Statement of Support of LGBTQI+ Candidates

We stand with our LGBTQI+ colleagues as they come up for candidacy consideration in upcoming clergy sessions across the connection; many will be recommended by their Boards of Ordained Ministry for local pastors licenses, commissioning, or ordination in this Annual Conference season.  We rejoice at the prophetic stands taken by seven Annual Conferences in 2016, and rejoice at the reaffirmation of the commitment to full inclusion of LGBTQI+ persons by The Pacific Northwest and The New York Annual Conferences.

Unfortunately in many places our queer siblings are still targeted and excluded from answering their call to ordained ministry solely because of their sexual orientation and gender identity.  Please pray with us for all LGBTQI+ candidates and our clergy allies proclaiming the prophetic Gospel of Jesus Christ. If you are a voting clergy member of an Annual Conference, be ready to support LGBTQI+ persons who will appear before your session.

T.C. Morrow writes, "We can’t wait until we’ve gotten the perfect 'anything' to respond as fully as we can when Christ calls, 'Follow me.'" As members of the United Methodist Queer Caucus, we support T.C. and her clarity of call. We, too, will not wait: we've responded to Christ's call and are serving the Church that continues to do harm, trusting that justice and love will always have the final word.