Dear Friends,
As a United Methodist clergyperson, I was shocked and ashamed to learn that the Judicial Council of our denomination upheld the actions of one of our pastors in the Virginia Annual Conference. This action was the witholding of church membership from a man because of his sexual orientation. This same Council also defrocked one of our elders because of her sexual orientation. It is enough. No more.

The Church of Jesus Christ is not a club in which membership is held at bay for a host of bigoted reasons. It is the radically open community of love.

As pastor of Temple United Methodist Church, I will do all in my power to be certain that all people are welcome and that all people have access to the sacraments, services and fullness of life within our church.

The following letter is a modest attempt to apologize to the man who was denied membership. If you know of any pastors or churches interested in signing this, just have them email me at pastor@templeumc.org with their name, church, city and state.



AN OPEN LETTER TO A BROTHER IN CHRIST
WHO WAS DENIED MEMBERSHIP IN A LOCAL CHURCH
IN THE VIRGINIA ANNUAL CONFERENCE BECAUSE OF HIS SEXUAL ORIENTATION

Dear Friend in Christ,
We the undersigned United Methodist Pastors have learned with sorrow and shame that you were denied membership in one of the congregations within our great connection. Coming to the gates of a Christian community, only to find them locked because of someone else's prejudice must be a painful experience. On behalf the larger Christian community we wish to apologize to you.
Moreover, we wish to let you know that each pastor and each church mentioned below offers you the hand of friendship and connection in the name of Jesus Christ.
We don't know who you are, but we know that you are a beloved child of God. We don't know where you come from, but we know that we are all citizens in the household of faith. We don't know about your past, but we do know that when you enter the Christian community you possess a future of hope and new beginnings. In fact, we know nothing about you. But we do know that Christ died and rose so that the dividing walls between us might come down and that we might be one in the love of Christ.
So, over the narrow chatter of the law courts and the Pharisees of our denomination, we wish to extend to you the hand of welcome. Across the chasm of bigotry and narrowness within our own United Methodist community, we reach out to you with the love of our Savior Jesus Christ.
The Churches we serve wish to invite you into membership with us. We will welcome you and treasure you. We will embrace you and challenge you. We will nourish you and call you into service. And we will walk with you through the struggles that life brings.
We know the rejection you suffered cannot be erased. And again, as ones who are sister and brother clergy to the one who denied you, we ask for your forgiveness. Our hope is that this welcome will contribute in some small way to your healing. And we hope, too, to be able to welcome you in worship in one or all of our churches in the near future.

Keeping you in prayer and celebrating your faith, we are yours

In the peace of the Risen Christ,

Pastor Elizabeth Brick, St. Andrews United Methodist Church, Sacramento, CA
Pastor Jack Copas, Epworth United Methodist Church, Elizabeth, NJ
Rev. Richard Matsushita (retired), Cal-Pac Annual ConferencePastor Schuyler Rhodes, Temple United Methodist Church, San Francisco, CA
Pastor Kelvin Sauls, Downs Memorial United Methodist Church, Oakland, CA
Rev. Harry Shaner (retired) San Ramon Valley Charge Conference, Walnut Creek, CA
Pastor Dave Slorpe, Mill Valley United Methodist Church, Mill Valley, CA
Pastor Paul Sweet, Crystal Springs United Methodist Church, San Mateo, CA
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(to add your name to this growing list – there are far more than listed here – please email me at pastor@templeumc.org. include your name, church, city and state. Thank you._