My minister is the submitter of the struck down UMC One Church Plan. The winners have been brutal to him.

Dude, I hear you. Michelle has been living and breathing this stuff. I have no idea how this will fully play out for her, but to say she is disappointed in her church is an understatement.

I’m just curious- mean how? Is he getting taunted ? Bad letters? These ultra conservative anti gay folk sure seem to be bad winners.

After the vote, then the lack of consideration for the appeal (the minority report) there has been a spate of attacks on him misconstruing his words, which is effective as reports home since few people watched the proceedings.

From what I gather from people there the “traditionalists” brought in Africian delegates early, equipped them with iPads, and instructed them how to vote. This included taking off their translator ear pieces for The One Church discussions.

Where we know that this group has concerns including imprisonments for suppporting LGBTQ, the level of planing is shocking. As a church heavily involved in the well being of Africans having an orphanage, and a hospital there, it was jarring to be so sternly rebuked. Our connections are deep in west Africa, but we never considered this a political strategy, and I doubt we ever would including now.

So the situation manifests itself from taunts seemingly from another time, to fabrications intent on smearing him. His statements like, “"The (Traditional) plan is trying to force us to be a church that we are not," Berlin said. "Pew Research teaches us that younger generations will see this plan as anti-gay because they support marriage equity.” are being presented as anti-biblical.

The tweets are fairly cutting too. Honestly I am not sure he can be the face of this for long.

I should point out that this church is not lacking in LGBTQ attendees and members. So the pain of these exclusions are right amongst us with the people, families, and close friends. What is the answer to the lesbian couple to the question of what we are going to teach their kids? What will be said from the pulpit?

I’ve been perusing this book On the Historicity of Jesus about how Jesus did not, in fact and as such, exist, and I have to say I am increasingly convinced. The argument is not without holes but we’re talking balance of the evidence here.

thephan wrote:After the vote, then the lack of consideration for the appeal (the minority report) there has been a spate of attacks on him misconstruing his words, which is effective as reports home since few people watched the proceedings.

From what I gather from people there the “traditionalists” brought in Africian delegates early, equipped them with iPads, and instructed them how to vote. This included taking off their translator ear pieces for The One Church discussions.

Where we know that this group has concerns including imprisonments for suppporting LGBTQ, the level of planing is shocking. As a church heavily involved in the well being of Africans having an orphanage, and a hospital there, it was jarring to be so sternly rebuked. Our connections are deep in west Africa, but we never considered this a political strategy, and I doubt we ever would including now.

So the situation manifests itself from taunts seemingly from another time, to fabrications intent on smearing him. His statements like, “"The (Traditional) plan is trying to force us to be a church that we are not," Berlin said. "Pew Research teaches us that younger generations will see this plan as anti-gay because they support marriage equity.” are being presented as anti-biblical.

The tweets are fairly cutting too. Honestly I am not sure he can be the face of this for long.

I should point out that this church is not lacking in LGBTQ attendees and members. So the pain of these exclusions are right amongst us with the people, families, and close friends. What is the answer to the lesbian couple to the question of what we are going to teach their kids? What will be said from the pulpit?

Our church welcomes everyone and we have some fabulous gay members.

I'm not sure what the long term plan is. We even have a rainbow jawn in plain view. In the front Yard.

Like a friend once told me. The United Methodists are not United and the Free Methodists aren't free.

https://www.fwumc.org/

https://www.fwumc.org/core-beliefs

Wolfgang622 wrote:I’ve been perusing this book On the Historicity of Jesus about how Jesus did not, in fact and as such, exist, and I have to say I am increasingly convinced. The argument is not without holes but we’re talking balance of the evidence here.

99.9% of scholars disagree with you. It makes a lot more sense that he existed than he didn't. Read this: https://reasonsforjesus.com/jesus-exist ... y-existed/