Russell Williams
Well-Known Member
Report of the United Methodist BEWARM meeting.
Unfortunately, I have misplaced my notes of the meeting and will do as best I can from memory.
The meeting was held at a United Methodist Church south of Frederick. There were about 25 people in attendance including the minister the church. I asked the minister the usual questions about attendance, ability to attract youth, and economic situation and makeup of the church.
During the discussion about how to find churches that are welcoming to gay and lesbian couples a couple of interesting things were related. 2 of the people in attendance were a mother and her now adult son. The adult son told of going to a Methodist Ocean City ROCK convention. His youth fellowship group was seated in the balcony. At some point the speaker asked all of those who opposed homosexuality to stand. The son who was telling the story said that in the huge auditorium every person that his group could see stood except for all the members of his group. The members of his group, he was a teenager at this time, knew that he was a homosexual.
Toward the end of the meeting the people were asked to pray for a woman who was a lay speaker and a very active church leader in a church. The woman and the church were named but I do not remember the name of the church or the woman. A new minister had come into the church and took a hard line against homosexuality and anyone who advocated in favor of treating homosexuals as other Methodists are treated. As best I remember the woman, who, we were told, is a certified and trained lay speaker, was denied, by the new minister, an opportunity to speak in her own church and her minister did not assign her to any other speaking engagements. Sometimes the conference, believing in the quality of her work, would give her lay speaker tasks in other areas. I only listened to this recounting of the situation. I did not pray for the success of the minister who apparently was hoping to drive her out of the church, or for the success of the woman who was hoping to stay in her home church and, perhaps, outlast the minister.
Louise talked with people, took phone numbers, and discussed the possibility of setting up some meetings in Hagerstown.
Unfortunately, I have misplaced my notes of the meeting and will do as best I can from memory.
The meeting was held at a United Methodist Church south of Frederick. There were about 25 people in attendance including the minister the church. I asked the minister the usual questions about attendance, ability to attract youth, and economic situation and makeup of the church.
During the discussion about how to find churches that are welcoming to gay and lesbian couples a couple of interesting things were related. 2 of the people in attendance were a mother and her now adult son. The adult son told of going to a Methodist Ocean City ROCK convention. His youth fellowship group was seated in the balcony. At some point the speaker asked all of those who opposed homosexuality to stand. The son who was telling the story said that in the huge auditorium every person that his group could see stood except for all the members of his group. The members of his group, he was a teenager at this time, knew that he was a homosexual.
Toward the end of the meeting the people were asked to pray for a woman who was a lay speaker and a very active church leader in a church. The woman and the church were named but I do not remember the name of the church or the woman. A new minister had come into the church and took a hard line against homosexuality and anyone who advocated in favor of treating homosexuals as other Methodists are treated. As best I remember the woman, who, we were told, is a certified and trained lay speaker, was denied, by the new minister, an opportunity to speak in her own church and her minister did not assign her to any other speaking engagements. Sometimes the conference, believing in the quality of her work, would give her lay speaker tasks in other areas. I only listened to this recounting of the situation. I did not pray for the success of the minister who apparently was hoping to drive her out of the church, or for the success of the woman who was hoping to stay in her home church and, perhaps, outlast the minister.
Louise talked with people, took phone numbers, and discussed the possibility of setting up some meetings in Hagerstown.
