aiden choles

The Methodist Church (my church) is on the precipice of a dilemma. In fact it may already be there. Just recently a Methodist minister who is gay has been suspended for getting married. According the the laws and disciplines of the church, this is not legal. Ecclesia broke the rules and she was suspended. But the issue is deeper than that - it is about the legitimacy of homosexuality within the church.

The issue has been around for ages. The difference now is that it is firmly within the Methodist stable. We are used to hearing about the conflict surrounding the same-sex debate within the bounds of other denominations i.e. the Catholics, Anglicans, etc. Now, it is a Methodist issue and we cannot escape it. The debate does seem to revolve around gay marriage in the church. The constitution allows it, the church does not.

As an elder in my local church (Northfield) I am especially convicted that the church's "non-stance" of the last few years is wholly inadequate and that the time has come to act. I have a lot to say about the subject, and I am preparing myself for some very stern conversations amongst the elder's about the topic (especially when I consider the desire not to talk about it that surfaced in our last elder's meeting). But then I ask myself why I am so convicted by an issue that is not my own: I am straight. Is this my battle to fight? Is it my cross to carry?

In a recent email conversation amongst straight and gay friends, I started to articulate why I'm so passionate about this debate:

Again, I'm delving deep into my heart why I feel so convicted by this matter. There's a side of me that finds homophobia offensive (especially the subtle practices of the church) and insults my very nature as a human being. There's a side that dislikes marginalisation. There's a side that knows my own sexuality is not a polar issue ... rather a continuum. There justice at stake. There's equality at stake.
In a moment of weird lucidity I would admit to believing that the Spirit is convicting and prompting the church to change, despite how contrary it might seem in comparison to the traditional six-gun/anti-gay scriptures.

There you go.

There'll no doubt be more to come ...