[amc] FW: support for your ministry
- From: "garland robertson" <pastor@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "Austin Mennonite Church" <amc@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 3 Mar 2006 16:13:10 -0600
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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