Church strengthens stands on inclusion, racism

Key points:

• In addition to regionalization, United Methodist voters ratified three other amendments to the denomination’s constitution.
• The amendments deal with inclusiveness in church membership, racial justice and educational requirements.
• Undergirding these amendments is the United Methodist belief that God’s love is for all people.

After nearly 40 years of effort, The United Methodist Church’s constitution now lists a person’s gender among the categories that are no bar to church membership.

That addition was among the changes United Methodist lay and clergy voters approved when they ratified all four constitutional amendment ballots before them at this year’s annual conference sessions.

These include regionalization as well as three more amendments that:

• Expand inclusiveness in church membership;
• Bolster the denomination’s stand against racism and colonialism; and
• Clarify who can vote for clergy delegates.

The Council of Bishops, meeting online, announced the voting results Nov. 5. To be ratified, each constitutional amendment first required at least a two-thirds majority vote at General Conference, which happened last year. Then, each needed to win at least 67 percent of the total votes at annual conferences around the world.

“The passage of these four ballots marks a historic moment in the life of The United Methodist Church, following decades of conflict and discernment,” said Louisiana Conference Bishop Delores J. Williamston.

“It is the sign we, as United Methodists, have long awaited — affirming that we are moving forward to love boldly, serve joyfully and lead courageously as faithful witnesses of Jesus Christ.”

She added that the amendments bring the denomination “closer to becoming a more beloved community” — one that embraces all people and stands firmly against racism in all its forms.

Inclusion in membership

For the bishop, the ratification of the amended Paragraph 4, Article IV — the inclusion amendment— is especially meaningful. She chairs the United Methodist Commission on the Status and Role of Women and serves with the denomination’s Disability Ministries Committee and Committee on Deaf and Hard of Hearing Ministries — all groups that championed the amendment.

Annual conferences voters supported the amendment by 33,895 to 2,920 —a 92% majority.

The Status and Role of Women agency, which advocates for the full inclusion of women in the church, has been pushing since 1988 to add “gender” to the qualities listed in the constitution that do not on their own exclude someone to church membership. A similar amendment moved forward by the 2016 General Conference fell short of the required two-thirds of annual conference votes.

The just-ratified amendment adds both “gender” and “ability” to the list. Specifically, the constitution now says: “All persons, without regard to race, gender, ability, color, national origin, status, or economic condition, shall be eligible to attend its worship services, participate in its programs, receive the sacraments, upon baptism be admitted as baptized members, and upon taking vows declaring the Christian faith, become professing members in any local church in the connection.”

In short, this constitutional amendment means pastors may not deny people church membership simply based on their gender or whether they have a disability.

The ratification is cause for “huge celebration” for the staff and board of the Commission on the Status and Role of Women, said the Rev. Stephanie York Arnold, the agency’s top executive.

“It is a hopeful sign that, as a denomination, we are truly striving to embody the Gospel imperative that the Divine table is open to ALL,” York Arnold said, “and that we see our call, as disciples of Christ, to be extensions of God’s grace through our inclusion and welcome of one another regardless of our differences.”

Also celebrating are members of The United Methodist Church’s Disability Ministries Committee and Committee on Deaf and Hard of Hearing Ministries.

“This amendment recognizes that disabled people belong as full members in the body of Christ,” said the Rev. Mimi Luebbers, chair of the Disability Ministries Committee. “This is in keeping with the mission of the DMC to lead the denomination in creating a culture where people with disabilities are fully included in all aspects of worship, leadership, ministry and mission through advocacy, education and empowerment.

Lisa Harvey, president of the Committee on Deaf and Hard of Hearing Ministries, shared a similar sentiment.

“This affirmation of people with disabilities reminds all of us that all of God’s children are members of the family of God,” she said. “The Article 4 ratification not only recognizes gender and ability/disability, but it also reminds us of Paul’s letter to the Corinthians that the body of Christ is made up of many members. Indeed, we are.”

For the trans community, this amendment is a much-welcomed countercultural message at a time when their rights and even lives are threatened around the world.

“This simple yet profound act names what God has already made true: that every person (female, male, nonbinary, transgender and gender-diverse) is of sacred worth and fully eligible to participate in the life and leadership of the church,” said the Rev. Joelle Henneman of the United Methodist Alliance for Transgender Inclusion.

“Ratifying this amendment is not a political statement; it is a theological one,” she added. “It affirms that God’s image is revealed in the full diversity of humanity and that our Wesleyan heritage compels us to extend open hearts, open minds and open doors to all.”

Standing against racism and colonialism

The complete revision of the constitution’s Paragraph 5, Article V also strengthens the denomination’s longtime stance for racial justice. Voters around the globe supported that amendment 33,875-2,989, a 91.9% majority.

As amended, the article now reads: “The United Methodist Church proclaims that from God’s goodness and love, God created all persons as God’s unique and beloved children. Racism opposes God’s law, goodness and love and diminishes the image of God in each person. Fueled by white privilege, white supremacy and colonialism, the sin of racism has been a destructive scourge on global society and throughout the history of The United Methodist Church. It continues to destroy our communities, harm persons, obstruct unity and undermine God’s work in this world. Racism must be eradicated. Therefore, The United Methodist Church commits to confronting and eliminating all forms of racism, racial inequity, colonialism, white privilege and white supremacy, in every facet of its life and in society at large.”

The United Methodist Commission on Religion and Race submitted the amendment.

“Article V moves beyond recognition to action," the Rev. Giovanni Arroyo, the agency’s top executive, said in a statement. "It commits the denomination to eradicate racism in all its forms, dismantle systems of privilege and oppression, and lead transformation within both the Church and society through education, advocacy, and accountability. It positions the Church to live out its mission as a diverse and inclusive body that reflects the kin-dom of God — a community where all people are valued, loved, and free to flourish.” 

Clergy-delegate elections

The amendment to Paragraph 35, Article IV aims to clarify who can elect the clergy delegates who serve at General Conference as well as the bodies that elect bishops — U.S. jurisdictional and regional conferences outside the U.S.

The amendment vote was 33,953-2,792, a 92.4% majority.

Annual conferences elect the delegates who vote at all of these gatherings. Half of those elected are lay and half clergy, with the constitution requiring lay people to elect lay delegates and clergy to elect clergy delegates.

The amendment, submitted by the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry, specifies the educational requirements for licensed local pastors to participate in clergy delegate elections.

They must be “local pastors who have completed course of study or a Master of Divinity degree from a University Senate-approved theological school or its equivalent as recognized in a central conference and have served a minimum of two consecutive years under appointment immediately preceding the election.”

Clarifying educational standards in the constitution sets a denominational standard for those who are qualified to vote for General Conference clergy member delegates, said Higher Education and Ministry staff in an FAQ about the amendment. Put another way, these requirements won’t be up for regional-conference adaptation.

“Ratifying Ballot No. 4 ensures that all voting clergy meet consistent denominational education standards, avoiding confusion and unequal application throughout the denomination," said Roland Fernandes, the top executive of Higher Education and Ministry. "Its passage is a win for transparency, equity and the integrity of our shared mission of developing transformational leaders for the ministry of the church.” 

Williamston said that through regionalization, this amendment honors the diverse cultural contexts of our worldwide church and affirms an educational process that strengthens United Methodists’ shared mission.

“We, as United Methodists,” she said, “now have a renewed opportunity to be the Church for the world and in the world — today and into the future.”

Hahn is assistant news editor for UM News. Contact her at (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org. To read more United Methodist news, subscribe to the free UM News Digest.