United Methodists strike down ban on ordination of gay clergy
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“The energy that’s gone into preparing for and trying to get to this moment can now be refocused,” said Jan Lawrence, the executive director of Reconciling Ministries Network, a group that advocates for full inclusion in the church. “We have a huge opportunity in front of us.” Ms. Lawrence noted that not only were all the group’s goals for the meetings likely to be achieved, but they were doing so in at atmosphere that was notably agreeable, even joyful. Further votes affirming L.G.B.T.Q. inclusion in the church are expected before the meeting adjourns on Friday.
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At their most recent meeting in 2019, Methodists voted to tighten an existing ban on same-sex marriages and gay and lesbian clergy. Conservatives in the Episcopal Church and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, for example, have formed breakaway denominations in reaction to the acceptance of gay clergy. Catholic Church doctrine forbids same-sex relationships, but Pope Francis has alarmed some traditionalists by allowing priests to bless same-sex couples.
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After the vote, LGBTQ delegates and their allies gathered on the floor of the Charlotte Convention Center to sing, hug, cheer and shed tears. As they sang liberation songs, “Child of God” and “Draw the Circle Wide,” they were joined by Bishop Tracy S. Malone, the president of the denomination’s Council of Bishops. At Holy Comforter, we are blessed to be stewards of a legacy that we inherited from generations before us, and we have an opportunity to continue that legacy for generations to come. Even small planned gifts can make a big difference in the lives of our parishioners and community. When you recognize your blessings, gratitude naturally follows; and generosity becomes an outward expression of your gratitude. There are many ways to be generous with a gift to further the mission and ministries of Holy Comforter.
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Many conservative congregations accepted the offer, prompting an extraordinary decline for the geographically and culturally diverse denomination. The Holy Comforter Foundation is charged with granting money to further the mission and ministry of the church, outside the annual operating budget, and separate from capital campaigns. Currently the Foundation manages two funds - the Mission and Ministry Fund and the Building and Grounds Fund. Please note that when you pay by text or online, Holy Comforter pays fees that amount to roughly 3% of the amount you give. You may choose to cover those fees by adding 3% to your donation. Our goal at Holy Comforter is to make our worship simple and holy, lively and engaging.
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We would love for you to join us soon at any of our worship services. Our ministry, love, and compassion for our members, as well as our praise and worship, are sure to be a blessing to you. Many of the most frequent questions we receive center around life changes such as baptisms, weddings and funerals and how the church can be present for you during these times. To be a community of people who follow Jesus is to be a people who gather for Mass. Our corporate worship of the Risen Lord provides us strength, encouragement, instruction, and the very presence of our Lord in the Eucharist, so that we might be nourished by His grace and be strengthened for the ministry entrusted to us.
We can be hesitant to lead with or even list it as part of our being. Evangelize-All baptized persons are called to a life of witness, by word and by deed. At Saint Margaret’s, we are going to endeavor to equip our members with the tools and confidence to do just that. Serve-Jesus commands His disciples to serve the poor, most specifically widows, orphans, and the marginalized. Worship-Every disciple of Jesus should be engaged in the weekly and regular practice of corporate worship. We are a Christ-centered Episcopal church rooted in scripture, tradition and reason; respectful of and strengthened by our differences.
The diversity of St. Martin's members themselves makes this an incredibly rich community and often the main reason that people stick around. Through its almost 130 year history, St. Martin's has had only eight Rectors. The first was the Rev. John Long Jackson, who was called in 1914 and served until his election as Bishop of Louisiana in 1940. He was succeeded by the Rev. C. Alfred Cole (later Bishop of Upper South Carolina) who served Saint Martin's until 1952. The Rev. W. Moultrie Moore came to Saint Martin's in 1952 and served until 1967 when he was elected Bishop Suffragan of the Diocese of North Carolina (subsequently becoming Bishop of the Diocese of Easton in Maryland).
Shirley Berry Obituary (2020) - Charlotte, NC - Charlotte Observer - Legacy.com
Shirley Berry Obituary ( - Charlotte, NC - Charlotte Observer.
Posted: Mon, 20 Jul 2020 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Despite the denomination’s restrictions, a growing group of gay clergy had been ordained over the past decade, including two openly gay bishops. According to the Reconciling Ministries Network, there are 324 gay UMC clergy in the U.S., including candidates for ordination. The St. Margaret’s youth program had a truly fantastic calendar year full of fun programs and retreats, small group discussions, and a fair amount of silliness. Our students have taken Jesus’ call to make disciples seriously and have been inviting friends, and friends of friends, to our Sunday evening meetings. We appreciate the youth and parents who worked very hard to juggle what life throws at them while still managing to read all of Elizabeth’s weekly news and respond to texts.
We believe that this church is a special church; a church in which you will feel the presence of Jesus in a real and dynamic way. A lively, energetic, and welcoming congregation, St. Peter’s is a Eucharist-centered parish in the heart of center city or “uptown” Charlotte. We print the first names of those for whom prayers are asked in the bulletins and on the website. The denomination also will be debating policy stances regarding fossil fuels and other issues as well as voting on major budget cuts to denominational programs, reflective of losing thousands of congregations.
A rich choral music tradition, dating at least to the 1920s, involved separate choirs for boys, girls, and adults. Choirs for young people were re-established in 1992 as the Choir School at St. Peter’s, now Charlotte Choir School. The school serves nearly 100 choristers, ages 7 to 18, from across the region.
As the Episcopal branch of the Jesus Movement, and followers of Jesus’ Way, we seek to live like him. We’re serious about moving out to grow loving, liberating, life-giving relationships with God (evangelism); to grow those relationships with each other (reconciliation); and to grow those relationships with all of creation (creation care). If you missed our services in person the past week, click “Continue reading” below to watch the most recent video.
More, we invite you to explore the many ways we engage our faith through worship and music, learning, community life, outreach and social justice, and stewardship, always seeking to serve others. We are an inclusive, diverse, and encouraging community of faith, with a vision to be a place of unconditional welcome and a beacon of God’s love in the heart of Charlotte. We are committed to being a loving community of support and spiritual growth; being faithful stewards of God’s many blessings; and using God’s gifts to serve the needs of our community and world. But legislative committees last week overwhelmingly approved several proposals liberalizing the church’s stance on sexuality. They included one committee that voted 43-9 to overturn the ban on LGBTQ clergy. A proposal to overturn those bans is headed to the delegates this week, and progressives are optimistic that they have the votes to realize their long-held dream.
Lent is a season gifted to us by the Church that allows us to focus on those things that burden our souls and keep us from a full and transformed relationship with Jesus. People think I’m crazy when I say this, but Lent is my favorite season of the Church year. As we enter the summer months, remember that the church will be open for worship every Sunday.
One of the many things I am thankful for at our parish are the good people who have come before us, who have sacrificed so much and given us this beautiful setting in order that we might gather and worship the Risen Lord. Not only can this building not be hidden, but the witness that springs forth from its walls cannot be stopped as we strive together to follow Jesus and help build His Kingdom on Earth as it is in Heaven. In a world that is changing so rapidly, the way forward at Saint Margaret’s is to embrace the ancient disciplines of the church that have formed disciples for over two millennia. 30, yet what has sustained God’s people in their common life has been the proven traditions of worship, prayer, service, and the sharing of the Good News of Jesus.
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