Are United Methodists in danger of becoming a 'Chameleon Church?'

When the United Methodist Church opens its General Conference session Wednesday in Pittsburgh, it will be, as baseball great Yogi Berra would say, "like déjà vu all over again."

Except, the situation isn’t anywhere near as funny as Yogi. Quite the contrary, in that the scene in Pittsburgh — which is a repeat of past denominational conflicts where the issue of homosexuality reigned — is likely to be quite sad. The dissension and rancor will present to the world the antithesis of "see how they love one another."

It’s no wonder membership is slipping in my denomination. In fact, some say the United Methodist Church — the denomination through which I was led to faith in Jesus Christ — may be heading for a schism.

I pray that is not the case.

For the uninitiated, General Conference is made up of representatives from laity and clergy and is the only body that speaks for the United Methodist Church — not the Council of Bishops, not the General Board of Ministries, not the General Board of Church and Society, nor any other board or agency within the church.

General Conference meets every four years and among the many petitions facing delegates this session is Petition 40076. The petition is one of about 70 dealing with homosexuality and would remove from Paragraph 161G in "The Book of Discipline" the phrase, "we do not condone the practice of homosexuality and consider this practice incompatible with Christian teaching." It would replace that phrase with, "faithful Christians disagree on the compatibility of homosexual practice with Christian teaching."

The truth of the matter is we could say that about various aspects of "The Book of Discipline," which details the church’s Articles of Faith, polity, Social Principles and other points of doctrine. There are undoubtedly "faithful Christians" who disagree with the church’s stance on abortion, the environment, nuclear weapons, collective bargaining, affirmative action, euthanasia, gun control and other social issues. Some of those issues are more "hot-button" than others, and each member must prayerfully decide whether he or she can faithfully support the teachings of the church, or whether they would better serve in fellowship elsewhere.

For instance, a mentor was once counseling a candidate for ministry when the prospective pastor said, "I don’t believe women should be ordained." The mentor thoughtfully replied, "Well, you may be called, but perhaps you are not called to the United Methodist Church."

We all must make prayerful choices about where we are able to serve in good conscience.

The issue of homosexuality became more of a hot-button topic on March 20. It was then that a 13-member jury made up of clergy members from the United Methodist Church’s Pacific Northwest Annual Conference acquitted the Rev. Karen Dammann of violating church law. In February 2001, Dammann sent a letter to her bishop, Elias Galvan of Seattle, telling him she could "no longer live the life of a closeted lesbian clergyperson." According to United Methodist News Service reports, Dammann also disclosed that she was living in "a partnered, covenanted homosexual relationship."

(The Associated Press reported Dammann married her partner of nine years, Meredith Savage, in Portland, Ore., where Multnomah County officials allowed gay marriages earlier in March.)

Many United Methodists remain astounded that 11 members of the jury voted not guilty, while two remained undecided. The reason for the astonishment is clear in that "The Book of Discipline" states the following in Paragraph 304.3:

"While persons set apart by the Church for ordained ministry are subject to all the frailties of the human condition and the pressures of society, they are required to maintain the highest standards of holy living in the world. Since the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching, self-avowed practicing homosexuals are not to be accepted as candidates, ordained as ministers, or appointed to serve in The United Methodist Church."

Where else does "The Book of Discipline" maintain that the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching? It makes that very statement in Paragraph 161G, which Petition 40076 seeks to modify.

At least six Judicial Council decisions have concluded that "self-avowed practicing homosexual" is understood to mean that a person openly acknowledges to a bishop, district superintendent, district committee of ordained ministry, board of ordained ministry, or clergy session that the person is a practicing homosexual.

The fact that Dammann did that is not a source of debate.

Still, the jury, pooled from what many believe to be a rebellious conference in a decidedly liberal Western Jurisdiction, returned a verdict of not guilty.

This verdict would seem to be a done deal, for in a United Methodist clergy trial, the defendant has the right to appeal a guilty verdict; however, the church can not appeal a not-guilty verdict.

At times the Church feels pressed to reverse stances in favor of what is the current societal trend. Certainly some of those actions are positive biblical moves, such as the full inclusion of African Americans and women, and the abolition of slavery. Not surprisingly, there have been efforts to paint homosexuality in similar terms, claiming sexual orientation is a matter of genetic determinism. However, there are scientists who also believe there is a genetic determinism related to addictions.

Practicing homosexuals are welcome in the community of faith of the United Methodist Church, just as I was welcomed by a local church when I was struggling with substance abuse. Through the love of the community of faith, and the power of the Holy Spirit, I was able to overcome substance abuse. We all are "people of sacred worth," but it is unlikely I would have been an approved candidate for ministry had I still been using drugs and alcohol. I remain an alcoholic, and am approved for ministry as a licensed local pastor; however, I am not a practicing alcoholic — therein lies the difference.

So, the greater question is this: Is the Church called to blend in with all aspects of culture, or is it called to stand as an alternative?

It reminds me of a creature that I once saw slithering across the carport at our first home.

It was spring vacation and the wooden fence along the property line and flower beds had seen its better days.

My wife and I decided it was time to bite the proverbial bullet, buy some do-it-yourself fencing and replace the structure before it collapsed on the kids.

It wasn’t until I began to unload the fence that a childhood memory emerged on the carport. It was a chameleon — those funny little lizards that mysteriously change colors as a means of camouflage within their environment. How he managed to hitchhike to our home and survive the wind-blown ride from the store is as mysterious to me as the color-changing mechanism provided him by God. Still, the youngsters adored the little fellow and christened it "Mike."

After many months in an aquarium, Mike started to look a little pale and was released into the jungle we called a backyard. Hopefully his colors started working again and he was able to avoid our cats’ claws.

There are times when the Church acts a lot like Mike — seeking to blend in with current culture, or counterculture as is sometimes the case. Thus we have what could be known as The Chameleon Church:

• a church that molds Scripture to fit lifestyles, instead of disciplining a lifestyle in accordance with Scripture;

• a church that sets its colors so as not to clash with its surroundings, not wanting to offend its neighbors and congregants;

• and while its namesake is cold-blooded, a church that is likely to be lukewarm so as to blend in with society and put forth a doctrine that is easier to swallow — not too hot, not too cold, but just right.

Is that really what we meant by "Open Minds. Open Hearts. Open Doors," the multi-million dollar marketing campaign?

If denominations with declining membership are hoping to draw more converts by making doctrine more conforming to societal trends, it would seem they are wrong. It failed in the modern era and, if theologians such as Robert E. Webber are right, postmodern Christianity seems headed in the other direction — the direction of creating an alternative society, not seeking to blend in with current culture. By concentrating on "hot-button" topics, the United Methodist Church has likely missed a lot of waves.

In a letter to Timothy, the Apostle Paul wrote of a time when men will become haters of sound doctrine and follow those who tickle their itching ears.

It seems the tickler is the tongue of a chameleon.

The Rev. Frank "Buzz" Trexler is managing editor at The Daily Times and pastor of Green Meadow United Methodist Church, Alcoa, Tennessee. You can e-mail him at PastorBuzz@nxs.net.