Reconciling Ministries Network

The Reconciling Ministries Network (RMN) is an organization dedicated to the inclusion of people of all sexual orientations and gender identities in both the policy and practices of United Methodist Church. It is one of many Welcoming Congregation organizations to emerge in American Christianity in the 1980s.

History

The group was founded in 1983 as the Reconciling Congregation Program as part of Affirmation: United Methodists for Lesbian/Gay Concerns. It was created as a system for congregations to publicly support lesbians and gay men, and welcome them to full participation in the life of the church both locally and beyond the local congregation. The group was named "Reconciling Congregations" in reference to discussion regarding the need for reconciliation between gay people and the church.

In 1984, the United Methodist Church, at its General Conference, added to its Book of Discipline the statement that "no self-avowed, practicing homosexual shall be ordained or appointed in the United Methodist Church." Affirmation members gathered outside the meeting hall, inviting churches to join the Reconciling Congregations. Soon after, the first two congregations declared themselves to be part of the movement: Washington Square United Methodist Church in New York City, and Wesley United Methodist Church in Fresno, California.

As the program grew, it broke away from Affirmation, becoming autonomous in 1989. The name changed to its current name in October 2000 as a recognition that the diverse ministries the program was serving went beyond congregations.

RMN members have challenged United Methodist policies on same-sex relationships. After pastor Jimmy Creech officiated at a union ceremony for two lesbians, the church in 1996 adopted a policy forbidding any same-sex commitment ceremonies to be celebrated in United Methodist churches or by United Methodist pastors.

In 1999, ninety-five clergy officiated in a union service for Jeanne Barnett and Ellie Charlton. Later that year, Reverend Gregory Dell was tried and found guilty of violating Methodist policy in officiating at the marriage of two men in his church.

In 2000, more than two hundred twenty-nine members of the Reconciling Ministries and Soulforce were arrested at the United Methodist Church's General Conference. Twenty-nine more were arrested when they entered the conference floor to protest against church policies regarding LGBT people. At the 2004 General Conference, some conservative Methodists proposed that the denomination split over the question of inclusion of LGBT people, a proposal which did not meet with wide approval.

In 2006, the organization became active in a dispute over a pastor's right to refuse membership to a LGBT churchgoer.

It currently includes 221 United Methodist congregations, 28 campus ministries, 34 Reconciling Communities, and over 18,000 individuals.

Reception

In 1986, the Northern Illinois and Wisconsin conferences of the United Methodist Church supported the Reconciling Ministries, but The United Methodist Reporter refused to accept advertising from the group, saying that it violated Methodist policies by "promoting the acceptance of homosexuality." The publication eventually accepted a classified ad from RMN in 1994.

Structure

The network is broken down into core and extension ministries. Core ministries include Reconciling United Methodists, Reconciling Congregations, Reconciling Campus Ministries, and Reconciling Communities.

There are four extension ministries. They are UMOC: United Methodist of Color for A Fully Inclusive Church, MoSAIC: Methodist Students, Seminarians, and Young Adults for an All Inclusive Church, Reconciling Clergy Network (along with the Retired Reconciling Clergy), and the Parents Reconciling Network.

Convocations

The first convocation of the organization was held in 1987 in Chicago, Illinois. Convocations have been held biannually since then.

The 2005 convocation, "Hearts on Fire," was held at the United Methodist retreat at Lake Junaluska, North Carolina. It received much attention in the press, and was protested by members of the KKK.

The 2007 convocation, "Faith, Hope, Love," was held in Nashville, Tennessee at Vanderbilt University. This event was attended by almost 400 Methodists, including almost 50 young people.

Publications

In 1985, Reconciling Ministries Network began publishing the quarterly magazine Manna for the Journey. The magazine was renamed Open Hands in 1986. In 1988, it received the Award of Merit for publications with fewer than 10,000 subscribers from the Associated Church Press for its second issue, "Living and Loving with AIDS." In 1992, it again received the Award of Merit. The magazine ceased publication in 2001.

Reconciling Ministries Network publishes a quarterly newsletter, available both in print and online, called Katalyst. Additionally, there is a biweekly "Flashnet" e-newsletter, which is emailed to subscribers and also available on RMN's website.

External links

• Reconciling Ministries network official web page

Footnotes