Meeting Recap:
This is a recap of our meeting last night. Please take time to listen to the audio file provided. What do you wonder, think or know? Please keep this information to yourself as your leadership provides these updates to our extended leadership teams and denomination.
Context: We received this information from the BIC denomination two weeks ago as we said we weren’t sure we could “sign off” on their LGBTQ2S+ position. We asked if the BIC would enter into discussion regarding this important topic.
“Our denominational position on the LGBTQ2s+ issue will most likely remain the same for the foreseeable future. Our Pastors will not be able to perform same sex marriages. Neither would we want to have openly gay people who have not committed to being celibate in key leadership roles or in any kind of official membership of the local charity. Of course - anyone is welcome to attend and we should refuse to speak condemnation to people. By the way - we would treat heterosexual people who are living together outside of marriage in the same way.
At a basic level we believe that it is the practice of homosexuality and same sex marriage and not the orientation that is the issue. So if someone said they were gay but were committed to being celibate - we would be ok with that. Unfortunately there are many in the gay community who believe that is terrible and relegates them to a loveless life. These are hard paths to walk practically I realize.
If you have people who are gay and not committed to being celibate in your leadership team right now - I would try to counsel with them and be loving but clear. When you organize as a church you will need to make a decision if you can stay with us with that position as well as other positions such as our peace teaching and position on living together without being married. Clarity is always love.” - Charlie
Listen to Wesley’s overview given at Wednesday’s meeting below
Here’s the breakdown of options:
Pause: refuse to move forward making any choice to stay or leave the BIC until we have had our own local conversation regarding our theological position. This can mean we either: do not pursue our own charitable status until we have done so, or we move forward under the BIC willing to adhere and agree to their guidelines until we decide otherwise.
Stay, remain and adhere to the BIC expectations. We can welcome everyone but set aside leadership roles to only those who are heterosexual. Benefits: I keep my ordination, pension inputs, tax benefits etc.
We leave the BIC.
Propose to the denomination an exit plan that will allow us to continue to seek our charitable status while under their umbrella. This buys us time to remain a charity with them until we become our own. Most likely this will be as an independent church for a season. During that time we will try to find a new denomination that we sense aligns with our theologies and practices as a church. There are options we can discuss at a different time.
Worst case: the denomination says no you cannot transition slowly but must leave now stripping us of our ability to receive donations, my ordination and the benefits of it. If that was to happen there are options of another church assuming us into their ministries. I have contacts with people who are willing to help us in that case.
Decision:
26 People attended the meeting and 21 people voted to leave the BIC denomination, with two votes to Pause - wait and learn. No votes to Stay. No votes for Unsure. A couple people had to leave before the vote while others (like the Wood family abstained from the vote as the lead Pastoral family).
Next Steps:
Draft a letter communicating our crew’s choice to leave the BIC including our desire for an exit plan.
Restart our charitable status and incorporation applications.
Begin further conversations about “core values/beliefs” — sink or swim — and our own theological response to the LGBTQ2S+ discussion
Welcome input and begin looking for a new denomination that reflects our community’s core beliefs.