General Conference 2008 Communications
Daily SQBs - Social Questions Bulletins
Daily Social Questions Bulletins
Throughout the General Conference, MFSA publishes a Social Questions Bulletin each day. Check back here for the most current issues. To open these files you will need Acrobat Reader, available free at www.adobe.com
| Bishops Support Witness on the Conference Floor Bishop Lawrence McCleskey called the plenary session Thursday morning to a special pause before the regular morning break in order to allow a powerful “witness” to occur on the floor of the conference. He invited the delegates to receive the witnesses, organized by the Reconciling Ministries Network and involving Common Witness partners MFSA and Affirmation, “in the spirit of hospitality and holy conferencing.” “As bishops we want you to know we’ve listened,” said Bishop Gregory Palmer. He named four listening points that bishops observe: to love, serve and lead; to continue prayerfully to remain in robust conversation; to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and live by the three simple rules; and to lead the church in making disciples for the transformation of the world. Hundreds of black-clad witnesses silently marched onto the floor, singing “Were You There When They Crucified My Lord?” They stood in the room in silence, filling the aisles in the shape of a cross, then placed black fabric shrouds over the Communion table. The bishop invited the delegates who wished to stand in solidarity with the witnesses to come to the Communion table, place a shroud and offer a prayer. The bishops encircled the table, some openly shedding tears. |
Click to Visit MFSA's Special Blog for reflections on 2008 General Conference You may subscribe to receive posts via your email. Brokenness Yesterday’s early morning witness at the entrance to the Fort Worth Convention Center required arriving delegates and visitors to step over and around the bodies of people symbolically lying wounded on the pavement at the entrance. Among the wounds they represented are those of rejection from membership, denial of orders, and unjust judgment of people for their sexual orientation and/or gender identity. As people lay sprawled on the sidewalk, others drew chalk outlines of their bodies. Some got up and others lay down, finally forming a maze of body outlines which gave pause to arriving delegates. Some stopped to talk with or pray over the supine bodies, others quickly looked away and rushed through. The event concluded with words of solace for the spiritual violence endured by LGBTQ people and their parents, pastors, friends and other allies during the earlier General Conference session, where several resolutions marginalizing and isolating them were passed in an attempt to close the church to them because of their very God-given natures. Witnesses wearing black left the area, singing “What Does the Lord Require of You?” |
Legislative Decisions Exclude and Wound Homosexuality in the Book of Discipline will continue to be defined as incompatible with Christian teaching, as a debate over 3+ hours resulted in a rejection of a majority report, and adoption of a minority report more stringent than the current ¶161G of the Discipline (The Social Principles).
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