Bishop Melvin Talbert, retired from the Western Jurisdiction, said he wasn’t sure he would ever live to see the day when the church would elect an openly gay bishop.
“This means our church ”” at least part of our church ”” has finally come to the realization that there is no longer any place for exclusion. We are all children of God regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation or abilities. We would be blessed to invite all God’s people to their rightful place at the table.”
In a statement issued following Oliveto’s election, Bishop Bruce R. Ough, president of the United Methodist Council of Bishops, said, “This election raises significant concerns and questions of church polity and unity.”
Ough clarified that the Council of Bishops does not have constitutional authority to intervene in the election, but “is monitoring this situation very closely.”
He acknowledged that some in the church will view this election as a violation of church law and a significant step toward a split, while others will consider it a milestone toward being a more inclusive church.
“Our differences are real and cannot be glossed over, but they are also reconcilable,” Ough said. “We are confident God is with us, especially in uncharted times and places.”
Read it all from UMNS.
I have to get my glasses checked. I did a double-take when I initially thought the headline was “bishop who is a woman married to 2 other women.” I was thinking that the slippery slope is happening even faster than I thought.
“This election raises significant concerns and questions of church polity and unity.†This is a perfect time for dialogue or indaba.
I apologize #1 for any confusion, the software limits the length of headlines and it makes some of them hard to write well. I have edited it to be more clear now.
Sorry, Father Harmon–Like I said, it was my bad eyesight, not your headline. You are, however, probably aware of “Johnson’s First Law of Episcopal Thermodynamics” — one interpretation of which could be that that which seems preposterous today becomes reality tomorrow.