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Over the past couple of weeks the Sun-Gazette has published several Associated Press articles about the momentous changes that took place within the United Methodist Church. Thanks for doing that even though, as is typical of the AP, the articles had a liberal slant. But notifying the local community of the changes was none the less appreciated. Over the past few years over 25 % of the UMC churches in the United States -over 7000 of them- left the UMC because they no longer wanted to be affiliated with a church that was increasingly ignoring the primacy of God's word as found in the Bible. Specifically, those churches were opposed to the larger church becoming more accepting of homosexual and transexual behavior.
There were many other Bible believing UMC churches locally and nationally that decided to take a wait and see approach. They were waiting to see what would happen at the recently completed quadrennial conference of the world body of the larger church. As reported, revolutionary changes were instituted because with the exit of so many traditional voices in the Church and the absence of so many representatives of the African Methodists, there was very little opposition.
So, the UMC has now gotten to a point where it endorses and has become a part of the Sexual Revolution. Homosexuality and Transexuality are part of the official new order. Homosexual marriage is accepted. In fact, UMC churches cannot refuse to hold such marriages in their sanctuaries. Homosexuals can now be ordained with the blessing of the Church. Gay and transexual clergy cannot be refused placement in any local churches. All offices of the international and local churches must be open to LGBT people.
Taken to its logical conclusion churches could find cross dressing men leading their childrens' Sunday school classes. And contrary to what one recent letter to the editor expressed in these pages recently, cross dressing is not just a case of playing dress up or pretend. Cross dressers are sexually stimulated by adorning themselves with the clothes of the opposite sex.
So, now the traditionalist churches who took the wait and see approach have seen. The time for waiting is over. It's time to act. The process won't be easy and it may be costly, but they need to do the work to extricate themselves from the new United Methodist Church. And God will bless them for doing the right thing.
JERRY KABAT
Williamsport
Submitted by email