Traverse City’s Largest United Methodist Church Supports LGBTQ+ Inclusion.

The denomination is still discerning.

The following is a forum article Pastor Linda and Pastor Joan wrote for our community.

We hope to help people understand that, no matter what national headlines come our way as General Conference meets in North Carolina through May 3, Central UMC will remain committed to our mission and ministries. Thanks be to God.

After COVID delays, the General Conference of The United Methodist Church has begun meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina. This is the ruling body of one of the largest protestant organizations in the United States. It’s also very international. General Conference delegates represent 133 regions of the world. There are 10 languages being interpreted all at once. And American delegates have fewer votes than you might expect: 56 percent. Such diversity is beautiful. But it can also make it hard to make decisions.

Frankly, the last time General Conference met, in 2019, it was a disaster. National headlines reported that the denomination would not affirm same-gender couples seeking marriage, nor would it affirm LGBTQ+ clergy. The decision, and the debate itself, were both incredibly wounding, as were the headlines.

But none of that told the whole story. It certainly didn’t tell the story of what would happen next, especially here in the US. Instead:

In Michigan, LGBTQ+ clergy have been called, commissioned, ordained and sent to local churches. The statewide Board of Ordained Ministry released almost immediately a statement of nondiscrimination.

That same year, Central Traverse City, one of the denomination’s largest Michigan churches, affirmed its commitment to full inclusion and reconciliation. And today, couples who seek to marry in the church will not be discriminated against based on gender or sexual identity.

There have been churches that have left the denomination, but the vast majority exit because they neither support inclusion nor are willing to associate with churches and people who do. Those that remain are willing to be in community with people and churches that disagree. Central Church itself is a microcosm of this. Not all our members are in full agreement, but we remain one church. This kind of community challenges us to listen and invite transformation.

Now General Conference meets again and it has an opportunity to move the denomination forward. Honestly, we don’t know if that will happen. We could end up with the same heartbreaking and damaging headlines we have faced before: in 2019, 2016, 2012, and going all the way back to the 1970s.

But the local church is where ministry really happens, and Central Church will continue to embody God’s love and hope in our city – working among those without housing, assisting with immigration legal aid, and celebrating all of God’s beloved children. This will not change.

We are the church – a United Methodist Church. Open Hearts. Open Minds. Open doors. Thanks be to God.

About the Authors:

Pastors Linda Stephan and Joan VanDessel lead Central United Methodist Church in Traverse City. Pastor Joan was the first openly LGBTQ pastor ordained in the Michigan Conference in 2022. Pastor Linda was ordained in 2021.