Dear Bishop Peggy Johnson,
Today has been designated as “National Coming
Out Day” and therefore I wanted to take this day to stand with our homosexual
sisters and brothers who are in committed monogamous relationships throughout
the Peninsula-Delaware Annual Conference and who are being discriminated
against by The United Methodist Church.
As you are aware, both the State of Maryland and
the State of Delaware now fully recognize same sex marriage, and the federal
government has taken steps to insure those couples who are wedded in these
states are given full and equal standing under the law. Yet, The United
Methodist Church and her clergy are forbidden from celebrating, facilitating,
hosting, or officiating holy marriage ceremonies even in states where all couples
can be legally wed.
Recently retired Bishop Talbert, a champion of
civil rights, charged all members of The United Methodist church, both laity
and clergy, to begin acts of “Biblical Obedience” by refusing to be bound to
man made rules in our Book of Discipline that clearly stand against the
commandments of our Lord Jesus. Bishop Talbert said, “It is time to be welcoming to all people. Find ways
in your congregation to say Sunday after Sunday after Sunday that ALL are
welcome; a vocal expression that all are welcome in this place. It is time to
be in conversation with individual pastors about your belief in Biblical
Obedience. Tell them that you believe the position of the church is wrong, and
you can no longer, with integrity, continue to support the discrimination
against LGBTQ persons. There are consequences to taking such a stand, but there
comes a time when you have to decide to whom are you accountable. Are you
accountable only to The UMC or are you also accountable to God? One has a moral
responsibility to disobey unjust laws.” This commission comes
prior to your own declaration that, “I am speaking up for my LGBT brothers and
sisters. As a person of faith, I believe we need to protect the rights of all
people” Your words personally invite those of us who are members of the
Peninsula-Delaware Annual Conference, and all people of faith, to seek ways in
which we might join you and Bishop Talbert in standing for what is just in
regards to discrimination of lesbians and gays in our church.
As you are aware I am in my second year at the
Lancaster Theological Seminary, and have begun the candidacy process for
ordination as an elder within our denomination. This comes after years of
confirmation of my calling by my local church, my pastors, my family, my
friends, my coworkers, my seminary peers and even words of affirmation given by
you and my District Superintendent personally. Inquiring of these same people
who know me personally will validate my thoroughly deep and lived out Wesleyan
beliefs and standards of both personal and social holiness.
However, on this day I want to make a clear declaration.
If I am ordained, or appointed as a local pastor while in provisional status,
in the Peninsula-Delaware Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church I
will not turn away any homosexual couple, meeting all the same qualifications
as a heterosexual couple, who present themselves to me and ask for me to
perform their marriage ceremony. I would also allow them to hold such a wedding
in one of our churches, as weddings are worship services that should be held in
the house of God. I will welcome these couples with an open heart, mind, and
doors as our church has proclaimed to do for over a decade.
Therefore, in light of this declaration, I am
asking whether you personally, along with my District Superintendent and
District Committee on Ministry, will continue to support my candidacy process
in this annual conference. Will you continue, “speaking up for my LGBT brothers
and sisters” and “protect the rights of all people” or should I seek ordination
in another annual conference, or even denomination, that no longer will stand
for the open discrimination being practiced by the church?
I look forward to your response.
Soli Deo Gloria
Asa David Coulson
October 11, 2013 ~ the Feast of Saint Phillip,
the Evangelist and Deacon
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