[amc] Re: FW: Letters of Support Re: Hyattsville Mennonite Church
- From: "Ray Gingerich" <RGingerich@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "garland robertson" <pastor@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "Austin Mennonite Church" <amc@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 3 Mar 2006 18:27:58 -0600
Friends,
While Nevitt suggests that Jesus didn't give any teaching on homosexuality, it
seems to me that, if we hold Jesus as our ethical teacher and model, Jesus is
still the place to start in our deciding whether to 1) support the Hyattsville
congregation (or remain silent, or support the Allegany conference), and 2) if
to support, how to support them.
And, it it seems to me that there are at least a couple of ethical questions
for us: 1) How do we stand on the issue of gay-lesbian membership in our own
congregation--is this a decided issue or not, and 2) if we feel a congregation
is being unfairly disciplined by a conference, how do we respond.
If our congregation is going to grapple with this issue, there has already been
a lot of work done. I refer you to:
http://www.welcome-committee.org/index.html
Back to Nevitt's opening comments on this, I find it interesting that some in
the church would impose discipline in ref. to a matter where Jesus' teaching
and example is unclear and yet is silent on issues where Jesus' teaching and
example is very clear. I don't really think it is a matter of what is sin or
not sin, but a matter of fear for some people.
Ray
----- Original Message -----
From: garland robertson
To: Austin Mennonite Church
Sent: Friday, March 03, 2006 4:13 PM
Subject: [amc] FW: support for your ministry
Members and Friends of Austin Mennonite Church
I am forwarding the information below from Hyattsville Mennonite Church for
your awareness.
May it go well with you. Sincerely,
Garland Robertson
...always hold firmly to the thought that each one of us can do something to
bring some portion of misery to an end
-----Original Message-----
From: Joe Roos [mailto:jroos@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Thursday, March 02, 2006 2:02 PM
To: 'garland robertson'
Cc: biedrzycki@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx; Cindy Lapp
Subject: RE: support for your ministry
Dear Garland,
Thank you so very much for your words of support. Cindy, I and the entire
congregation deeply appreciate your kindness. I know Cindy tried calling
earlier today in response to your phone call.
It has been a trying 2 ½ years of process with the conference over the issue
of our membership policy, in which we do accept into membership gay and lesbian
Christians who may be in committed relationships. 75% of conference delegates
voted last March that we are inconsistent with MC USA membership guidelines
(although those guidelines do not explicitly state anything that would make us
inconsistent) and 65% of the conference delegates voted last November that,
since we did not respond to their counsel by changing our membership policy and
removing gay and lesbian sisters and brothers from our membership rolls, we
should be removed from full conference membership and placed in a secondary
membership role that would not allow any of our members to serve in elected
conference or denominational positions.
Unfortunately, it seems matters won't end there. In late January, the
conference's leadership commission notified the four credentialed persons
(including Cindy and me) who are members of Hyattsville Mennonite Church (HMC)
that they want to talk with us about our individual support of HMC's membership
policy and determine whether we are inconsistent with our ordination vows. We
have yet to meet with them and so we don't know if they are seriously looking
at the possibility of revoking or suspending our credentials or not. Needless
to say, this is now requiring more and more time from the four of us and the
congregation.
Meanwhile, we try (fairly successfully, I think) to keep our community life
and ministries strong and growing.
Thank you for your question about ways to help. Let me suggest a couple of
ideas:
1.. Write Allegheny (as Bethel College Mennonite Church recently did) to
express your disappointment with their decision. It can only help overall that
Allegheny knows others know what it is doing and don't agree.
2.. Let others within your conference and denominational leaders know your
feelings, too.
3.. Keep the long view in mind on all of this. Change occurs through many
small steps and, occasionally, a big one. Actions like Allegheny's can, in the
long run, work opposite to their goals.
We will also let you know, as things proceed, if there is any other way
Austin can help (good website, by the way). Again, we deeply appreciate your
expression of concern and support!
Joe Roos
Pastor
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: garland robertson [mailto:pastor@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Thursday, March 02, 2006 11:46 AM
To: jroos@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Cc: biedrzycki@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: support for your ministry
Hello all. We are distressed by the disruption you have experienced in
relationship to the conference as described by MCOB. We wish to provide
support for you. Pease inform us of the details of the disciplinary action and
suggest options for our response. Thank you for your ministry to our
community. May it go well with you. Sincerely,
Garland Robertson
...always hold firmly to the thought that each one of us can do something to
bring some portion of misery to an end
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