Neddy grew up in a small
town in Georgia. He started Sunday school at age two. He and all his friends
attended the confirmation class. Then the exciting day arrived, and they were
all confirmed in a wonderful worship service. He was now a full member of his
church—where he grew up, his community.
As the years went by, Neddy began to notice that he was not like
the other boys. He did not care about girls as they did. His interests were in
art and music.
In college Ned regularly attended the local United Methodist
Church and was active in the Wesley Foundation. When he talked to the pastor
about joining, however, he was told that he would not be allowed to join. Ned
asked him why, and the pastor told him that he would not accept gays as members.
Ned was devastated; his very own church would not accept him.
When he was told about the rule that was passed at General Conference
about gays, he decided to attend the next General Conference, which was
meeting in a neighboring state. He wanted to join with others to try to change
the rule that kept him from joining the very church he belonged to and had
grown up in.
I was seated near him at one session and saw Ned collapse in tears
after a vote failed to pass a proposal to change the hateful rule.
How long will Ned, and many others like him, be kept out
of our church? How sad that one of our own children was not allowed to be a
member! As a mother myself, I wonder how his mother feels. Can we continue to
belong to a church that does not accept some of our own children? What would
Jesus say about Ned being rejected so heartlessly?
Will the public find our church
acceptable in the future? I fear not.
