St. Luke's Reconciling Statement

As a Reconciling Congregation in the United Methodist Church, we welcome into our congregation persons of any age, gender, race, sexual orientation and or preference, marital or socioeconomic status, and physical or mental ability. St. Luke's public reaffirmation of our continuing welcome and inclusion of gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender (GLBT) persons, and their families, is a reflection of our welcome and inclusion of all of God's children and our continuing goal of expressing God's love and desire for justice in our world.

While the national United Methodist Church, sadly, does not yet formally welcome active members of the GLBT community into its ministry and fellowship, the St. Luke's joins the hundreds of other individual United Methodist churches, who have publicly affirmed that they welcome GLBT members and their families. The friends and members of St. Luke’s are called to love one another as God loves us -- freely and unconditionally -- and we hold deeply our commitment to help bring about a peaceful, loving, just, and accepting world. In our faith tradition we are commanded first to love God, and second to love one another. The God we worship created diversity, and we are enriched by the talents and participation of each person who graces our community of faith. We come from different perspectives and experiences and seek God's guidance as we work together to bring peace and justice to the world and to our community.

We follow in the Wesleyan understanding that "scriptural holiness entails more than personal piety; love of God is always linked with love of neighbor, a passion for justice, and renewal in the life of the world. As a Congregation we are dedicated to working within the larger institutional church toward a more enlightened understanding of the Word and Will of God as God continues to speak to us through the lives and experience of GLBT children of God in our midst. That will be done in part by our example of loving acceptance of all who share our faith in a loving, compassionate, and merciful creator.

With respect and love for one another, we celebrate God's family in all its diverse forms and honor, support, and bless all loving, committed relationships. In the spirit of John Wesley, we commit ourselves to working diligently to end the oppression and discrimination that afflicts some of God's children in our society. We welcome all of God's children to join our open and reconciling congregation and share fully in our church's life and opportunities for ministry.

December 2, 2004 Beth Stroud, a pastor at First United Methodist of Germantown in Philadelphia, is defrocked in a United Methodist church trial in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference for being a practicing lesbian in a committed partnership with another woman.

December 5, 2004 Sandi Stroud, Beth's cousin, announces the outcome of the church trial during the "Joys and Concerns" portion of worship service and asks for the congregation's prayers for the United Methodist Church in general, as well as for her cousin and her family.

December 30, 2004 A documentary entitled "The Congregation" premiers on PBS, chronicling a year in the life of Beth Stroud’s church (http://www.pbs.org/thecongregation/).

January 16, 2005 Beth Stroud is invited to preach at St Luke's on Martin Luther King Jr. Sunday. During the benediction, Pastor Anne Yarborough movingly offers Beth her stole (which Beth was forbidden to wear at the time) and declares: "I hope I can say this. But I know the day will come when you'll be wearing stoles again. And I hope this will be among the ones you wear."

February 2005 A small committee is formed to explore the possibility of St Luke's becoming a Reconciling Congregation. The committee investigates the requirements and develops a draft statement to recommend to the Church Council.

April 17, 2005 The Reconciling Congregation committee presents a statement to the Church Council and discusses with the council the options for proceeding with consideration of becoming a reconciling congregation. The Council determines to have a church-wide meeting to discuss the idea.

May 15, 2005 A church-wide meeting is held after worship service where the concept and the statement are presented to the entire congregation for open discussion. It is decided at this meeting to give people the opportunity to express their opinions more privately in the coming months through letters, email and a comment box.

June 19, 2005 The Council discusses feedback shared during and since the May 15th church-wide meeting, and the importance of approaching those who have concerns about reconciling congregations. A motion is approved unanimously to include the new pastor, Dave Myers, in the ongoing discussion once he comes aboard in July.

July 10, 2005 The Church Council agrees to call for a special charge conference on Sunday, September 11, 2005, so the members of St. Luke's can vote on whether to become a Reconciling Congregation.

August 28, 2005 A motion is passed by the Church Council to recommend to the congregation the adoption of the following Reconciling Statement: As a Reconciling Congregation in the United Methodist Church, we welcome into our congregation persons of any age, gender, race, sexual orientation and/or preference, marital or socioeconomic status, and physical or mental ability. St. Luke's public reaffirmation of our continuing welcome and inclusion of gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender (GLBT) persons, and their families, is a reflection of our welcome and inclusion of all of God's children and our continuing goal of expressing God's love and desire for justice in our world.

September 11, 2005 Following worship service, a church-wide special charge conference is convened by District Superintendent Dave Argo at which members of St. Luke's are invited to vote on whether to become a Reconciling Congregation.