March 15 was an important moment in the life of Broadmeadow United Methodist Church. That was our last Sunday of in-person worship before going completely virtual for several months due to COVID-19. On that day, we gathered after worship to count ballots sent to all active members. When the ballots were counted, over 75 percent of our membership voted to align our congregation with the Reconciling Ministries Network, the association of United Methodists who seek full inclusion for LGBTQIA+ persons in our denomination. As of writing this, Broadmeadow is the first and only United Methodist congregation in Mississippi that has officially claimed this identity.
This decision was a culmination of many months, and indeed years, of discernment among the members of Broadmeadow. Our congregation has long considered itself open and welcoming to everyone. Several years ago, one of our Sunday School classes designated itself as Reconciling, of which there are several in Mississippi.
The turning point for Broadmeadow was the 2019 General Conference of the United Methodist Church. General Conference is the worldwide gathering of delegates that is the only body that speaks for the whole Church. While usually only every 4 years, the bishops of our church called a special session last year in order to deal specifically with the UM's disagreements surrounding acceptance of LGBTQIA+ persons within the Church. The United Methodist Church currently does not allow the ordination of "practicing homosexuals" or the conducting of same-sex weddings by our clergy or in our churches. There was a hope among many that the 2019 General Conference would finally loosen some of those bans. Unfortunately, that is not what happened. Instead, the 2019 gathering attempted to further tighten the restrictions. Many of our members were heart-broken over this decision. Some withdrew membership, no longer able to call themselves United Methodists.
In August of 2019, several members of Broadmeadow came before our administrative board and requested that our congregation consider joining RMN. As one member said: "At this point, not taking a stand is taking a stand." Broadmeadow entered into a period of discernment. Even in the midst of difficult conversations and disagreements, everyone conducted themselves in a spirit of Christian love. LGBTQIA+ persons affiliated with the church were participants in discussions and studies, and commented on how it was the first time they did not feel like they were points up for debate, but instead were loved and accepted members of the community.
In February of 2020, as a congregation, Broadmeadow adopted the following statement of inclusion:
Believing that the Holy Scriptures and the example of our Lord Jesus Christ direct us to embrace all people, Broadmeadow United Methodist Church proclaims with joy that everyone is a beloved Child of God and is welcome to full participation in all aspects of church life. We celebrate the diversity of humankind, where people of any gender identity, sexual orientation, age, economic status, faith history, marital status, race, ethnicity, or mental/physical ability are created in the image of God and worthy of God’s love and grace. We especially reach out in love to those who have experienced pain, exclusion, or discrimination from the church or society.
A statement of inclusion is required to become a member of RMN. It was adopted by an affirmative vote of over 90 percent of our voting membership.
In March, we sent ballots to every active member of the congregation asking if they did want Broadmeadow to align ourselves with RMN. RMN requires that a congregation vote 75 percent or higher in affirmation. Ultimately, the vote in favor exceeded that threshold.
We believe that becoming a community that explicitly welcomes and affirms LGBTQIA+ persons was both living into who we already were, and is essential to our Christian witness. We desire to be a place where anyone can feel safe and know they are loved by God.
We have placed ourselves in loyal opposition to our denomination. We believe the UMC is wrong in its continued rejection of LGBTQIA+ persons from full participation in the life of the Church. We believe it is unjust and harms the witness of our beloved United Methodist Church. But, it is our beloved Church. We are committed to remaining a part of this world-wide fellowship of Christians. John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, described those who have chosen to follow Christ as "moving on toward perfection." We believe that, through our action, we are helping the UMC move toward perfection in love...love of God and love of neighbor. We hope we can inspire other congregations and faith communities to make the move toward being fully affirming. And we hope that our little congregation, in the heart of Mississippi, can be a place where everyone can find welcome and know that God loves them for who they are.
If you'd like to know more about our church, our website and social media pages are below. We are currently back to in-person worship, every Sunday at 10:30 am, and we livestream and post our services on our social media accounts. Everyone is welcome, loved, and affirmed at Broadmeadow. We'd love to see you. Come join us.
