passed judgment in the name of our Lord Jesus on the one who has been doing this. 
4 So when you are assembled and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, 
5 hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord. 
6Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? 

32. 7 Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 
8 Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old bread leavened with malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. 
9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 
10 not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. 
11 But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people. 
12 What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 
13 God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked person from among you.”

33. 1 Corinthians 5
The issue is purity, no person openly practicing a sin should be leading a church. The entire body suffers if someone claims the name of Christ and continues to lead a life disobedient to His commands.
Adultery, Fornication, Homosexuality or any sexual sin
Thieves
Idolators (which means putting man’s desires above God’s)
We as church leaders are called to judge in these matters
If a church allows this, then the gospel is corrupted. Sin and repentance are meaningless if sin is re-defined and embraced as normal.
Regardless of the sin

34. Mt. Pleasant’s Stance
We believe the strength we have as a church comes from faithful obedience to God, as He has revealed His will through the Bible
We proclaim the grace of God to all people, without exception
We hold to the definition and view of sin as described in the Bible
We believe these matters should be handled using Scripture as a guideline
We will continue to share the grace of God, the forgiveness of sins through Jesus, to all people without exception
We will not corrupt our witness by bending to political pressures

35. What Happens Next
UMC Judicial Board meets in October to rule that the three plans meet the legal requirements of a General Conference Petition
Any revisions or changes will be sent back for amendment
St. Louis, February , 2019 will be the General Conference
A final decision may not be reached at this meeting, there are no guarantees that another delay won’t happen

36. “But Mt. Pleasant said I was OK….”
Final Thought
When someone stands in front of Jesus at the last judgement and He says “Depart from me, I never knew you” and is sent to the hell fire prepared for the devil and his angels,
Would you want the last words they say to be
“But Mt. Pleasant said I was OK….”

37. Questions?