Earlier this month, the United Methodist Church’s Western Pennsylvania Annual Conference adopted two resolutions, by strong majorities, firmly rejecting radical transgender ideology. One adopted resolution (P14: “End Degrading Behavior against Female Athletes”) specifically defended women’s sports against improper, degrading intrusion by biological males conveniently calling themselves “trans women.” Another adopted resolution (P23: “Guidance on Local Church Reporting”) protests the rogue action by the General Council on Finance and Administration (GCFA) to effectively embrace transgender ideology by counting “non-binary gendered” church members, even though the United Methodist Social Principles do not affirm transgenderism.
We at IRD/UMAction are proud that one of these resolutions, through which United Methodists in that region have stood firm against radical transgender ideology that harms all involved, was co-authored by our own UMAction Steering Committee member, Dr. Richard Hoffman.
The official Western Pennsylvania Conference website includes a rather buried report that these two United Methodist transgender resolutions were approved, with slight amendments to the GCFA-related one (on pages 482 and 486-487 of the conference’s Daily Journal). But we have not observed much wider reporting of these resolutions.
Pastor Laura Saffell reports below on what happened when Western Pennsylvania United Methodists addressed some of transgender ideology’s harmful effects and unbiblical ideas. Rev. Saffell is an ordained elder in the Western Pennsylvania Annual Conference currently serving two churches in the Washington District. Over the past 24 years, she has served churches in both Western Pennsylvania and Alaska Missionary Conferences. She has been in leadership with the WPA Wesleyan Covenant Association (WCA) for the past few years and became the Chairperson in January of 2022. Per official statistics, the Western Pennsylvania Annual Conferences has more church members than any other conference in the denomination’s Northeastern Jurisdiction,
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Clarity & Hope from AC 2022
Annual Conference season is underway and most of the reflections from these gatherings across the United States are focused on disaffiliation and the challenges inherent in our currently fracturing denomination. Though we have similar challenges in our own conference, there is some good news to highlight coming from our very own Western Pennsylvania Annual Conference, where two pieces of legislation spoke with clarity to both our denomination and our culture.
Petition 14 written by Dr. Rich Hoffman and Rev. Dawn Krishart to send a strong message from the Western PA Annual Conference of the UMC to the commonwealth of Pennsylvania regarding degrading behavior against female athletes, specifically imploring the state to immediately enact legislation that would bar biological males from competing in female-exclusive sports competitions and participating as members of female-exclusive teams. The suggested avenue for messaging to the commonwealth was through United Methodist Advocacy in Pennsylvania, to petition for the enactment of this legislation by the Pennsylvania General Assembly, and to produce a report of actions they have taken and the results of their work. Discussion was robust in the section meeting and the legislation passed. It was then presented on the floor of the Annual Conference on the final day, Saturday, June 4, where it also passed. This is certainly cause for praise on the part of the writers bringing the legislation and the body of delegates who voted in support of women, advocating for them to enjoy the benefits of fair competition. We are grateful to be a voice for these women.
A second piece of legislation was written by Brenda Russell and Renaye Hoffman, both laity, and Rev. Roy Gearhart regarding Guidance on Local Church Reporting. With the requirement of local churches to report statistics to the General Conference on Finance and Administration, new reporting was rolled out in 2021 that included not only identifying male and female members of each local church but added a “non-binary” category, which conflicts with the current Book of Discipline that identifies only two genders. This new requirement put those reporting in a situation in which they would either be in violation of the Book of Discipline or reporting to GCF&A. The legislation was presented in section where it passed. However, when the legislation came to the floor, the bishop ruled it out of order. Rev. Nate Fugate, an ordained elder, rose to appeal the parliamentary ruling of the chair. After discussion, the appeal was approved by the body and P 23 was once again on the floor for discussion. It was subsequently amended and approved.
In both of these pieces, the prevailing message is one of clarity and hope as the writers and the advocates of those impacted spoke the truth in their love for God and love for their neighbors. We live in a hurting and broken and confused world that is desperate for words of hope and healing and clarity from the church that Jesus is building. We are grateful to speak these words and that they resonated with the people. Our prayer is always to point people to Jesus who is the only one who can bring healing and wholeness out of our brokenness.
For the text of the final version of these two United Methodist resolutions on transgender ideology recently approved by Western Pennsylvania United Methodists, click here or read below:
P14 END DEGRADING BEHAVIOR AGAINST FEMALE ATHLETES
WHEREAS Scripture teaches that, “God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” (Genesis 1:27) and, “I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know them full well.” (Psalm 139:14)
WHEREAS United Methodists commit themselves to, “guard[ing] against attitudes and traditions that would use this good gift [of gender diversity] to leave members of one sex more vulnerable in relationships than members of another.” (2016 Discipline ¶161.F)
WHEREAS members of one sex are left more vulnerable in relationships than members of another with regards to biological men participating in female sports,
WHEREAS studies indicate females have 37% – 68% of the muscle strength of males in general,
WHEREAS muscle strength has been considered a major factor on sport performance and other physical activities,
WHEREAS biological men who participate in female sports have been shown to have advantages in their respective sports, even after hormone treatments, because of their nature as biological males,
WHEREAS biological men who participate in female sports are eliminating opportunities for women to enjoy the benefits of fair competition, and diminish and demean their hard earned athletic accomplishments,
WHEREAS Pennsylvania has a clear example of this in the case of the University of Pennsylvania’s swimmer Lia Thomas who as a biological man holds an unfair advantage over competition in a women’s category, as evidenced by Thomas’ rankings that have bounced from #462 as a male to #1 as a female. Moreover, Thomas has been winning many events by incredible margins (including beating the second place participant in the 1650 yard freestyle competition by 38 seconds) due to upper body strength advantages that are typical of male biological sex.
WHEREAS incidents of women and girls being disproportionately affected by biological male athletes in sports are neither isolated nor waning, with situations arising in even high school sports as is the case with Terry Miller and Andraya Yearwood who placed 1st and 2nd the Connecticut indoor track championships.
WHEREAS policies which allow for biological male athletes to participate in female exclusive sports has the added detriment of restricting the speech of women who will not speak out on their own behalf for fear of being bullied or labeled as transphobic.
WHEREAS The United Methodist Church, “urge governments to enact policies that protect women against all forms of [..] discrimination in any sector of society.” This would include forcing biological females to compete against biological males, where they are at an intrinsic disadvantage, in gender exclusive sporting competitions. (2016 Discipline ¶162.F)
WHEREAS Bishop Moore-Koikoi has stated that we cannot direct, through legislation, UM Advocacy to do anything,
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the clergy and laity of the Western PA Conference of the United Methodist Church call upon the Pennsylvania General Assembly to immediately enact legislation that would bar biological males from competing in female exclusive sports competitions and participating as members of female exclusive teams.
THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Western PA Conference encourages United Methodist Advocacy in Pennsylvania to petition for the enactment of this legislation by the Pennsylvania General Assembly, and to produce a report of actions they have taken and the results of their work.
THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Western PA Conference’s Board of Church and Society, compile other action steps the Church and State could take to protect the wellbeing and prevent demeaning actions against women and girls by preventing biological male athletes from participating in PA gender exclusive sports and present these steps to the 2023 annual conference.
Richard Hoffman, Rev. Dawn Krishart
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P23 GUIDANCE ON LOCAL CHURCH REPORTING
WHEREAS Scripture states, “Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in abundance of counselors there is safety.” (Proverbs 11:14) WHEREAS, Scripture states, “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created the.” (Genesis1:27)
WHEREAS the General Council on Finance and Administration’s (GCFA) yearly statistical report required the administrative structure of the local church to state how many “non-binary” gender members there are in each charge (Year End Report Table 6c). WHEREAS the local church shall format their records and the content of those records in accordance with the stipulations of the General Council of Finance and Administration (¶¶233.1, 233.1.a 2016 Book of Discipline),
WHEREAS “The church council and all other administrative and programmatic structures of the local church shall be amenable to the charge conference” (2016 Book of Discipline 15 ¶¶ 244.1)
WHEREAS The charge conference, “shall promote awareness of and concurrence with the […] Social Principles (¶¶ 160-166)” (2016 Book of Discipline¶ 247.20)
WHEREAS The Social Principles affirms only two genders, male and female (2016 Book of Discipline ¶¶ 161.F; 162.F-G).
WHEREAS the Social Principles do not recognize “non-binary” as a gender.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Western PA Conference directs the chair of Conference Finance & Administration to send the General Secretary, Moses Kumar, (1 Music Circle North, Nashville TN 37203) of General Council on Finance & Administration this legislation which states Western Pennsylvania’s request that GCFA stop offering the option of ‘Non-Binary’ as a gender.
Brenda Russell, Renaye Hoffman, Rev. Roy Gearhart
Comment by Steve on June 17, 2022 at 5:30 pm
This is how you push back. Not up and run.
Comment by David on June 18, 2022 at 4:01 pm
The whole point of women’s sports is that men are perceived as having biological advantages over women and should not compete with them. People who have had the enhancement of male hormones should be excluded from women’s events.
Physically changing yourself to be another gender always struck me as unwise and possibly medically dangerous. People today have the liberty to pursue any of the interests traditionally associated with the opposite gender.
Comment by Rev. Dr. Lee D Cary (ret. UM clergy) on June 19, 2022 at 11:24 am
I happened on a summary of the comparison between the two “Methodist” churches that appear to be evolving from the UMC split around LGBTAQI+ issues.
Visuals comparing the dual “churches” are linked here:
(38) Global Methodist or United Methodist? – A Comparison of Perspectives – YouTube
If accurate: The “United Methodist Church” part of the equation – led by the current Council of Bishops – will surrender ownership of the brand. as the Wesleyan Covenant Association (WCA)/Global Methodist Church (GMC) adopt new identities and the progressives assume ownership of the brand.
While it is a clear victory for the “progressives” and a loss for the “traditionalists,” it is, I believe, a hollow one.
Comment by Steve on June 19, 2022 at 8:18 pm
Progressives assume ownership of the brand only if the traditionalists give it to them. Traditionalists outnumber progressives in the UMC and as the USA church decreases in membership and the African church increases in membership then it is increasingly unlikely the progressives will have the votes to implement their agenda – unless traditionalists decrease their numbers by leaving.
Also, the GMC has many issues in their traditional BOD that needs to be addressed. Such as their “no trust clause” being replaced by a “lien on property until money is paid” when churches want to disaffiliate from the GMC. It’s that type of wordplay and misleading promises that suggest the leadership of the GMC is no different than the UMC. Both denominations will need legislation to fix it. We already know where the UMC needs to be fixed.
Comment by Jim Radford on June 21, 2022 at 11:50 am
I’m proud of the stand taken by the Pennsylvania folks. There’s hope yet for Methodism, I believe. But this goes so far beyond the Methodist Church (notice that I did not include the “United” part, the great EUB’s notwithstanding. It’s just that calling itself the “United” Methodist Church, in my not-at-all-humble opinion, is a blatant and an egregious oxymoron): this is a culture and spiritual war. The battle is not against flesh and blood, but against powers and principalities and rulers of unseen spiritual darkness. Stand.