Same-Sex Marriage

When we Methodist preachers retire, we are required to establish an official relationship with a local United Methodist church within the bounds of the conference where we preachers have our membership.

Although I live in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, I am a member of the Baltimore/Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church, and my official relationship is with Dumbarton United Methodist Church located in the Georgetown section of the District of Columbia.

The choice of that church was deliberate. It is where my gay son and his family attend. It is also a Reconciling Congregation -- one that practices what Methodism preaches: Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors, and reaches out, specifically, to the gay/lesbian community.

The District of Columbia has now legalized same-sex unions, which means that Dumbarton Church was faced with a decision; should it obey its denomination's law barring same gender couplings or should it follow its church's teachings, not to mention Jesus', that every soul is a person of worth in God's sight, and should be the recipient of all the ministries the church has to offer.

It was a no-brainer for Dumbarton. It had come too far to turn back. An anti-war church, a sanctuary church, it would choose to follow its Lord.

The congregation adopted a policy of opening its altar to anyone -- regardless; and 13 of us retired clergy who claim that church as our official resting place, signed on the dotted line that we would be willing open to perform same gender marriages if called upon to do so.

I could do no other than sign up. When the Methodist Church was debating the practice of "blessing" same sex relationships -- back before any states had made them legal -- I told my bishop at the time, "I have married my daughter and one son, so if my other son comes and says he wan ts me to bless his same sex relationship I will do so."

So, we'll see what happens. My best guess is that this train is leaving the station, and the Methodists will get on board -- eventually -- and tag along, letting the Unitarian/Universalists and the Unikted Church of Christ lead the way.