Renewal and Evangelism in Upper New York (REUNY) is a renewal group within the Upper New York Conference of the United Methodist Church. They released this statement today in response to the announcement of the dismissal of a complaint against a minister who has publicly bragged about defying his ordination vows to not officiate at same-sex union services.
A recent ruling in the Upper New York Conference has resulted in an episcopal decision to dismiss a set of charges against a retired pastor who, by his own admission, conducted multiple same-sex marriages while he was an active member of the clergy. This decision reveals the fact that our denominational system of accountability and judicial administration is inoperable in an area where many clergy are unwilling to honor their vows and, at the very least, are not interested in covenant or accountability. The system has failed our leadership and us, as the church. The result of this brokenness and disunity is a completely dysfunctional ecclesiastical system in which even those who would be faithful and given authority to hold us accountable find themselves unable to “let their ‘no’ mean ‘no’.” Reaction to the decision and the brokenness in which we find ourselves has prompted the REUNY Executive Team to respond and issue a call to prayer and action.
We therefore call upon all people of good conscience in the United Methodist Church to pray for our leaders, especially Bishop Webb, whose leadership we reaffirm. We also call us to prayer for discernment and to appeal to the General Conference to lead us into a faithful future, recognize our irreconcilable differences, and take specific steps toward finding an amicable way forward to end this profound breach in the integrity of the denomination.
Finally, we would like to lift an encouraging word for our church moving forward. We particularly note the resurgence of “orthodox Wesleyan faith, ministry, evangelism, and scholarship.” We believe that when, with God’s help, order is restored, that this expression of the faith will bring real renewal and energize ministry that makes authentic disciples for Jesus Christ.
Contact: Larry Baird, REUNY chair
Comment by ConfessionPastor on June 16, 2015 at 8:22 pm
Amazingly we both know what we stand for. Liberals stand for nothing well or should I say anything goes. We stand for our confession and believe it actually stands for something.