November 7, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: James V. Heidinger II
859-858-4661 or 859-338-5576
Tom Lambrecht
920-757-5101
WILMORE, KY -- The attached statement is a response from Good News to the recent Judicial Council Decisions as well as to the Bishops' Pastoral Letter sent out November 3rd by the bishops to their annual conferences. The Bishops' Pastoral Letter was prepared and sent by the Council in the midst of its fall meeting at Lake Junaluska. The letter was in response to Judicial Council Decision 1032, which affirmed a pastor's right to determine one's readiness for membership in a local church.
"We are disappointed that the Bishops' Pastoral Letter does not affirm more clearly the Judicial Council decision (1032), but instead appears to be raising questions about it," said the Rev. James V. Heidinger II, President and Publisher of Good News, an evangelical renewal ministry with the United Methodist Church. "We are not sure what the intent of their response is," said Heidinger. "We are left wondering if they were questioning the decision, disagreeing with it, or just seeking to clarify the decision and reaffirm the church's commitment to be in ministry to all persons."
Good News notes in its statement that it is significant what the Pastoral Letter does not say. "It does not state that it 'disagrees' with the Judicial Council or that Decision 1032 was wrong, nor does it ask the Judicial Council for a review or reconsideration of the decision. They might have tried any of the above three options, but it is doubtful such action would have received unanimous approval."
The Bishops' pastoral states that in considerations for membership, "homosexuality is not a barrier." "At this point, the Bishops were not clear about what they mean," said Heidinger. "We would assume, being very familiar with this debate, that they purposefully mentioned simply 'homosexuality,' rather than 'homosexual practice.' For most all of us, homosexual orientation or inclination is not in itself a barrier to membership."
The Pastoral Letter cited brief portions of the church's standards about human sexuality from the Social Principles. Good News board chairman, the Rev. Tom Lambrecht, Greenville, WI, noted the risks of selective quoting from the Social Principles, which could send a distorted message to our church and world. "The carefully-balanced statement of our Social Principles affirms the sacred worth of every person, while at the same time clearly acknowledging the Biblical witness that certain behaviors are contrary to God's will and Christian teaching. Our confused, sexually licentious society needs to hear a clear word of faithful teaching and correction, not an ambiguous message that would lead some to believe sinful behavior is somehow acceptable to God," said Lambrecht.
Good News noted that it is important for United Methodists to remember what was determined in the recent Judicial Council decisions:
1.) In the Beth Stroud decision (Decision 1027), The Council upheld the church's standards prohibiting the appointment of clergy who are self-avowed practicing homosexuals; and
2.) In Decision 1032, affirmed that pastors have the right to make the determination about a person's readiness for full membership in the church.
Good News also noted that Rev. Ed Johnson, the pastor who had been placed on "involuntary leave of absence" and would now be reinstated to an appointment, was at the time responsibly involved in ministry with the man he was counseling about membership in his local church.