United Methodist bishops have been either almost universally silent or actively opposing the official United Methodist stance affirming laws in civil society defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman. But in reaction to a liberal federal judge’s attempt to overthrow Oklahoma’s marriage law, Oklahoma United Methodist Bishop Robert Hayes joined Catholic and Baptist leaders in decrying the ruling.
“As a leader in the religious community, I’m obligated — I’m mandated — to uphold what the Scriptures say,” Hayes told The Oklahoman.
“The Church finds itself in a precarious position. We are taught Scriptures that God created a man for a woman and we are bound to uphold and to share what the Scripture says to us,” Hayes said. “Society is ever-changing, ever-evolving but there are basic laws by God that do not change — they do not change with the wind.”
Bishop Hayes was echoed by the Rev. Anthony Jordan, executive director-treasurer of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma, who said in a statement:
“The ruling by Judge Kern, which is stayed and has no immediate effect and will be appealed, flies in the face of the biblical and historical meaning of marriage, the wisdom of the ages and the resounding democratic choice of the people of this great state.”
And agreeing with the Methodist and Baptist leaders was Catholic Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City, who said:
“This ruling is cause for great concern. It thwarts the common good, which depends upon the willingness of societal leaders to uphold basic truths about our humanity. The reality of marriage as ‘the union of one man and one woman’ is just such a basic truth. The majority of Oklahomans recognize this. That Judge Kern chooses to ignore it is deeply disappointing.”
Meanwhile, representatives of liberal declining denominations hailed the ruling against Oklahoma’s marriage law. “I think it’s cause for celebration,” a Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) clergy told the newspaper. “I’m glad to see that long-term relationships will be recognized, whether they’re gay or straight.”
An Episcopal cathedral dean gushed:
“I’m excited about the ruling because I think it is a win for equal rights. It won’t destroy the integrity of marriage. I think it will actually build on it — the importance of recognizing relationships.”
It’s refreshing that a United Methodist bishop sided with orthodox churches in defending a universal Christian teaching instead of the more typical alliance with dying liberal Protestantism. United Methodism, 40 percent of whose 12.5 million members now live in Africa, increasingly in the future will face the ongoing choice of siding with the global, historic church or with the old, declining ecumenical American partners.
Robert Hayes distinguished himself at the 2000 United Methodist General Conference as chairman of the Faith and Order Committee, robustly and successfully defending the church’s traditional marriage teachings. He was elected bishop that year and remains faithful to his convictions and, even more importantly, to the church’s convictions.
Comment by Jon on February 11, 2014 at 3:22 am
Thank you Bishop Hayes!
Comment by Pudentiana on February 11, 2014 at 9:24 am
Is it not strange that a Christian Leader would receive headlines for supporting that for which the Church has stood for 2,000 years along with civilized society for longer? Blessings on Bishop Hayes. May he serve long and be protected from the enemy of our souls whether that be outside the Church or within its sad walls. I pray that other humble servants of our Lord will also stand up and SPEAK OUT.
Comment by David Trawick on February 11, 2014 at 10:50 am
If only more of our Bible-believing bishops would speak so clearly! Too many sit silently on the sidelines, afraid to offend, while liberal bishops are touting their views to the world.
Comment by Carolyn Huntsman on February 11, 2014 at 11:19 am
I love Bishop Hayes…always have! He has retained his backbone while others, after their election, seem to have lost theirs! Good bless Bishop Hayes and our brothers and sisters in the Oklahoma Conference!
Comment by DL Herring on February 11, 2014 at 12:26 pm
God bless you, Bishop Hayes! It’s time for the silent majority of traditional, orthodox, Methodists to take a stand and be heard. The 2016 General Conference needs to address this crisis created by the schismatic “Reconciling Ministries” and it’s minions. This “conversation” has been going on for over 40 years, enough is enough! Clergy who cannot or will not uphold and adhere to our Church law must be removed, even if it takes a thousand trials to do it.
Comment by Dunford Cole on February 11, 2014 at 12:31 pm
Thank you Bishop.
Comment by Billy H. Weems on February 11, 2014 at 12:46 pm
Thank You Bishop Robert Hayes. The Bible is very clear on the teaching of marriage and all sexual relationships. Praise God a UM Bishop has shown the courage to stand up for God’s Word!
Comment by theenemyhatesclarity on February 11, 2014 at 4:53 pm
Praise God!
Comment by Rev. Jim Blair on February 11, 2014 at 5:57 pm
God bless you, Bishop Hayes. And thank you.
Comment by Phillip Hefner on February 11, 2014 at 6:00 pm
Thank you Bishop for your wisdom and leadership. I wish more Bible believing Bishops and clergy would speak out. Time to stop being the silent majority!!!
Comment by carson on February 11, 2014 at 7:44 pm
It’s astonishing that a United Methodist bishops stands for anything. Good for him.
Comment by Sid Hall on February 11, 2014 at 10:41 pm
David Trawick (my friend), our Bible-believing liberal bishops generally do not speak up either. The system, by its core design, seems to create a conspiracy of silence (compliance), whether one is liberal or conservative. I do not agree with Bishop Hayes on the issue homosexuality and believe his position hurts our church, but I admire him for being truthful about his convictions. We need an environment of truthfulness for clergy on the right like you and clergy on the left like me. I think that honesty and authenticity are parts of our Wesleyan heritage upon which we can all agree. It is time for the UMC and its leadership to return to truth-telling, so we can at least have a base-point for holy conferencing.
Comment by Norm on February 12, 2014 at 8:29 pm
Exactly how does upholding the order of creation and Christ’s teaching on marriage hurt the church? When God changes his definition of marriage, I’ll change mine.
Comment by WAD on February 12, 2014 at 9:04 pm
Or make me a bigot and a hater. Classic, Norm. I have been asking the liberals on all these boards to show us that Jesus DID NOT mean what he said when he clearly and unequivocally reaffirmed God’s design of marriage there in Matthew 19. I’m with you. When they do that, I’ll change my definition of marriage.
Comment by Rev. Kevin Haley on February 11, 2014 at 11:02 pm
I am grateful to have the public see one of our bishops taking the Biblical stand on such a divisive and “hot topic” issue, and yet doing so with integrity and Christlike love!
Comment by xnlover on February 11, 2014 at 11:34 pm
It always amuses me when someone defends “biblical and historical marriage” as “the union of one man and one woman.” Clergy who do it should be ashamed of themselves. Abraham married Sarah and had a son with her consent by Hagar. After Sarah died, Abraham married Keturah – nothing wrong with that, since his first wife had died – but scripture then notes that he gave gifts to “the sons of his concubines,” suggesting that he had more concubines than just Hagar. Then we have Jacob’s marriages to Leah and Rachel and his having several of his twelve sons by their maidservants, Bilhah and Zilpah. (Apparently God had no problem with any of this, even though God made it clear that the promise to Abraham would be fulfilled through Sarah’s son and not Hagar’s, and it was Sarah that demanded that Hagar and her son be sent away.) Shall we forget David’s and Solomon’s many wives and concubines? Oh, yes, let’s! It messes up our “one man/one woman” claim too badly! In fact, the only time the Word of God stresses “one man/one woman” is when the early church is told that bishops and deacons should be “married only once,” probably a concession to those who are too horny to remain single and celibate, since Paul preferred that his fellow Christians avoid marriage so as to seek to serve the Lord alone and not be distracted by having to serve the needs of their spouses. The problem with the entire argument is that the secular culture has added so many benefits to marriage that it has been taken out of the realm of being a divine gift and has become a social, economic and legal necessity for those who want to share a household, let alone raise children in it. To deny those benefits to a couple, especially one with children, just because you don’t want those particular people to be raising children or enjoying those benefits is meanspirited and shortsighted. They’re going to do it one way or the other, and your putting up roadblocks to it happening just tells them that you serve a god of your own making that they would never want to get to know, let alone to serve. That is bad evangelism, if I ever saw it!
Comment by R on February 12, 2014 at 9:12 pm
Thank you. You put into words what I think every time I have to listen to people I always believed stood for compassion and tolerance and now must admit I was a fool for believing the Methodist Church could provide an alternative to what I have always seen as the more mean spirited church options out there. The church has missed the ark on this. Too much time is being wasted on trying to be like the other denominations. I am straight and on the far side of middle age so I am no one’s idea of a fire breathing radical – I just know the power of God’s love is not to be pigeon- holed by so called Biblical history (I have always been repelled by the Abraham/Sarah story as well as many others).
Comment by Josiah on February 13, 2014 at 7:33 am
Just because God allows for something to happen does not mean he ordains for something.
In the instance of polygamy most usually it is seen with negative connotations.
Come on xnlover this bible101.
Comment by Sharon on February 13, 2014 at 12:38 pm
xnlover–can you name one place in the Holy Bible where God allowed and promoted homosexuality? No, because it does not exist. He allowed concubines at that point in time, He did not promote it!! God did, however destroy several cities because of man’s homosexual behavior. God does not change, He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.
Comment by Marco Bell on February 16, 2014 at 12:07 pm
Very well stated Xnlover!
Concise and honest. Thank you for your common sense!
Comment by John Edwards on March 2, 2014 at 3:44 pm
“Marco Bell”, you left out “and incomplete” in your first sentence.
Comment by John Edwards on March 2, 2014 at 3:30 pm
“xnlover”, your criticism of one man / one woman comes entirely from the Old Testament, but that is not the end of the story, as all followers of Christ should know. Some of the accounts you mention took place before Moses gave God’s Law to Israel concerning sexual behavior. As to David and Solomon’s polygamy, which took place after the Law, “Sharon” has the correct view that God allowed but did not endorse polygamy. We now live under the Covenant of Christ, and the impact of the Laws of Moses has changed in certain situations Christ spoke of. Christ never sanctioned homosexual unions, that is clear. From what he said about marriage and divorce, it is clear that he was an advocate for one man / one woman and nothing else. Christ even went so far to say that divorce was only allowed by God through Moses because of the hardness of men’s hearts. Again, God sometimes permits but never promotes a (sinful) human behavior. He even allowed homosexual behavior (before Moses’ Law) until the men of Sodom and Gomorrah chose to forcibly engage in sex with two angels visiting Lot, then he destroyed them all !.Your argument is cogent as far as it goes, I will give you that, but do you not see that by leaving out what Christ had to say (or not say) about human sexual relationships, your argument fails to “go the full distance”?
Comment by Ron. on February 12, 2014 at 12:59 am
Whatever happened to the “confessing movement”?
Comment by Lawrence Kreh on February 12, 2014 at 1:50 am
Encouraging stand by Bishop Hayes. Like so many others I wonder why bishops refuse to speak up on the historic orthodox position on marriage when the minority to favor homosexual marriage are bold in witness to their convictions.
Comment by Rev. David Daniel on February 12, 2014 at 9:49 am
I am grateful to serve under a faithful, loving and Spirit led Bishop. Thank you, Bishop Hayes, for caring for our Oklahoma Conference and our United Methodist Church.
Jesus is Lord,
Rev. David Daniel
Comment by Mary Kehoe on February 12, 2014 at 11:55 am
Amen to Bishop Hayes….May others open their eyes and read Genesis once again with the presence of the LORD….
Comment by Byrom on February 12, 2014 at 7:39 pm
Thank you, Bishop Hayes! As another point, God created men and women anatomically different, which is obvious to even the non-religious. I rarely – if ever – hear anyone bringing up that truth.
Comment by Norm on February 12, 2014 at 8:31 pm
Excellent point. The physiology doesn’t work, does it?
Comment by Chris Ellis on February 12, 2014 at 9:03 pm
Finally, a Bishop that makes me proud!
Comment by Sailor Ace on February 12, 2014 at 9:35 pm
@znlover: While it is true multiple wives and sexual licentiousness was allowed in the old covenant, that was abandoned as the people discerned God’s will for marriage. As Jesus said when addressing divorce, which was allowed by Moses, it was because of the hardness of the hearts of the people that Moses allowed it. The same hardness of heart of the chosen people resulted in the acceptance of other nonsense regarding marriage. Jesus came to initiate the new covenant and he proclaimed a higher moral standard for marriage which has been the norm of the past two thousand years. But note, even in the old testament, homosexuality was not accepted but roundly condemned. Even the ancient Greeks, who were okay with homosexual sex, never instituted homosexual marriage. And especially note that Jesus did not lift the prohibition on homosexuality when he set higher standards for marriage. Also note that the Romans, as depraved as they were in matters of sex, did not condone homosexuality. Plus be reminded that homosexuality is a violation of the natural law and against all major world religions. It is a sure sign that our culture is in big trouble when we start accepting homosexuality as normal. I am so encourage by Bishop Hayes and all the other religious leaders who are fighting to defend marriage as between one man and one woman.
Comment by Rev. Ramona Stonecipher on February 12, 2014 at 10:05 pm
Thank you Bishop Hayes. May God continue to bless you as you strive to seek and teach the Truth of God.
Comment by ray worsham on February 12, 2014 at 10:30 pm
Thank you, Bishop Hayes and my God bless you example of episcopal leadership.
Comment by Rev on February 13, 2014 at 7:35 am
@markdtooley: You wrote, “Meanwhile, representatives of liberal declining denominations hailed the ruling “.. I think it would be well to remember that the Methodist Church in the U.S. is also in decline (while seeing most growth in the African Union). To throw the Disciples of Christ into the pot of liberal progressive churches is at best disingenuous. Many of our churches in UMC are progressive as well, even while Council of
Bishops and other leaders are not. That is part of the tremendous tension in our denomination today. In addition, when writing of the “the church” or “the church’s convictions” it would be much clearer to your readers to write that it is the UMC or “our denomination’s convictions” rather than the broad “the church’s convictions”. Why, It is clear that there is much disagreement between our ‘ecumenicvcal Christian brothers in other protestant denominations (Christian churches).. The use of a finishing brush where the detail in the discussion is clearer is of better than the use of a brush that paints contestable broad a strokes in words.. I do appreciate your writings even if I am Not , like other Methodists always in agreement with your position(s).
Comment by John Edwards on March 2, 2014 at 3:38 pm
“Rev” I think somehow you missed the boat on Tooley’s statement about “liberal declining denominations”. I do not think he was exluding the UMC from that group. If you keep up with Tooley as much as you claim to, you will know that Tooley most certainly includes liberal congregations of the UMC, and does not somehow hold Methodism above other denominations of mainline churches.
Comment by John Edwards on March 2, 2014 at 3:40 pm
His “broad brush” was therefore appropriate, in my opinion.
Comment by Ann Laumbach on February 13, 2014 at 8:34 am
Thank you Bishop Hayes. We need more clergy to be like you and stand up and defend God’s law. We are becoming a society that accepts sin and rationalizes that it is okay. Same sex marriage and abortion are being accepted in this society. What next – every sin will be considered to be fine? History repeats itself, and I feel as if we are repeating Sodom and Gomorrah. On a further note marriage laws have always been established by the individual state. The federal government has no right to interfere with the states on that matter. Once more the federal government is taking over state’s rights. Are we becoming a dictatorship?
Comment by Jean Henderson on February 13, 2014 at 5:28 pm
I join with others who are so pleased and thankful that you are standing firm in your convictions and are willing to do so in the public arena. It gives me hope that many others who believe that our Discipline clearly follows the Biblical teachings will be inspired to do the same.
Comment by Fred Smith on February 13, 2014 at 6:10 pm
perhaps he will be brave enough to lead us in driving out the heretics. Maybe one Bishop said Lee only one bishop by showing some righteous courage will wake up some of the other supposedly evangelical bishops to show a scintilla of courage now.
Comment by Jody Wilson on February 13, 2014 at 8:08 pm
God Bless you Bishop Hayes. Finally someone with authority is expressing what many ordinary UMC members believe is God’s definition of marriage.
Comment by Betsy Kersey on February 13, 2014 at 8:49 pm
It is distressing to think that we applaud someone for doing the job he has vowed to do, a job he is paid to do by his conference. This should not be an extraordinary function of our bishops but what is a fundamental requirement of his office. There is no doubt that Bishop Hayes is a leader of whom we can be proud because he stands publicaly and unashamedly for the biblical principles of the
United Methodist Church. He is what we long for
all our bishops to be..honest, ethical and Spirit led. We have heard Bishop Hayes speak on several occasions and he has touched our hearts. Thank you Bishop Hayes.
Betsy and Gerry
Comment by Dr. John E. Juergensmeyer on February 13, 2014 at 11:52 pm
Thank God for at least one United Methodist Bishop who has the courage to defend the Bible and the UM Discipline! If they all would, we would have a vibrant, growing church, carrying out Christ’s mandate to convert the world– and we would be making John Wesley proud, rather than ashamed.
Comment by Pastor Mike on February 14, 2014 at 12:25 am
Well said, Bishop! Keep leading us this way. Maybe you’ll influence our other bishops for good.
Comment by Linda Miles on February 27, 2014 at 4:51 pm
Where is your understanding and compassion? I have worked with many lesbians and gays for over 30 years and I truly believe that lesbians and gays were born that way. I know L & G couples who have been together for 40 and 50 years. I know lesbian couples who have adopted “crack babies” and other special needs children and raised them to be well-adjusted young people. My husband and I have taken into our home a young person who was tortured when authorities in his country found in his notes that he was an “in-the-closet” gay. We saw his scars and we saw his good heart. Still in asylum, he now works 2 jobs and is putting himself thru college. We are appalled that Scott Lively and Lou Engle and other evangelicals have preached to Christian Africans that gays are pedophiles and out to convert their children, that LBGT people should be imprisoned. The last 4 yrs, I have heard from my African friends about being kicked out of family, jobs, schools, and apartments, and being mugged. Email acquaintances have been tortured and murdered. Sometimes it is the mere suspicion of being gay that will destroy a life. Our friend just returned from a conference in Cameroon where he visited LGBT prisoners, including a 12-yr-old girl and a 13-yr-old boy. He prayed with the dispairing youth who had been abandoned by family and church. I pray that genuine American Christians will counter the blatant lies that the fanatical pastors have used to fan the flames of hate and violence. Whether or not you believe LGBT people are born that way, you must believe in God’s love for them and that they do not deserve to lose jobs, home, family, health because of who they love.
Comment by Donna Roberts on March 4, 2014 at 4:25 pm
Thank you Bishop Hayes for standing strong on the sanctity of marriage as defined in the Holy Scripture.
Comment by Country on October 7, 2014 at 2:07 pm
The sign at the front door of the Okmulgee United Methodist Church carries the motto, “Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors”. It looks like that is now a lie.
Gary Klein