US

In a few days, our community will meet in the first ever Canadian National Conference.  For many years in Canada we have been talking about GBLT issues.  In response to the guidance in Doctrine and Covenants 164, serious, deliberate, planned dialogue on the matter began in 2011 in preparation for the coming conference.  Now we come together to measure our level of consensus on the matter. 

The conference will seek to measure the level of support on two questions. 

• What is your level of support for a change in policy to allow Priesthood of Community of Christ to perform the sacrament of marriage for same-sex couples in Canada?
• What is your level of support for a change in policy to allow for the sacrament of ordination of individuals in a same sex marriage in Canada?

From my viewpoint, here is where we are. 

Currently, same-sex  couples in Canada have the right to be married, and have equal rights under Canadian law with heterosexual couples, however Community of Christ Priesthood have never been given the right to perform their weddings.  Question one above asks if we support giving ministers who would like to do so that right.  That is all.

Presently, persons of homosexual orientation can and do serve in Community of Christ priesthood.  I personally know both men and women who serve the church with love and distinction as single, gay or lesbian men and women. These are women and men who are humble, gentle, gracious people who love God and have devoted their lives to serving the church.  People love them and their ministry appears to be very well received.  Were they to marry, however, they would need to resign from priesthood and their ministry.  Question two above asks if we are ready to change that.  In my view, that is all.

In recent days there have been a number of emails, some from people I deeply love and respect, making their way around the airwaves expressing some level of anxiousness.  Some of these have taken an “us and them” tone, which I find disappointing.  This is not about us against them, we against they, conservative against liberal,  rural against urban, young against old, or anyone against anybody.  This is about our community prayerfully and faithfully seeking to discern how to best be the presence of Jesus for our day and time.  We meet together as fellow disciples of the Prince of Peace and God of Love.  No matter whether the conference recommends a change or not, our feelings of love and respect for each other must not change.  We may and do think differently.  We may not all agree in our understanding of what God is doing in the church or in the world, but we must and do agree on the fundamental statement of Jesus about what matters most; to love God and love our neighbour as we love ourselves. 

So lets not have any more “us and them” talk.  There is no us and them.  There is only us.

Posted by Carman 

Conference

One month from today World Conference begins. Ideas, concepts, emotions around conference vary from person to person, place to place. It is so interesting how folks think about it.

In one place people say to me things like "you must be really excited" or "I'll bet you can't wait for it" or "are you ready for all the excitement?"

Somewhere else I've been asked "so what are the big changes coming out of conference this year?" and "are you getting nervous?"

Questions implying a whole range of my supposed feelings about the experience have stopped surprising me.

What I am thinking about conference is that this is an opportunity for a large and very diverse number of people to come together to talk and to listen, to consider, to share opinions and maybe even to form new opinions. In fact, it's very important to come with that willingness to be open to new information, differing perspectives, with the possibility that something entirely different from my original idea might emerge!

I've sat in the midst of our elected delegation many times now; I'm very aware that we don't all think alike. We don't even think alike as to the way we "do Conference." I may sit next to you and vote the opposite way you do. But I hope we've both done our homework, got as familiar with the questions as we can (maybe by checking in here ) and then been as prayerfully present as we can possibly be so as to be ready to raise a hand when the time comes.

Will it be exciting? Yes. Will there be changes? Yes. Will I change? Probably. Do I know how it will all turn out? No. Because we still have a whole lot of conferring yet to be done. Are you getting ready?

Posted by Marion