Another Homosexuality Fracas

William Bouknight currently serves as the associate director of the Confessing Movement and is former pastor of Christ UMC in Memphis.

Most United Methodists would love to focus on spreading the Gospel, planting new churches, and making new disciples for Jesus Christ, but certain liberal forces within the church keep dragging us back to the debate over homosexuality. The latest chapter in this ongoing saga is unfolding in the West Ohio Annual Conference.

The basic facts of this matter are rather clear. On March 9, 2010, the Conference Council on Finance and Administration (CFA), with the full support of Bishop Bruce Ough, recommended to the Annual Conference that Mr. Bill Brownson be hired as Conference Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Mr. Brownson was selected from over fifty applicants. From a financial perspective, Mr. Brownson is eminently qualified. There is just one problem. He is a self-avowed, practicing homosexual, having lived with his “life partner” for over twenty years. This fact was announced publicly and the CFA and Bishop Ough were fully aware of it. Mr. Brownson’s nomination will go before the full Annual Conference in June for a vote.

As everyone knows, the Book of Discipline is quite clear about sexual standards. Paragraph 304.3 declares that “The practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching.” Paragraph 161F affirms that “The United Methodist Church does not condone the practice of homosexuality…”

Though it is quite rare for formal charges to be brought against laypersons in the UMC, Mr. Brownson could be charged under Paragraph 2702.3 for the following offenses: (a) immorality, (c) disobedience to the order and discipline of the UMC, or (f) sexual misconduct.

This latest fracas raises at least the following questions:

1. Do the bishop and CFA of the West Ohio Conference believe that standards established by the General Conference do not apply to Annual Conferences?
2. Do United Methodist leaders in West Ohio believe that Disciplinary standards governing sexuality are for clergy only and do not apply to laypersons?
3. Is this an attempt to bring a test case before the Judicial Council for the purpose of changing the sexual standards of the UMC?
4. If Mr. Brownson were heterosexual and living unmarried with a woman, would he have been deemed an acceptable candidate for the position? And if the answer is no, then are we dealing with a double standard?
5. Among the more than fifty applicants for the CFO position, was there not a single one that was both professionally qualified and also in compliance with UM sexual standards?

The best possible resolution of this matter would be for some wise leaders in the West Ohio Conference to persuade Mr. Brownson to withdraw his name from consideration, so as to avoid a divisive struggle at Annual Conference. Yet, after objections and concerns raised by a number of persons, CFA and Bishop Ough appear to be determined to allow the matter to proceed to the Annual Conference for a vote.  If Mr. Brownson is approved by Annual Conference, the likely result will be continued turmoil, lessened trust in Conference leadership, and potential reductions in apportionment payment. In that troubled atmosphere, making disciples for Jesus Christ will become much more difficult.