Bishops seek younger membership by 2019

By Rev. Gilbert H. Caldwell

(United Methodist News Service headline, November 5, 2009)

 At the age of 76 and as a 3rd generation Methodist/United Methodist, I like many others, am pleased that our United Methodist Bishops have expressed this commitment. My family tells me that my mind sometimes makes "peculiar" connections. When I read the story with the above title, I thought of President Ronald Reagan's often-quoted words; "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall". Reagan's comments about the Berlin Wall have been remembered as we observe the anniversary of the fall of that wall.
 
One of the ways the Bishops and all of us could reach out to younger membership is for us to begin the process now of "bringing down" words and legislation in our Book of Discipline related to our statement in the Social Principles; "The United Methodist Church does not condone the practice of homosexuality and consider this practice incompatible with Christian teaching." It is time for us to acknowledge that our words and legislation on homosexuality have been a "wall" separating "old United Methodism from what must become "new" United Methodism"
 
I have found an illustration in how we might begin to do this in what for some will be viewed as a strange place; The Missouri Synod Lutheran Church. In 1983, Missouri Synod Lutherans developed a resolution in response to the criticisms about the anti-Semitic statements in Volume 47 of Martin Luther Works - On the Jews and Their Lies.
 
They stated; "Resolved, That while, on the one hand, we are deeply indebted to Luther for his rediscovery of the Gospel, on the other hand, we deplore and disassociate ourselves from Luther's negative statements about the Jewish people, and by the same token, we deplore the use today of such sentiments to incite anti-Christian/and or anti-Lutheran sentiment;..."
 
It is difficult for us as individuals and as a denomination to admit that Biblically sanctioned words and actions of exclusion, separation and segregation of blacks and women, have now been rendered obsolete and represent superficial Biblical interpretation. General Conference legislation and Book of Discipline language, indicate we have moved from exclusion to inclusion of women and blacks. Younger United Methodists and potential United Methodists, will be watching and learning as we begin to delete words and legislation about Gay and Lesbian persons that have been demeaning and divisive stumbling blocks for so many for too many years.
 
Young people that I know and many of us who are not-so-young, have wondered why we have never consistently declared that sexism, racism, classism, militarism, etc when "practiced", are "incompatible with Christian teaching". Yet for years, we have allowed our language about the "incompatibility of homosexuality" to shape our negative and punitive legislation about LGBT persons and same gender couples. If we are serious about younger membership and much of the present less-than-young membership, we will allow the "new occasion" of the 21st century, to provide reason and rationale for "tearing down our walls."