OKC’s Mosaic UMC refuses to “squander our energy in argumentative debate over sexuality”

by Robin Dorner
Editor in Chief

A famous quote by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. states, “A time comes when silence is betrayal.”

Oklahoma City’s Mosaic UMC Church pastor Scott Spencer won’t stand in silence. He’s referring to 2020 as “a period of Holy Resistance.”

“Nothing specific has happened,” Spencer said. “This is in response to the fact that the harsher rules go into effect on January 1.” [see rules at end of story]

Those rules were decided at the United Methodist Church General Conference and refer to the implementation of the Traditional Plan of the church.

RELATED: Methodists adopt strong stance against same-sex marriage and openly LGBTQ clergy

ALSO: How the UMC decision affects future LGBTQ+ pastors

Spencer calls the plan “punitive and discriminatory” and use practices that harm LGBTQ+ people in the faith.

Today, Spencer released this from Mosaic:

Public Statement from Mosaic United Methodist Church, Oklahoma City.

“The purpose of Mosaic United Methodist Church is to welcome all to experience the radical love of God as together; we create a beautiful community of justice, compassion, and faith.

We are a widening circle of all nationalities, races, classes, ages, families, gender identities and expressions, sexual orientations, abilities, and faiths.

Therefore, the coming year of 2020 will be a period of Holy Resistance:

 - We will resist the implementation of the Traditional Plan and its punitive and discriminatory practices that harm our LGBTQ+ siblings in the faith.

- We will work diligently to mandate that all language harmful and discriminatory to our LGBTQ+ siblings be stricken from the Book of Discipline.

-  We will affirm our pastors’ discernment as they consider officiating weddings for each couple requesting one.

- We will support the use of our church building for any weddings that our pastors deem appropriately motivated by love and mutual respect.

- We will advocate for and put forward any candidates who have experienced a call to ministry.

-  We will continue to be the church we have been called to be, as we continue to create a beautiful community of justice, compassion, and faith.

If positive changes are voted into the Book of Disciplines at the 2020 General Conference providing an affirming place for every United Methodist representing every sexual orientation and gender identity, we will gladly affirm such a change. If no positive changes are voted in at the 2020 General Conference, we will exit the United Methodist Church.

If there are any rules of human institution by which we will bind ourselves, they are John Wesley’s Three General Rules: do no harm, do good, and stay in love with God.

We, the members of Mosaic United Methodist Church, actively refuse to continue to squander our energy in argumentative debate over sexuality, or over who God has created very good. We refuse to be bound by the codified harm found in the Book of Discipline. We will lavish God’s love and grace on others, as Jesus commanded us to do. For, in the words of Dorothee Benz:

‘What if everyone stopped paying attention to institutional borders and orders and just followed Jesus to wherever he called them to break down walls and lift up people?’

Adopted November 17, 2019.”

RELATED: OKC Methodist Pastor says he will treat all people equal; including wedding requests

The next deciding event for the United Methodist Church will be General Conference in May, 2020 in Minneapolis.

Copyright The Gayly. 11/17/2019 @4:41 p.m. CST.