wfn.org | Demonstrators greet bishops to support church policy on

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homosexuality

April 28, 1998      Contact: Linda Green*(615)742-5470*Nashville, Tenn.
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By United Methodist News Service

LINCOLN, Neb. - United Methodist bishops attending their semi-annual
meeting were greeted by sign-waving demonstrators seeking support of the
church's doctrine on homosexuality.

At least 300 demonstrators met the bishops as the church leaders left an
April 26 memorial service at St. Paul United Methodist Church. The
demonstrators showed their support of the bishops and urged them to
uphold church tradition and the standards of United Methodism as found
in Scripture and the denomination's law book, the Book of Discipline.

More than 100 bishops from around the world are attending the Council of
Bishops meeting this week. The issue of homosexuality is one of many
topics on the agenda.

As the bishops emerged from the sanctuary at St. Paul, they greeted and
shook hands with the hymn-singing and placard-waving  group, who
represented United Methodist churches from around Nebraska and other
states. The demonstrators held signs with messages such as, "God's law,
not man's law" and "The laity uphold the Bible."

The council's president, Bishop Emerito P. Nacpil of Manila, the
Philippines, said the demonstration was the first he had seen in his 18
years of attending council meetings. What he saw at the demonstration
affirmed the language of the  Book of Discipline, he said. 

After the bishops left, the group entered St. Paul and held a United
Methodist laity rally. They discussed what they perceive as a crisis in
the church, listened to testimony, and sang and prayed. 

Speakers included members of First United Methodist Church in Omaha,
where a same-sex union was performed last September. The union led to a
church trial for the Rev. Jimmy Creech, who had performed the ceremony.
Creech was charged with disobeying the denomination's order and
discipline, which forbid United Methodist ministers from performing such
unions. A jury of eight clergy members found Creech guilty, but nine
votes were needed for a conviction. A key question in the trial was
whether the church's Social Principles, which include the proscription
against same-sex unions, were guidelines or church law.

The 1,900-member Omaha congregation, already divided by Creech's action,
split even further after the trial. Some members joined other United
Methodist churches, others left the denomination, and at least 300
people broke away and began holding worship service at Omaha Westside
High School.

"This has been a dark time at First Church," church member Tim Jakes
said during the rally. He cited John 8, in which an adulterer was
brought before Jesus for stoning, and Christ asked that those without
sin cast the first stone.

"First United Methodist Church is exactly the same," Jakes said. "We
welcome everyone into the church and love them. They are there for the
same reasons as us . . . asking for forgiveness." Just as Jesus told the
woman to go and sin no more, the church should do the same, Jakes said.

"First Church decided to promote the sin, and that is where I drew the
line," he said. "I will not condemn them, but I will not be part of a
church that promotes sin."

He said he will pray for the bishops this week as they carry out the
church's business and deal with the issue of homosexuality.

The bishops are already wrestling with the concerns about homosexuality
expressed by United Methodists after the Creech trial. This week, the
council is engaging in a process of discernment, in which the bishops
seek to understand God's will on the issue.

By the end of the meeting on  May 1, the bishops hope to make a
statement about their understanding of the General Conference's intent
regarding same-sex unions. The 1996 General Conference, the church's top
legislative body, placed language in the Social Principles barring such
ceremonies from being performed in United Methodist churches by United
Methodist ministers. 

The bishops also plan to issue a statement on the request from various
church groups for a special session of the General Conference to deal
solely with issues related to homosexuality. The conference ordinarily
meets every four years. 

United Methodist News Service
(615)742-5470
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