It is always a joy to serve as lay member of the California-Pacific Annual Conference, especially when I can participate for full inclusion of Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transgendered persons. At this year's annual conference, we had the responsbility to ratify amendment-one from the 2008 General Conference of the United Methodist Church.
Amendment-one speaks to all members in the United Methodist church; not just certain classes of people. The general conference proposed that the language in the discipline be changed to read "All Means All". At this year's annual conference, there was time set aside in the Wesley Circles for the purpose of discussing this.
Terry Givens and I attended the Reconciling Ministries Network training in Nashville, October 2008. CUMC hosted a regional training session March, 2009 equipping 50 volunteers to serve as witnesses prior to and during annual conference. MFSA and California-Pacific Reconciling Ministries held strategy sessions prior to the vote on Friday afternoon at annual conference. Flyers were passed out to clergy and laity. As a result of many hours of many people, our annual conference passed the amendment-one 561 - 128 or 81%! Unfortunately, the total votes of all annual conferences across all jurisdictions must pass by 2/3. Per the last tally, it was loosing at 50% although not all of the annual conferences have reported their results. Our denomination has much work building good relationships with each other one person at a time.
Please continue your prayers for a full-inclusive church.
Howie Yeager
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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