Many United Methodists nationwide have reacted with dismay to the recent action of the General Conference, which, instead of “finding the way forward” concerning our church’s stance on human sexuality, took a bad stumble backwards. Some are talking schism, and many are concerned about what lies ahead.

It is good to remember that God is yet at work! The church has suffered great imperfections and troubles in ages past, and the Lord has always brought God’s people forward. We may yet have a ways to go “in the wilderness,” but God’s future lies ahead.

We are called to have faith and remain steadfast. We are also called to keep our eyes open to the working of God’s Spirit.

We are called to keep our eyes open to the working of God’s Spirit. Click To Tweet

In the first century, during a dispute in the church over the qualifications for church membership, God led church leaders to finally see that God was working in ways far greater than what some had imagined. The Holy Spirit was powerfully filling the Gentiles—people who had long been considered unacceptable among God’s chosen people—and if God was accepting the Gentiles as they were, it was obvious that the church needed to accept them too!

Today the Holy Spirit is powerfully at work among LGBTQ people, and the Spirit is moving churches to be communities of welcome and acceptance. It is a continuation of a central message of the Bible—that we are each a good creation of God, and while we all stumble in our own ways in sin, we are each met by the grace of Jesus Christ, who draws us into fellowship with God, and calls us to show that grace to all.

Sunday’s Scripture Readings:
Acts 10:44–48
Acts 15:1–11

About the Author

Dr. David A. Palmer has been the senior pastor at the United Methodist Church of Kent since 1995. He has a B.A. from Wittenberg University, a Master of Divinity from Duke University, and a Doctor of Ministry from Princeton Theological Seminary. A native of Wooster, Ohio, he has served three other churches in east Ohio before coming to Kent. He and his wife, Mavis, have three children.

One Comment

Karen Drotar March 8, 2019 at 9:37 am Reply
Dear Rev. Palmer,
Thank you for this post. Indeed many of us are dismayed, angry, and ashamed of the actions of the 2019 General Conference. I certainly am! But you are correct in saying that God is yet at work. Our LGBTQ members and their families are important to us. Many of us are committed to John Wesley’s Three Simple Rules and we will continue to work to Do Good, Do No Harm, and Stay in Love with God. Our local churches, more than ever, need to reflect the Gospel of Jesus Christ and not the actions of the General Conference.
Most sincerely,
Rev. Karen Drotar

Notes from the Pastor

The Way Forward for Our Church

About the Author

One Comment