No Such Law

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Additional LGBTQ related rulings No. 0417-2 A review of Bishop Webb’s ruling of law on an untitled resolution adopted by the Northeastern Jurisdictional Conference which sought to impose a “moratorium upon Bishops within the NEJ on initiating and processing of complaints and initiating of investigations and trials based upon the sexual orientation or marital status of faithful United Methodists or involving clergy for same-sex marriages.” Bishop Webb rules the resolution unconstitutional and the Judicial Council will review his argument. Regardless of the JC’s analysis, the NEJ has modeled Biblical Obedience in the writing, putting forward, and adoption of this resolution on non-conformity and the spirit of their work remains intact. No. 0417-4 A motion was made at General Conference on May 19, 2016 to refer a petition to the Judicial Council for review. The petition would, in effect, require any bishops who had a complaint filed against them and admits to a chargeable offense during the just resolution process to receive a mandatory penalty. Similar petitions regarding clergy were ruled unconstitutional by the Judicial Council already and this docket item will confirm whether or not the former Judicial Council ruling No. 1318 applies to this nearly identical petition and is thus unconstitutional. No. 0417-5 - Bishop Middleton’s ruling of law from the New York Annual Conference will be reviewed by the Judicial Council. Her analysis in response to two questions regarding the ordination process proposed that Boards of Ordained Ministry are not required to “ascertain” (implying an investigation) whether or not a candidate is “a self-avowed practicing homosexual” before recommendation for commissioning or ordination. The Board is simply required to “measure, evaluate, and discern” a candidate’s fitness for ministry. Bishop Middleton also ruled that voting on a candidate’s fitness for ministry cannot be based on speculations or beliefs about their sexuality. No. 0417-6 - Bishop Dyck’s ruling of law from the Northern Illinois Annual Conference will be reviewed by the Judicial Council. Her analysis was a response to the same two questions proposed in the New York Annual Conference in the ruling above. Her analysis also maintained that requiring Boards of Ordained Ministry to “ascertain” information about a candidate’s sexuality (or other aspects of living the “highest ideals of the Christian life” as expressed in the Book of Discipline’s qualifications for ministry) is not within their role. Bishop Dyck likewise argued that basing a vote for or against a candidate’s readiness for ministry based on a “belief” about their sexuality is akin to hearsay and inappropriate for discernment of the candidate. She also included a statement that ruled the NIC Board of Ordained Ministry’s public statement made last year “out of order.” The statement declared the board’s unwillingness to include sexual orientation or gender identity as a factor in their discernment of a candidate’s readiness for ministry. Regardless of the Bishop’s or the Judicial Council’s ruling on the board’s statement, their commitment to non-discrimination is applauded as an act of Biblical Obedience that requires no affirmation of law from any institutional body for effectiveness in supporting LGBTQ candidates for ministry. #NoSuchLaw Galatians 5:22-23
Worship resources PRAYER God of eternal hope, You have shown us what is true. In the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, we have seen that there are no powers or principalities that can extinguish your work for Love, Justice, Healing, and Wholeness for all of your creation . In Christ’s relentless pursuit of you, political and religious leaders alike attempted to use tradition, law, and structures to silence truth, halt compassion, destroy hope, and strike fear in the hearts of all who would follow him. However, your faithfulness triumphs in the face of every threat. Even in death, you are still creating new life. Through the resurrection of Christ, you have shown us that there is nothing at work greater than your Love. No law can keep us from being gentle. No policy has the power to stop us from being faithful. No structure can erase Love. The Spirit is moving and wherever we are willing to join in her work, she will birth fruit through us. Help us to trust that wherever we see the fruits of your Spirit, you are there too. And help us to live in absolute defiance of any law that attempts to call the fruit of your Spirit anything other than holy, anything other than blessed, anything other than you with us. In the name of the One who paved the way for us to follow, Amen. CALL TO WORSHIP Holy One, you have assured us that though we cannot see the Spirit herself, we can see the fruit of her work in one another, in our lives, and in the world. We know she is there wherever we see love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against these things, you have told us, there is no such law. When we see gentleness in speaking to the belovedness of the ones the church has called “incompatible,” we proclaim that against these things: There is no such law. We know that whenever there is faithfulness to your call despite having to navigate ordination processes and episcopal elections steeped in discrimination and harm, you too are there. And we proclaim that against these things: There is no such law. We know that wherever there is patience enough to withstand 45 years of persecution and yet maintain joy, hold on to kindness, and grasp internal peace enough to push forward as a collective group, the Spirit has long been at work. And against these things we say with certainty: There is no such law! Against the fruit of your Spirit, no law can stand. Thanks be to God.
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