The United Methodist Church is in a season of great upheaval. The start of the Global Methodist Church and the disaffiliation of hundreds of United Methodism congregations has left our denomination in a state of uncertainty. It was decided in an informal meeting on Pentecost Sunday 2022 that Two Rivers Church would undergo a series of meetings and conversations with the intent of making a clear statement as a local congregation.
Continue reading “Conversations around LGBTQ inclusion”Pentecost discussion of LGBTQ inclusion
Pentecost is June 5. This is the day that we celebrate the “birth of
the Church.” We commemorate the story in Acts when the Holy Spirit descends upon the disciples. They have an ecstatic religious experience. Peter declares to the gathering crowd, “I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Young people will see visions. Your elders will dream dreams.”
We will gather to discuss our vision and our dreams of what Two Rivers United Methodist Church can be. We are facing a crossroads in the United Methodist denomination. As the Church grapples with issues of sexuality, gender, and inclusion, decisions have been delayed for several years by the COVID-19 pandemic. Travel restrictions, technology difficulties have delayed decisions that were set to be made in 2020. It has been decided that the next General Conference will take place in 2024, where decisions about the nature of the future church will be made.
Continue reading “Pentecost discussion of LGBTQ inclusion”