wfn.org | Newsline: Church of the Brethren to begin denomination-wide conversation on human sexuality

[CoBNews <CoBNews@brethren.org>]

Newsline: Church of the Brethren News Service, News Director Cheryl Brumbau gh-Cayford, 800-323-8039 ext. 260 or 224-735-9692, cobnews@brethren.org<mai lto:cobnews@brethren.org> or cbrumbaugh-cayford@brethren.org

CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN TO BEGIN DENOMINATION-WIDE CONVERSATION ON HUMAN SEX UALITY

(June 29, 2009) San Diego, Calif. -- The Church of the Brethren Annual Conf erence has acted on two business items related to issues of human sexuality , setting in motion at least two years of intentional denomination-wide con versation. The action took place on June 28 at the annual meeting of the Ch urch of the Brethren, held this year in San Diego, Calif.

The delegates from congregations and districts of the church voted to accep t the two business items, "A Statement of Confession and Commitment" and "Q uery: Language on Same-Sex Covenantal Relationships," as special response i tems to be dealt with using a newly revised process for strongly controvers ial issues.

In doing so, the Conference turned down a recommendation from its body of d istrict delegates to postpone the query until a later time.

"A Statement of Confession and Commitment" came from last year’s district  delegates, addressing the issue of homosexuality as one that "continues to  bring tension and division within our Body," confessing that, "we are not  of one mind on this matter," and declaring that the church's 1983 paper Hum an Sexuality from a Christian Perspective "remains our official position."  The statement acknowledges tension between different parts of the 1983 pape r, confesses "meanness and fighting" over the issue, and calls the church t o stop unchristian behavior.

"Query: Language on Same-Sex Covenantal Relationships" was sent from Beacon  Heights Church of the Brethren in Fort Wayne, Ind., and Northern Indiana D istrict. It asks "whether it is the will of the church that this language o n same-sex covenantal relationships will continue to guide our journey toge ther" referring to a sentence in the 1983 paper that same-sex covenantal re lationships are "not acceptable."

Larry Dentler and Janice Kulp Long presented the recommendations on the two  items from the body of district delegates. Long also is on the pastoral te am at Beacon Heights Church of the Brethren, which sent the query.

"We are a diverse group, just as the delegates of our congregations are div erse," said Dentler, who reported that last year after the delegates from t he 23 districts adopted their statement he felt "amazed that we could be un animous...because there were persons of all theological perspectives." Afte r further discussion this year, he realized that "some of us were seeing th ings in different ways." Some see the statement as saying that the 1983 pap er is one "we need to stick to," he explained, while others see the 1983 pa per as simply "what we have," and that the 1983 paper really opens up more  opportunity for discussion.

"Others’ perspectives help me understand myself and our (church) body bet ter," said Long. "Our denomination can only find a way through present brok enness as we seek God’s light together."

She also clarified that the Beacon Heights Church intends with the query si mply to ask, "What words regarding covenantal relationships could God lead  us to today?"

Debate on the two items was lengthy and marked by lines at the microphones,  with many people wanting to speak. A group of young adults read a statemen t calling for support and inclusion of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgen der people. Other expressions ranged from affirmation for an intentional de nomination-wide conversation, to commitment to biblical authority and the B ible’s teachings on homosexuality, to weariness with the amount of time a nd energy already spent on the issue over the years. Some expressed a desir e to immediately reopen the 1983 statement. Several speakers said that it w ill be impossible for the whole church to come to agreement.

"There comes a time when you have to agree to lay things to rest," said Jam es Myer, speaking at the microphone from the floor. He is a minister at Whi te Oak Church of the Brethren in Manheim, Pa., and a leader in the Brethren  Revival Fellowship. Myer had served on the committee that formulated the 1 983 statement.

Myer spoke in support of a denominational conversation, but "with some relu ctance" he said, because the church already has worked on this for 30 years . He said his support for further conversation came out of observing the di strict delegates’ process, "that it was possible in this day and time to  come up with something that received unanimous approval."

The Church of the Brethren is a Christian denomination committed to continu ing the work of Jesus peacefully and simply, and to living out its faith in  community. The denomination is based in the Anabaptist and Pietist faith t raditions and is one of the three Historic Peace Churches. It celebrated it s 300th anniversary in 2008. It counts some 125,000 members across the Unit ed States and Puerto Rico, and has missions and sister churches in Nigeria,  Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and India.

># # #

>For more information contact:

>Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford

>Director of News Services

>Church of the Brethren

>1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120

>224-735-9692 (cell, before July 4)

>800-323-8039 ext. 260 (office, after July 6)

>cobnews@brethren.org

>cbrumbaugh-cayford@brethren.org