Indiana United Methodists Expand Concern from LGBTQ Youth to ALL Vulnerable Youth

Several legislative actions helped make the recently concluded 2017 Indiana Annual Conference session particularly memorable.

There was a proposal to have a “recall election” – to pay to have a new election for delegates to represent the conference at the specially called 2019 General Conference, breaking from the default procedure for specially called General Conferences of sticking with the delegates already elected for the 2016-2019 quadrennium. This proposal was strongly pushed by the Revs. Chris Tiedemann and Stacee Fischer Gehring, two strong public supporters of the homosexuality-affirming “reconciling” cause, and Pastor Russ Abel.

That was overwhelmingly defeated.

Several other resolutions at this June 8-10 gathering condemning anti-Semitism and addressing other important issues were tabled due to lack of time. I made a motion (technically, an amendment to someone else’s motion) whose passage now requires these to be reported back to next year’s annual conference session, “with sufficient time allotted for full discussion and final decision.”

Perhaps the most extended discussion took place over a proposed resolution originally entitled “Help end suicide and homelessness among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning (LGBTQ) youth.”

It was submitted by the Revs. Darren Cushman Wood (pastor of an Indianapolis congregation formally affiliated with the LGBTQ affirming Reconciling Ministries Network, or RMN) and Dan Gangler (an RMN leader in the conference).

The original resolution would have expressed concern for bullying, homeless, and suicide among youth identified as gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered. While some of the language was a bit vague, ambiguous, or selective, it nowhere directly and explicitly attacked the UMC Social Principles’ official affirmation of biblical teaching that homosexual practice, like all other sex outside of monogamous, heterosexual marriage, is inherently “incompatible with Christian teaching.” Indeed, in presenting this resolution, Cushman Wood even said, among other things, that “our United Methodist social teachings is not” judgmental or anti-gay, but given such negative perceptions of Christianity in our culture, this resolution would offer helpful clarification.

However, many felt that the exclusive focus on “LGBTQ youth” unhelpfully ignored other youth who were at risk for bullying, suicide, and/or homelessness. Among those feeling this way were some of the conference’s own teenage members.

Seventeen-year-old youth delegate Leah Padgett went to the microphone and proposed an amendment to make this resolution more inclusive. In the large room in front of the whole conference, the teenager shared about how she had felt “very hurt and almost started crying” as the resolution was being discussed, given her own past struggles with depression, self-harm, and suicidal thoughts, and how several of her friends have had similar struggles, but they were being left out of the scope of this church resolution.

She urged the annual conference to recognize that ALL youth are at risk and need the church’s compassionate concern, not just those in certain sub-categories.

Ms. Padgett also made very clear that she was NOT asking to remove out all references to particular struggles faced by youth identified as LGBTQ, but rather simply asking to change a few places “to open up the concern for all youth and young adults.” Specifically, her amendment was to change the title to express a less exclusive focus on “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Questioning (LGBTQ) Youth,” add a couple statements at the beginning highlighting how suicidal ideation is a widespread problem for which all youth could be potentially vulnerable, and replace an advocacy call at the end to something promoting concern for all youth.

Before long, a couple of adult supporters of the “Reconciling” cause lined up to speak against the young lady’s plea. Others spoke in favor.

The latter included Katherine Land, an even younger youth delegate, who shared about similar struggles of her close friends, one whom actually attempted suicide, despite none of them self-identifying as LGBTQ. Ms. Land stressed that the Padgett amendment would make sure they “are included in this suicide awareness resolution,” and make clear that they “are not only not overlooked, but supported and cared for.”

Of the many who spoke during this discussion about vulnerable youth, Padgett and Land were the only two youth.

Two key things helped bring consensus to the room.

The first was when the Rev. Joseph Easley, a co-signer of the original resolution and a former leader of a liberal United Methodist caucus within the region, went to the microphone to declare “I have no problem with the amendment,” and helpfully outlined what it would and would not do.

Then laywoman Shanique Edwards offered a slight amendment to the amendment to ensure a balance of affirming concern for all youth while recognizing that there are some additional challenges faced by youth identified as LGBTQ (by adding the third “WHEREAS” statement below).

With the amended amendment, the resolution was adopted overwhelmingly.

If I was writing such a resolution on my own from scratch, I would have worded several things differently. But I strongly affirm both broad concerns that became balanced in the final version of the resolution.

I am glad it was amended to make clear our concern for ALL youth, and to fix exclusive framing that would have made some youth feel that the church does not care about their own or their friends’ struggles with bullying, depression, self-harm, and/or suicidal thoughts if they fail to check some politically correct box. And it is because of, not in spite of, my conservative Christian values that I must also recognize that teenagers who, through no choice of their own, experience same-sex attractions or confusion about their sexuality face an added degree of vulnerability, which must be within the scope of our compassionate concern.

Several individuals on differing sides of elephant-in-the-room disagreements over sexual morality later approached Ms. Padgett to express their appreciation and/or compassion for her.

Unfortunately, this was not quite universal. Shortly after the passage of the resolution as amended, a significantly older woman identifying herself as a nurse practitioner and indicating that she was a supporter of the “Reconciling” cause angrily confronted the rather petite Ms. Padgett in the bathroom (of all places!) to express her extreme displeasure at the teen’s having asked for the resolution to be amended to not make her feel excluded. The woman touted her allegedly superior knowledge of the issues, to which Ms. Padgett replied that she knew nothing about her.

Will folk from the Reconciling Ministries Network of Indiana and others in the conference be willing to step up and make clear that such uncompassionate and intimidating mistreatment of our youth delegates has no place in the church? Time will tell.

Based on very carefully watching the online live-stream of the conference sessions, here is what I understood is the final version of what the Indiana Conference adopted on June 9, 2017:

(Note: I have underlined language that replaced or was added to the original language)

Help Prevent Suicide, Bullying, and Homelessness in All Youth and Young Adults

WHEREAS, more teenagers and young adults die from suicide than from any other disease combined. Each day in our nation, there are an average of over 5,240 attempts by young people grades 7-12 and it is also the third leading cause of death in young adults in ages 15 to 24; and

WHEREAS, all youth are vulnerable and at risk; and

WHEREAS, we acknowledge that all youth are at high risk for suicide and many are diagnosed with depression and have experienced bullying in some form, we as The United Methodist Church of Indiana also recognize that LGBTQ youth face a unique set challenges that makes them particularly vulnerable to suicidal thoughts and actions; and

WHEREAS, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning (LGBTQ) youth are four times more likely to attempt suicide than their straight peers (The Trevor Project — thetrevorprojecct.org); and LGBTQ youth comprise 40 percent of the homeless youth population served by agencies in the United States (The Williams Institute of the UCLA School of Law – williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu); and LGBTQ young people are seven times more likely to be a victim of crime than their straight peers (National Runaway Switchboard); and

WHEREAS, The Social Principles of The United Methodist Church state that “The church has an obligation to see that all persons have access to needed pastoral and medical care and therapy in those circumstances that lead to loss of self-worth, suicidal despair, and/or the desire to seek physician-assisted suicide” (¶ 161 O. Suicide of The United Methodist Church Book of Discipline, 2016); and

WHEREAS, The Social Principles of The United Methodist Church state that “Certain basic human rights and civil liberties are due all persons. We are committed to supporting those rights and liberties for all persons, regardless of sexual orientation. We see a clear issue of simple justice in protecting the rightful claims where people have shared material resources, pensions, guardian relationships, mutual powers of attorney, and other such lawful claims typically attendant to contractual relationships that involve shared contributions, responsibilities, and liabilities, and equal protection before the law. Moreover, we support efforts to stop violence and other forms of coercion against all persons, regardless of sexual orientation” (¶162 J. Equal Rights Regardless of Sexual Orientation of The United Methodist Church Book of Discipline, 2016); and

WHEREAS, homeless LGBTQ youth often run away or are turned out of their homes due to discrimination, name calling and abuse. Due to the abuse and rejection experienced by many LGBTQ youth during childhood they are more likely to experience low self-esteem issues and are diagnosed at higher rates with mental health problems, putting them at a much higher risk for trafficking or turning to sex work in exchange for shelter, food or rent money (National Institutes of Health, 2010). During the first forty-eight hours after running away or being turned out of their home, one in three homeless youth are recruited by a trafficker into commercial sexual exploitation. Engaging in survival sex often leads to violence and rape; and

WHEREAS, The Social Principles of The United Methodist Church state that “We deplore all forms of the commercialization, abuse, and exploitation of sex… We implore families and churches not to reject or condemn lesbian and gay members and friends. We commit ourselves to be in ministry for and with all persons.” (¶ 161 G. Human Sexuality of The United Methodist Church Book of Discipline, 2016); and

WHEREAS, our Lord has expressly given to the least, the lost and the hurting a place among the people of God, which holy privilege must not be denied them. Remembering the words of the Lord Jesus Christ, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” (Matthew 25:40 NRSV);

THEREFORE, as the Indiana Conference of The United Methodist Church seeks to follow a Biblical mandate of hospitality to the stranger and edification of the least, the lost and the hurting; and in order to prevent suicide, sexual assault, trafficking, and to end homelessness of LGBTQ youth;

BE IT RESOLVED that the congregations of the Indiana Conference of The United Methodist Church are called and seek to educate families about how to respond with love to their youth whose sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression may not conform to their family’s expectations. This response includes affirming the value and sacred worth of their youth, maintaining safe spaces and not severing ties with their youth, and demonstrating respect for their youth; and

BE IT RESOLVED, that where possible, the United Methodist congregations of Indiana are encouraged to promote and host educational opportunities and training for suicide awareness and prevention, policies for reducing bullying, and best practices for creating safe spaces for homeless and all vulnerable youth and young adults, to equip community leaders, church staff, and clergy; and

Further, in the spirit of advocating for safe sanctuary, we call upon each United Methodist to respond to acts of hate, harassment and acts of violence filled with long-held prejudices against all persons, with acts of compassion and liberation.

Moreover, we call upon the Church and society to intentionally support, advocate on the behalf, and minister to all at risk youth regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.