The General Commission on Religion and Race (GCoRR) of the United Methodist Church (UMC) posted on its website that it is observing LGBTQ Pride month this June, and invited the church “to consider the impact of intersectionality,” which is a theory that GCoRR defined as a “paradigm that addresses the multiple dimensions of identity and social systems as they intersect with one another and relate to inequality (such as racism, genderism, heterosexism, ageism, and classism).”
GCoRR is the denomination’s official, apportionment-funded agency created to specifically combat racism and draw the UMC towards greater unity across racial and cultural lines. The agency is led by Dr. Erin Hawkins.
To highlight intersectionality, GCoRR shared a story of a lesbian couple who describe themselves as black, Southern, queer, and Christian. The short story centers around how they met and the challenges they faced in finding a church that was LGBTQ-affirming and rooted in an African-American church expression. The story concludes with an encouragement for congregations to engage in “social justice work that supports the liberation of LGBTQ+ individuals.”
Below this story, GCoRR specifically promotes Reconciling Ministries Network (RMN) and links to its webpage. RMN has garnered headlines over the years not just for their LGBTQ advocacy, but for refusing to rule out polyamory as acceptable and engaging in disruptive protests.
GCoRR’s promotion of LGBTQ liberationism goes directly against the established standards of the UMC. Furthermore, Paragraph 806.9 of The Discipline, the denomination’s official book of law and doctrine, prohibits United Methodist general agencies like GCoRR from using funds “to promote the acceptance of homosexuality.” At the same time, however, the UMC has also committed “not to reject or condemn lesbian and gay members and friends.” The UMC finds the practice of homosexuality as immoral, so its ministers are forbidden from engaging in it or blessing same-sex unions. The church’s Social Principles also remind us all that “all persons are individuals of sacred worth, created in the image of God.”
In a time when unity is as difficult as ever to find in the UMC, and when the entire country is riveted by questions regarding race, particularly with discrimination and violence against African Americans, GCoRR is diverting some of its energy to promote LGBTQ liberationist ideology, which both contradicts church teachings and alienates many United Methodists from a broader anti-racist coalition agency the agency should be building.
While doing work on issues of race is relevant other social issues, GCoRR is going outside purpose and responsibilities established in the Discipline (¶ 2002): to challenge, lead and equip the people of The United Methodist Church to become interculturally competent, to ensure institutional equity and to facilitate vital conversations about religion, race, and culture.”
GCoRR’s responsibilities include “Identifying and responding to global racism, ethnocentrism, and tribalism in order for the Church to more effectively move its mission forward in a diverse and global society” and providing training and resources in order to “Increase interculturally competent leaders who can engage in ministries that promote intentional diversity at every level of the church.” Nowhere in GCoRR’s Disciplinary mandates is there any mention of gender or sexuality, let alone any authorization to directly challenge the denomination’s official doctrinal and moral standards.
This is not the first time in recent memory that GCoRR has gone against the UMC’s historic teachings on human sexuality. In 2019 after the passage of the Traditional Plan, Erin Hawkins, the agency’s general secretary, issued a statement accusing the General Conference of causing harm to LGBTQ people and tied it to the UMC’s history of racial discrimination. The statement, which was officially endorsed by GCoRR’s Board of Directors, said that “the action of the Special Called Session of General Conference to support the Traditional Plan serves as proof that our comfort with sanctioned discrimination and exclusion has never left.” Before she came on to lead GCoRR, Hawkins served as a legislative assistant to U.S. Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald, a Democrat from California.
Some United Methodists may counter that LGBTQ advocacy and even partisan political biases of GCoRR or other general agencies is justified by the enthusiastic support for the majority of American United Methodists support same-sex weddings and same-sex coupled pastors. However, as John Lomperis has reported, most of the liberalization within the UMC has come through the clergy, who make up a small proportion of the church’s population. Further, the general agencies serve not only American United Methodists, but brothers and sisters in Christ in the church around the globe, the vast majority of whom hold traditional views on marriage and human sexuality.
Our country is currently in a period when very many Americans across all racial and political identities have been waking up to issues racial injustice and are increasingly eager to confront the problems they see in their communities. By continuing to promote unbiblical views on human sexuality that General Conference has repeatedly stood against, GCoRR is picking a fight that undermines its ability to build a broad coalition for combatting racism. GCoRR is needlessly alienating many United Methodists and squandering a great opportunity to lead, motivate, and organize the church around engaging questions of race from a Christian viewpoint.
Comment by Eddie Gooch on June 23, 2020 at 8:02 am
It is things like this that explains why we can’t leave the UMC soon enough
Comment by Clayton Narron on June 26, 2020 at 8:48 pm
Amen!
Comment by Andy on June 27, 2020 at 4:07 pm
I quit attending our Methodist church, over a year ago. I could not attend services conducted by an extremely liberal set of pastors, who apparently believe in open borders, same-sex marriages conducted in the sanctuary, allowing very young children to run around the sanctuary during services, and generally toeing the liberal Democrat Party line. I’m waiting for a vote, for a split in the UMC, to cast my vote for the type of church I joined, many years ago.
Comment by Douglas E Ehrhardt on June 23, 2020 at 8:24 am
Cultural Marxism.
Comment by Mark Flynn on June 23, 2020 at 6:08 pm
This looks like a deliberate effort to drive out of the UMC those of us who believe that the current official position of the denomination is the right one, so that it will be easier to change this position. I can understand that many have become exasperated, but I hope that we will not hand a victory to these liberals who have violated the covenant. Let’s not leave without the protocol.
Comment by John Smith on June 29, 2020 at 5:14 pm
Liberals already won. There may be some haggling over the details of the surrender but it is done. Of course it will be a Pyrrhic victory for the progressives as they have destroyed the UMC to save it. They will have delusions of rebuilding, making it better, more just, more relevant but it won’t happen. Since all they can offer is dim reflections of the culture having forsaken the power of God it will fade to become another footnote.
Comment by Skipper on June 23, 2020 at 6:22 pm
So out of touch with Methodism it’s hard to believe.
Comment by Jim on June 23, 2020 at 7:30 pm
Matthew 13
24Jesus told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26 When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.
27 “The owner’s servants came to him and said, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?’
28 “‘An enemy did this,’ he replied.
“The servants asked him, ‘Do you want us to go and pull them up?’
29 “‘No,’ he answered, ‘because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.’”
While everyone one sleeping. While the UMC leaders slept, the enemy sowed seed. While the people in the pews slept, the tares took over the pulpits. The hierarchy replaced the gospel of salvation with a new gospel of social justice. The sleeping congregants said “this is nice, love is love.”
My sheep Jesus said, hear my voice. If you are one of the Shepherd’s followers and you are not heeding His voice to leave this apostate denomination, do not be surprised when our Lord dispenses judgement.
Comment by Diane on June 23, 2020 at 9:32 pm
As the nation grapples with the evil wrought by the social pecking order brought here centuries ago by white Christian Europeans, otherwise known as white (Straight, Christian, male) supremacists, it is encouraging to recognize a growing alliance of those at or near the bottom of the pecking order forming to collectively challenge the systemic injustices with which they are well-acquainted.
White supremacist ideology/theology has always been legitimized by quoting whichever bible verses suit the effort to dehumanize and keep particular classes of people in their place. Emotional, spiritual, and physical violence supplement the Bible verses.
Those at or near the bottom of the white supremacist pecking order are understood as less than fully human, justifying the denial of human rights. Erik Trump just referred to Black Lives Matters protestors, most of whom are back and brown, as “animals”. Language right out of the white supremacist playbook. Franklin Graham is outraged that SCOTUS might not allow him to fire an lgbtq employee (employment provides the financial means for food, shelter, clothing, healthcare). Again, straight out of the white supremacy playbook. The current administration just announced that religion can be used to justify the denial of healthcare benefits to those at the bottom of the white supremacist pecking order, transgender folks. The announcement was a nod to evangelical, white supremacist Christians.
Save me the Bible verses. Christianity institutionalizes supremacy – those who accept Jesus as savior are superior to others, they are rewarded with an eternity in. heaven. All others are judged as less than/inferior and are destined for the fires of hell. It is an inherently divisive, judgmental, supremacist theology.
The quest for equality in this country has always been thwarted by outraged, top-of-the-rung, status quo Christians. Equality threatens their power and place of privilege at the table. Not surprising to hear those at the top cry “how dare those who seek an end to systemic racism join with those seeking to end systemic sexism/heterosexism to create a stronger, collective voice…. for justice, for equality.
Pretty scary times for the status quo “traditionalists”.
Comment by Douglas E Ehrhardt on June 24, 2020 at 4:28 am
Sounds like Dianne is ready for the revolution.!Kill the white devil’s! Comrade!
Comment by Jim on June 24, 2020 at 8:23 am
And spare me the white-supremacy and systemic racism talking points of the pagan left. You show a lack of critical thinking that is embarrassing.
Comment by David Gingrich on June 27, 2020 at 7:53 am
“lack of critical thinking”: So true, Jim. So sadly true. These poor folks live in a phony world devoid of truth. At least part of the anger of the Left is caused by their fear that their made-up reality will be exposed.
Comment by Lee D. Cary on June 24, 2020 at 9:57 am
“Pretty scary times for the status quo “traditionalists”.” Wrong again, Diane. Scary times for UMC clergy. Not so much for the laity. Laity disappointed? – yes, some. Frightened? – not at all.
As guaranteed appointment security for clergy continues to evaporate, it will leave many without “appointments” (AKA salaried jobs). Where will they go? Start their own independent congregations? Unlikely many will. Once outside the womb of institutional coverage, only entrepreneurs will flourish. They are vastly out-numbered by the institutionally dependent.
The laity are not paid to go to church. They will search for, and find, other congregations to sing, pray, learn and listen to sermons.
Many have been, and more will find themselves attracted to the growing, independent, non-denominational, “traditional” churches that are the net benefactors of the crack-up of the theologically-liberal, “woke” denominations.
Open your eyes, Diane. It’s happening even now.
Comment by Steve on June 24, 2020 at 10:47 am
I’ll be more impressed when I hear that you’ve been able to find a church that checks all your boxes and are making non-trivial contributions of time and treasure.
Comment by Keith on June 26, 2020 at 11:32 pm
Diane dear heart do keep up, less than 20% of the protestors are black or brown. Mostly rich white kids, mostly women,mostly morons.
Comment by Michael Murphy on June 29, 2020 at 12:39 pm
Diane, why do you comment here? You always disagree with the authors. You bash Christianity at every turn. Do you sincerely believe that your opinions and the way they are presented will actually win anyone to your side?
Or does it just make you feel superior to post here? I mean, the IRD site is pretty specific in who it targets, and you clearly aren’t among them.
God bless you, Diane. If He won’t, who will?
Comment by Jeffrey Walton on June 29, 2020 at 1:51 pm
I, for one, am flattered at Diane’s consistent reading of this blog!
Comment by jerry kabat on June 29, 2020 at 8:21 pm
Diane, I was once very much like you, a card carrying dyed in the wool ultra liberal. However, Jesus planted a seed in me to turn from my political beliefs to Him and His word. I eventually was made aware of the moral bankruptcy of the left. I was further turned off by the New McCarthyism of the left which persecutes anyone who even voices disapproval of its agenda. Jesus is the answer not political beliefs of any kind. Especially when those beliefs are looking like a new religion.
Comment by Fr. Bob Tally+ on June 24, 2020 at 10:17 am
The UMC has become apostate. The are taking many doing the road to the wide gate that leads to death. They are sounding more like a social service agency than a church, which is supposed to be leading people to Christ. So glad I am no longer a Methodist.
Comment by td on June 24, 2020 at 1:24 pm
This has been a problem for most of the umc for at least the past 2 decades- they really operate as a corporation that encourages its local churches to operate as civic clubs that do social work.
By and large, umc leadership at all levels believe that christ, and christianity as it has been known for 2000 years, no longer have anything to offer to humanity. They are inventing a new religion.
Comment by David Worley on June 27, 2020 at 1:12 am
My UMC church has gone so far left that when I see the final vote, I may be looking for another church. My problem is that there are no traditional Methodist churches in my city.
What denomination is closest to Methodist? There is an Anglican church here but it only has a couple of dozen members. We need a full service church as we have 3 small children that we are raising.
Comment by pastorsmate on June 27, 2020 at 4:12 pm
David, can you search for a Wesleyan church of some type? Often they offer what you are asking for, but I have no idea what churches are available to you. If no Wesleyan ones, try a small non-denominational church after first calling ahead and having a brief discussion about his basic theology and where the emphasis in that church is placed. I hope so much that you can find what you’re seeking, because your young children will reap eternal benefits from it. Bless you!
Comment by Julie on June 29, 2020 at 11:40 am
David, you may want to look into Wesleyan, Nazarene, Church of God (Anderson), Free Methodist… any of these would be similar in doctrine.
Comment by Dan on June 24, 2020 at 2:41 pm
Think of UMC virtue signalling as a sort of Passover mark. When the mobs come for the Christians, the UMC will be able to point to their “wokeness” to escape the Marxist angels of death that will range throughout the land exterminating those not deemed sufficiently woke. I sure hope Dan Cathy has his shoe shine rag at the ready.
I think the new UMC mascot should be Progressive Insurance’s motaur. Now there’s intersectionality for you!
Comment by Thomas Brown on June 24, 2020 at 3:39 pm
Diane needs to eat a Snickers.
Comment by William on June 24, 2020 at 5:04 pm
Beating a dead horse. No reason to keep talking about this. It’s over. Two Methodist expressions will emerge out of General Conference 2021. The “new” traditional denomination (actually the old, traditional Methodist Church) will be FREE of these liberal agencies, boards, and bishops. It will no longer pay apportionments to help keep them afloat as they’ll be the sole responsibility of the Post Separation UMC (actually becoming the official new liberal denomination). What a day of rejoicing it will be to be separated from this and actually get back on mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. I hope the name adopted for the new traditional denomination will simply be THE METHODIST CHURCH.
Comment by Drew on June 26, 2020 at 8:37 pm
Praise God for GCORR.
Comment by Jon Lannom on June 26, 2020 at 8:56 pm
The following is what I consider the crux of the above article that pretty much sums up the critical issues that we face today.
“However, as John Lomperis has reported, most of the liberalization within the UMC has come through the clergy, who make up a small proportion of the church’s population.”
Most of today’s Methodist Seminaries are extremely liberal and are spitting out progressive graduates as fast as they can. Thank goodness for this week’s news about Billy Abraham and the newly established Wesley House of Studies at Baylor University. Who would have thought that a Baptist Seminary would provide a path for Wesleyan students. Now that SMU has gone full-bore liberal in their theology (Abraham was just about the last “lone voice of reason” there) we will at least have Baylor, Asbury, and United to supply our future orthodox clergy.
https://www.baylor.edu/mediacommunications/news.php?action=story&story=219370
Comment by Bob Smith on June 26, 2020 at 9:41 pm
Looks like the break-up of Methodism is rolling right along. I support my Church to leave the traditional branch. I don’t believe we should be apportioned to pay any of these weird committees. If they don’t like our Book of Laws, they should resign and start their own programs.
Comment by Linda on June 26, 2020 at 10:03 pm
Diane, from June 23rd comment, is very impressed with her reasoning. I wonder if God is equally impressed.
Comment by Michael Murphy on June 29, 2020 at 12:43 pm
Diane’s a regular detractor here. It makes me wonder if she’s paid to do so.
Or, more likely, she just considers herself intelligent; more so than the other posters.
Pride goeth before a fall, Diane.
Comment by William N Madding on June 26, 2020 at 10:49 pm
The only thing I have to say is; every one of us will have to answer to, what have we done to advance the kingdom of God? Every one of us will have to give an account some day, because each one of us will stand before God for judgement, and whose qualities will we be judged against, GOD’s ! So it will not matter where you find your self on these issues that are plaguing the UMC or any other denomination. If you are not sharing the Gospel of God and turn from your “sins” and ask for forgiveness and repent of your “sins” , you will find yourself fighting God and you already know how that is gonna turn out, an eternity in the Flames of Hell. What we really have here is a group of people that don’t want to repent of their sin!
Comment by Jim Radford on June 28, 2020 at 9:54 am
I don’t want to throw LGBTQIA folks under the bus. But neither can I support the church’s “solidarity” with them, either. I have said on this website (which I like a great deal, by the way) that I do not want to see a split/schism. I have said that I will not join the departing United Methodists in the forming of yet another denomination/church. But neither can I stay behind in the “church” that will remain. I realize, too, that at the end of the day, one must choose where one’s allegiance lies. Because I believe that Jesus is “not a respecter of persons,” and because I further believe that this could be logically extended to read that He is “not a respecter of groups,” or “not a respecter of denominations, I just want to go where He leads. And I really don’t know where that is. I just know where it’s not. I’m so sorry. This all makes me sad. Just saying….
Comment by William on June 29, 2020 at 6:16 pm
Jim,
Since there is no salvaging the North American decline and disunity of the present UMC, I hope you have taken a hard look at what the Wesleyan Covenant Association has accomplished thus far and what is envisioned going forward. To call this emerging denomination “new” is an egregious misnomer. It will be the continuation of The Methodist Church and the “on paper” present UMC. It will not be throwing anyone under the bus in that it will return to the traditional Wesleyan message of prevenient grace, justifying grace, and sanctifying grace for ALL who desire to come and partake. It will be the Post Separation UMC that will throw traditional, orthodox Methodists under that bus as it will officially liberalize no matter what sort of trickery and deception it employs in trying to fool them to stay.
https://wesleyancovenant.org/
Comment by Daniel on June 29, 2020 at 12:16 pm
I don’t believe the protocol is going to solve much of anything, except some financial issues, but why bother? Even the “traditionalist” churches in my southern part of the country tow the phony social justice line. The “conservative” clergy continue to promote Adam Hamilton and other such extreme leftists, Nadia Boltz Weber. And don’t tell me that Adam Hamilton is not a leftist because he pretends to be a sensible moderate. There really is no such thing anymore, it seems. “Sensible moderate,” is just a phrase for a Trojan horse radical agenda left wing activist to confuse and mislead their congregation into adopting whatever social justice policy their liberal comrades want to adopt that week. These commissions and agencies of the UMC may as well be lobbyist groups for the DNC. They have the near exact same talking points, with a vague mention of the gospel sprinkled in here and there to make it appear legitimate and non-political.
Comment by Robert L. Kuyper on June 29, 2020 at 4:14 pm
You are born with skin color without a choice. We are to judge by the content of character not the color of skin, according to Martin Luther King, Jr. Sexual morality is a choice, so race and sexuality and gender identity are not the same. Unless you are compulsive, your behavior is a choice. Skin color is not a choice.
Comment by Dorothea on June 30, 2020 at 6:09 pm
I serve a very small UMC church of wonderful Christ-centered people. As small as they are there is a wide variety of opinions that range from far left to far right. I have been sharing with them the issues we face and the options that will be before us. I have explained the possibilities and that nothing has yet been decided. We will wait, pray, and continue to live out the gospel of Jesus Christ until the dust settles and the church will choose it’s future. Decisions will be made when the time is right.Then came the comments and questions that silenced us all.
Although administratively separate, surely we can find a way to work together for Jesus.
I hope we can continue to share the same building, the same mission projects and the same worship on Sunday.
Every family has its problems but love still unifies and blesses. Why can’t it be the same with the church?
Their hearts are woven together as the body of Christ regardless of the differing interpretations of some passages of scripture. They want to continue to serve Christ together for the salvation of our small corner of the world. They have sacrificed much throughout the years for the sake of the gospel, and for now, it appears they are willing to continue. in sacrificial love.
Time will tell, but I was struck by the genuine love, expressed by each one who spoke, love that has transcends the issues that could divide them.
They are not perfect. They do have disagreements, but they are resolved through the understood that every person is made in the image of God and all are in need of salvation. With those ideals uniting them, they intend to be faithful, even in the midst of varying opinions . No, they don’t understand all the complexities of issues and process, , but in the end, my prayer is that love will win; in our corner of the world and in the larger UMC. We live in hope.
Comment by William on July 1, 2020 at 4:40 pm
To Which Methodist Denomination Do You Wish To Belong?
Please Check ✔️ One
——— A Progressive Denomination
1. Believe in a new understanding of marriage to include same-sex marriage derived from new progressive perspective, contextual, and evolving Biblical interpretations —- accompanied by same-sex marriage ceremonies inside the church sanctuaries conducted by the church clergy.
2. LGBTQ identified persons welcomed into full-inclusion with their committed sexual relationships affirmed, thus freeing them from the call of repentance for the forgiveness of previously considered sins —- a revised understanding of love and grace derived from new progressive perspective , contextual, and evolving Biblical interpretations — while having an undefined position regarding the sexual practices and lifestyles of the heterosexual community outside those of a man and a woman in marriage.
3. Full inclusion of LGBTQ candidates seeking licensing and ordination into the ministry who are in committed LGBTQ sexual relationships while having an undefined position for heterosexual candidates engaged in committed sexual relationships outside those of heterosexual marriage.
———- A Traditional Denomination
1. Believe in God’s created order for marriage as only that between a man and a woman as Jesus described and emphasized when he said — “haven’t you read that at the beginning the Creator made them male and female, for this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh? So, they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let no one separate”.
2. LGBTQ identified persons and heterosexual identified persons welcomed equally into full-inclusion (Wesleyan Prevenient Grace) in order to partake of repentance preached in Jesus’ name for the forgiveness of sins, including the sins of sexual immorality, and be recipients of salvation (Wesleyan Justifying Grace), thus becoming anew or born again in Jesus in order to pursue, with the help of the Holy Spirit, holiness (Wesleyan Sanctifying Grace) — the historic, universal, and Wesleyan Christian understanding of the Good News Gospel.
3. Believe in the traditional, historic, universal, and Wesleyan Biblical standards of sexual behavior for candidates seeking licensing and ordination into the ministry as those practicing fidelity in heterosexual marriage and celibacy in singleness.
Comment by John Smith on July 6, 2020 at 12:57 pm
One that is defined by a cut and paste man-made checklist in every article.
Comment by Dolores Lowery on July 3, 2020 at 7:38 pm
I truly miss the teachings of the Evangelical Church. Too much nonsense by the Methodist. Somehow I knew When the EUB Church united with the Methodists is was not a good thing. This has been proven . The Methodists use the assets of the EUB to advance wrong doing in the church , I can not support this new church.
Comment by Skipper on July 4, 2020 at 9:25 am
I feel so sorry for people who think they can live an immoral lifestyle and still be considered followers of Christ by God. In this case it’s even an unnatural immoral lifestyle. They either don’t know the Bible because they have never spent much time reading it, or they don’t believe it. Don’t they know God sees everything and He knows what’s in your heart? If only they would place their faith in Jesus. They they would want to live a New Life in Christ, putting the old life behind them.
Ephesians 4:22-24 “You were told that your foolish desires will destroy you and that you must give up your old way of life with all it bad habits. Let the Spirit change your way of thinking and make you into a new person. You were created to be like God, so you must please him and be truly holy.”
It’s especially cruel and sad when a church bureaucracy would rather send people to their destruction than to place their faith in Christ.
Comment by Riley B Case on July 4, 2020 at 5:46 pm
Dan, did CORR take down the page you linked from their web page?. I was told the page was not available. If so, this is interesting. Riley Case
Comment by Brother Thom on December 23, 2020 at 4:34 pm
I receive the UMC News Service emails weekly and ever since the death of George Floyd who was killed while resisting arrest and in the commission of a felony, the UMC has all of a sudden come out of the closet as an extremely racist denomination. You may ask why I say that, well it’s because the denomination writes all week every week about their myriad new programs to combat racism. It’s odd to me because while I was a United Methodist it never occurred to me that the denomination was so racist. But here we are week after week being flooded with new programs to correct course and end racism in the dwindling UMC denomination.
Pastors in the Virginia Conference were summoned to Richmond to march with the radical leftist group Black Lives Matter just weeks after Floyd’s death. Unwitting pastors were sucked into supporting this extreme group by their far left and very liberal black bishop. When I asked several pastors about their participation in the march they knew very little about BLM. I asked if they could tell me anything BLM has done other than riot loot, commit arson, assault and destroy black neighborhoods, they couldn’t name anything, When I asked what schools, clinics or social services had benefited from the millions of dollars BLM takes in, they didn’t know of any.
This type of social activism by the progressive arm of the UMC, using money tithed by conservative traditionalists is nothing more than flagrant misuse of the denominations coffers.