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 | "There is pain among gay and lesbian people, pain among those who feel that further discussion may compromise their faith, pain among congregations divided over the issue of homosexuality." Curt Miller, Executive Director of the Disciples office of Communication Ministries. 1 |
The denomination:
The Christian Church has its headquarters in Indianapolis, IN. It is a liberal Christian denomination, numbering about 834,000 members in the U.S.
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Policy statements
In 1997, the Disciples of Christ urged the enactment of "legislation on local, state and national levels which will end the denial of civil rights and the violation of civil liberties for reasons of sexual orientation."
The resolution specifically recognized that "the church, among other elements of society, has contributed to the persecution and suffering of homosexuals, and it is its culpability in this regard which provides one reason for seeking a more enlightened understanding."
Support Group
"Gay, Lesbian & Affirming Disciples", (GLAD) is a support group for gay and lesbian members and their supporters within the denomination. Their goal is "full dignity and integrity of gay, lesbian, bisexual and affirming people within the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)." Their address is: GLAD Alliance, P.O. Box 44400, Indianapolis, IN (USA) 46244-0400. 1 They have two quarterly publications, Crossbeams and Crosscurrents. GLAD has area chapters in many urban centers in the U.S.
Gay/Lesbian Clergy
We have found two geographical regions within the denomination that have gone on record as stating that they will not ordain non-celibate Gays and Lesbians. They are the Northeast Region (NY and New England) and the Southwest Region (TX & NM). On the other hand, the Northern California Region has declared itself "Open & Affirming" which is a term used by the Disciples of Christ and the United Church of Christ to indicate their acceptance of gay and lesbian people into full involvement within the congregation as members and clergy.
General Assembly activities:
| 1997: The Assembly asked the church to reflect on the participation of gays and lesbians in the life of the church. One year later, the Administrative Committee called for the development of a discernment process that congregations could use to engage the question. 2 | ||||||
| 2001: A 16-member committee has spent three years listening to
the positions of church members. They tried to assess whether the members
supported a denominational affirm of homosexuality. They made a
presentation at the 2001 Assembly on the Process of Discernment on the
Participation of Gays and Lesbians in the Life of the Christian Church
(Disciples of Christ) They recommended that each local
congregation undertake a lengthy, seven-step discussion process, called
discernment. The steps are: an introduction, spiritual preparation,
listening to stories, Bible study, telling personal stories, next steps in
relating to gays and lesbians, and consecration. As expected, there was a wide range of comments:
Committee member Gregory Alexander of Lexington, Ky., told the convention that: "Discernment always occurs in stages. This process cannot be an end in itself. Further reflection, prayer and spiritual examination will be required." Leaders of the Church said that there is no timetable, nor inclination, to settle on a firm denomination position. 3 |
Reference:
- GLAD Alliance's home page is at: http://www.gladalliance.org/ Their Email address is: glad@gladalliance.org
- Curt Miller, "Disciples enter discernment process on gays and lesbians," General Assembly, 2001-JUL-17, at: http://www.synodassembly.net/
- Scott Charton, "Church convention airs differing views on gays," The Star, Kansas City. See: http://www.kcstar.com/item/pages/
Copyright © 1997 & 2001 by Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance
Latest update: 2001-JUL-23
Author: B.A. Robinson
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