To My Methodist Brothers and Sisters

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ.

You have something I covet. OK, that’s a bad beginning, but I’m a Lutheran, and we are known for being forward, earthy and abrupt. We also know for certain that we are not going on to perfection, and we’re fine with that. Anyway, you actually have two things that I covet. The first is your hand in Christian fellowship as a national mainline denomination that does not discriminate against gays and lesbians in the process of selecting pastors. I understand this may be beyond your ability to provide, and after all, why should you? Who am I to even ask you to do such a thing? I have a few reasons.

I own half of a UMC church building. My church purchased it three years ago when our two congregations got together and formed McMinnville Cooperative Ministries here in Oregon. I have a stake in what you do. And you have something I desperately want, and you no longer need, or at least can no longer use in good conscience. It’s your tag line, “Open hearts, open minds, open doors.” That is so good, and the TV spots that go with it are amazing!

But you have a problem. You are not open to gays and lesbians as ministers of the gospel. And now that the Presbyterians have come on board, you are the last of the mainline denominations to continue in this form of prejudice and discrimination.

I think you have several options here:

1. (My favorite) sell the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America your advertising campaign. We could give, say, a million dollars to UMCOR, and you could allow us to use your tag line with our church name. I covet this in a big way.

2. Un-tie the United Methodist Church. I hear from many of my Methodist colleagues in the west that it is the southern Methodist who stop you from taking this step. Just split (re-split?) down the lines of those who want to discriminate and those who do not.

3. Add some words to your tag line. Here’s what I’d suggest, “Open hearts, open minds, open doors—padlocked pulpits.” It has a ring to it, don’t you think?

I know this sounds a bit harsh, but I’m concerned. Your values, stated brilliantly in you advertising campaign, are out of synch with your actions.

We Lutherans took this step (as is our style) clearly in the middle of the pack. The Presbyterians took a bit longer, but made the decision in a very orderly and decent way. We were all preceded by the Episcopalians and the UCC churches. You just happen to be last, that’s all. It could have happened to any us. Really. And don’t fret that the US Military beat you to the punch as well. Our denomination has been in lock step with the US Army all along. That’s how radically liberal we are.

I know this won’t be easy. I have a friend who is a Lutheran Bishop in Montana, and she is in the process of consulting with 40 congregations who want to leave the ELCA because of our stance on gays and lesbians serving as ministers. We have lost revenue from congregations who are remaining in the ELCA, but want to make it known that they do not agree with this decision.

Our own joint Lutheran-Methodist congregation is going gangbusters. We have a very open welcoming statement advertising that we are explicitly open to gays, lesbians, transgendered and bisexual people. This openness has helped us to reach out to people who have been isolated from the church for many years. We celebrate our openness to these folks, except in one particular spot—the ordained Methodist Minister’s spot.

If you decide to change your policies in regards to ordained ministry that would be wonderful. I would invite you all out to wine country here in the Willamette Valley for a feast of fat things. I would throw in a beautiful “well aged wine, strained clear” but I know there is only so far you can push a Methodist--and enjoying good wine is clearly over that line.

Joy and Peace!

Mark C. Pederson, Pastor Trinity Lutheran Church of McMinnville Cooperative Ministries.