Nå begynner alternativene å bli klare når det gjelder United Methodist Church’s vei videre med tanke på homofilispørsmålet. Biskopsrådet vedtok fredag (4.mai) å gå inn for modellen som kalles «the One Church Plan». I følge den, skal de omstridte formuleringene om homofili i kirkeordningen strykes. Sentralkonferanser, årskonferanser, lokale menigheter og pastorer stilles deretter i stor grad fritt i forhold til hvilket syn og praksis de vil følge.
Samtidig som et flertall i Biskopsrådet går inn for sentrumsløsningen «One Church«, vil Biskopsrådet også at de to andre modellene som kommisjonen Way Forward har overlevert, skal legges fram for den ekstraordinære Generalkonferansen I St. Louis 23.-26. februar 2019. Det er modellene som kalles «The Traditionalist Plan» og «the Connectional Conference Plan«. Begge disse har støttespillere innen Biskopsrådet og kirken. The Traditionalist Plan vil beholde og og tildels skjerpe dagens kirkeordning som sier at homofil praksis er i strid med kristen lære, mens the «Connectional Conference Plan» vil innebære at UMC i praksis deles i tre fløyer/kirker etter teologiske skillelinjer og/eller synet på homofili, under en felles overbygning. I følge denne modellen må kirkens årskonferanser velge hvilken av de tre fløyene/kirkene de vil tilhøre.
Bølgene går allerede høyt på sosiale medier etter Biskopsrådets møte som ble holdt i Chicago denne uken, og avsluttet torsdag 4. mai. Hjemmesiden kommer tilbake med mer informasjon etterhvert, men nå gjelder det for alle bevisste metodister å henge med i svingene og følge med på diskusjonen/debatten og avklaringene som må skje innen kirken – til syvende og sist også i vår lokale menighet.
Inntil videre anbefaler vi alle å lese redegjørelsen fra Biskopsrådet som vår biskop Christian Alsted har lagt ut på Facebook: ( og et par andre linker som dere finner linker til på slutten av denne saken)
Biskop Christian Alsted formidlet denne pressemeldingen meldingen sent fredag kveld (4. mai) , rett etter at Biskopsrådets møte i Chicago var avsluttet:United Methodist bishops, meeting in Chicago, engaged in a prayerful process to discern a way forward. At the conclusion of the discernment process, the Council of Bishops strongly approved the following motion and rationale:
Having received and considered the extensive work of the Commission on a Way Forward, the Council of Bishops will submit a report to the Special Session of the General Conference in 2019 that includes:
• All three plans (The Traditionalist Plan, The One Church Plan and the Connectional Conference Plan) for a way forward considered by the Commission and the Council.
• The Council’s recommendation of the One Church Plan.
• An historical narrative of the Council’s discernment process regarding all three plans.
Rationale: In order to invite the church to go deeper into the journey the Council and Commission has been on, the Council will make all the information considered by the Commission and the Council of Bishops available to the delegates of the General Conference and acknowledges there is support for each of the three plans within the Council. The values of our global church are reflected in all three plans. The majority of the Council recommends the One Church Plan as the best way forward for The United Methodist Church.Guided by the mission, vision and scope document, the bishops agreed to recommend the One Church Plan. This plan provides conferences, churches, and pastors the flexibility to uniquely reach their missional context while retaining the connectional nature of The United Methodist Church.
The One Church Plan allows for contextualization of language about human sexuality in support of the mission; and allows for central conferences especially those in Africa to retain their disciplinary authority to adapt the Book of Discipline and continue to include traditional language and values while fulfilling the vision of a global and multicultural church.
This plan also encourages a generous unity by giving United Methodists the ability to address different missional contexts in ways that reflect their theological convictions. The One Church Plan removes the restrictive language of the Book of Discipline and adds assurances to pastors and Conferences who due to their theological convictions cannot perform same-sex weddings or ordain self-avowed practicing homosexuals.
The Council’s discernment process was guided by the over-arching desire to strategically help the General Conference do its work and to honor the General Conference’s request for the Council to help the church find a way forward.
“With convicted humility, bishops want to be pastors and shepherds of the whole church in order to maximize the presence of a United Methodist witness in as many places in the world as possible and with as much contextual differentiation as possible,” said newly installed Council of Bishops President Ken Carter.
The bishops expressed deep appreciation for the hard work that the 32-member Commission on a Way Forward Commission did in formulating the three plans; the Traditionalist Plan, the One Church Plan and the Connectional Conference Plan.
While the bishops recommended the One Church Plan they affirmed that the Connectional Conference Plan and the Traditionalist Plan held values that are important to the life and work of the church and will be included in the final report to the Special Session of General Conference that the bishops have called for Feb. 23-26 in St. Louis, Missouri, USA.
Bishop Carter, who served as a one of the moderators of the Commission, said the bishops are adopting a spirit of collaboration with the Commission, and an attitude of respect for the delegations who will take up this work on behalf of the whole church.
“The Council’s prayerful deliberation reflected the diversity of the global denomination on the matter of homosexuality and many other matters. The Council affirms the strength of this diversity and our commitment to maintain the unity of the church,” Bishop Carter said.
Full details of the plans and accompanying legislative proposals will be released as soon as final editing of the entire report is completed and translated into the official languages of the General Conference. It is estimated this will be no later than July 8.
Hjemmesiden anbefaler også følgende:
En video hvor Biskopsrådets leder, biskop Bruce Ough forklarer rådets anbefaling av «One Church Plan»: Biskop Ough (video)
Nyhetssak: Nyhetssak fra UMC News
For å demonstrere noe av spenningen/motsetningene viser vi også til et par umiddelbare kommentarer fra to helt ulike fløyer.
Jan Lawrence som er Executive Director i Reconciling Ministeries Network ( «liberal»): Reconciling Ministries Network
John Lomperis på Institute on Religion&Democracy’s blog Juicy Ecumenism (konservativ): IRD
TRONDHEIM METODISTKIRKE 