Annual Conference passes five resolutions
The Rev. Rachel Headden asks a question during debate. Photo by Matt Brodie.
By Jessica Brodie
GREENVILLE—The body approved five resolutions at Annual Conference, four with little fanfare and one twice-amended that took an hour and forty minutes to debate.
The five resolutions passed are as follows: LGBTQIA+ Inclusion in Ministry; Our Responsibility for Personal Health; Upholding the Dignity of All Mothers; Supporting South Carolinians Living with Dementia; and Recommit to Collegiate Ministry as a Priority of the Church.
Originally, only the four latter resolutions were automatically and properly before the body, as they had been properly formatted and submitted by a conference board or group. As it was not submitted by a conference board or group, the LGBTQIA+ Inclusion resolution was referred to Committee on Resolutions and Appeals, and many thought that resolution might not go to the floor.
But the Rev. Steve Simoneaux, chair of the Committee on Resolutions and Appeals, said they felt the LGBTQIA+ Inclusion resolution should go before the body.
“We acknowledge a lot of hurt and a lot of healing are needing to take place,” Simoneaux said.
The other resolutions passed with no debate, with the exception of Our Responsibility for Personal Health, which was amended slightly.
LGBTQIA+ Inclusion
The LGBTQIA+ Inclusion resolution asks the conference to create a conference-level South Carolina Inclusion Team to support LGBTQ+ people, amplify their voices and equip local churches with helpful LGBTQ+ resources.
The team will actively supporting the LGBTQIA+ laity, clergy, and candidates for licensed/ordained ministry; center and amplify the voices and experiences of the LGBTQIA+ community, especially those who have been marginalized by church and society; create resources to equip local churches; and collaborate with ministry-specific areas, particularly children’s ministry, youth ministry, and campus ministry in the desire to effectively be in ministry with and for LGBTQIA+ people of all ages.
The body amended the resolution to delete a call for monitoring conference committees and policies, as well as to specify that—as the team would begin this year, and as budget recommendations are made far in advance—the first two years of funds for the team would be provided by donations.
Delegate Lynn Shirley, one of the submitters of the resolution, stood to support the resolution.
Shirley said that, as an openly gay man, while his church has openly embraced him, he knows this is not the case in all churches.
The Rev. Meg Wilkes, minister of discipleship at Clemson UMC, Clemson, and another of the resolution’s submitters, said she believes the resolution is sorely needed.
“I am very tired, and I have been fighting only the last decade. I know people who have been seeking inclusion for decades and decades and decades,” Wilkes said. “I am ready.”
But others did not support the resolution. The Rev. Barry Allen, pastor of the St. Luke-Salem Charge, Lancaster, has experienced one of his churches leaving the denomination over disagreements with the UMC over sexuality, and he believes the resolution will further divide people in a deeply contentious time.
“How far are we going to push issues of sexuality on our churches?” Allen asked, noting the General Conference decision to remove restrictive language from the Book of Discipline is more than adequate right now. “We do not need to keep pushing this stuff on the people called Methodist in South Carolina.”
The twice-amended resolution ultimately passed.
Our Responsibility for Personal Health
Our Responsibility for Personal Health was submitted by the Church and Society Work Area of Connectional Ministries.
The amendment passed with no debate, though a friendly amendment was made, adding “avoiding harmful substances” to the list of health commitments the resolution encourages.
The resolution encourages United Methodists in South Carolina to honor their bodies with respect and care; seek a balanced lifestyle that nurtures physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well-being; pursue wholeness by cultivating healthy relationships, practicing forgiveness and extending compassion; become educated in order to make wise decisions about well-being; support each other in making healthy choices; trust in God’s providence and guidance; and avoid harmful substances such as vaping and illegal drugs.
Upholding the Dignity of All Mothers
Also submitted by Church and Society, this resolution invites South Carolina United Methodists to commit to working to ensure all mothers, regardless of their race or ethnicity, receive compassionate and equitable health care; advocating for policies that eliminate disparities and promote the well-being of all women; working to dismantle systemic racism and discrimination within the health-care system; supporting community programs that provide education, resources and support to expectant and new mothers, particularly those in marginalized communities; advocating for access to quality health care for all mothers; and empowering women with the knowledge needed to make informed decisions on maternal health, family planning and reproductive rights.
Supporting South Carolinians Living with Dementia
Also submitted by Church and Society, this resolution commits to supporting our neighbors living with dementia through education and awareness, compassionate care, family support, community involvement and faith and spiritual support. The resolution noted more than 125,000 residents of South Carolina are living with dementia, and that number is projected to increase by more than 50 percent by 2050.
Recommit to Collegiate Ministry as a Priority of the Church
Submitted by conference Board of Higher Education & Campus Ministry and several pastors and campus ministers, this resolution asks the conference to encourage congregations to prayerfully consider how they may be uniquely equipped to support their nearest United Methodist collegiate ministry and connect their graduating high school with the appropriate campus ministry; encourages the conference to continue to support campus ministry financially to the best of its abilities; encourages district superintendents to advocate for campus ministry; invites campus ministries to advise their respective districts on how connection can continue to be cultivated; and encourages the bishop to continue in his advocacy for this ministry.