Humpty Dumpty

July 3, 2019

I feel like I’ve been dropped, like an egg. Cracked open. Messy. And it isn’t just me. It is the United Methodist Church that I love. Pieces everywhere. Like Humpty Dumpty, all the king’s horses and all the king’s men will not be able to put us back together again. And I wonder what is next.

On the one hand, I am delighted that Annual Conferences across the Southeast have spoken boldly against the Traditional Plan. Forty-one of forty-two delegates from the North Carolina Conference are progressives and centrists. We have clearly voted to affirm our belief that Christ’s Table is open to all. We have maintained our conviction that our diversity makes us stronger. We are unified in our belief that the hurtful language around homosexuality in the Book of Discipline needs to be removed. I praise God for this as we now wait and see what will happen at General Conference 2020.

On the other hand, I stepped out of a session of Annual Conference for just a few minutes and saw a colleague of mine talking with two other colleagues. This particular pastor played an important role in shaping my understanding of small group ministries. Years ago he led a workshop that prompted me to visit his church and see his small groups in action. We spoke on several occasions as he shared his knowledge and ideas. His passion for Jesus Christ was evident and I learned a great deal from him. But he didn’t acknowledge me at Annual Conference. I could see the pain on his face – the voting was not going the way he wanted it to. Seeing him made my heart ache. It reminded me of the pain I felt when General Conference 2019 embraced the Traditional Plan. Broken. Cracked open. In pieces on the floor.

John Wesley stated in his General Rules, “First, do no harm.” Well, harm has been done to all. We’ve created winners and losers instead of one body. We have taken steps that will divide us. As I continue to share stories and raise questions, I wonder: How is God inviting us to reach out to those who interpret scripture differently from us? How is God calling us to move forward faithfully, as individuals and as a congregation? How is God working in us to pick up the pieces and create something new?