Star-Telegram: Protesters at Methodist conference in Fort Worth decry take on gays

According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram:

FORT WORTH -- Nearly 300 protesters, some wearing black armbands or black veils, marched into the Fort Worth Convention Center on Thursday at the United Methodist General Conference to show their disappointment that the church has not changed its stance against the practice of homosexuality.

During the walk, referred to as a "witness" by marchers and conference officials, protesters proceeded down the center aisle and shrouded a communion table in dark cloth to express sorrow over delegates' votes earlier in the week.

Nearly 1,000 delegates from around the world are gathered to determine church policy for the denomination, which has more than 11 million members. Votes affirmed the denomination's position against same-sex unions and that homosexual activity is at odds with Christian teaching. The delegates also voted that ordaining gays or lesbians as clergy violates Christian teaching.

Conference leaders called a recess and invited the protesters, some wearing buttons that said, "All Means All," to come forward. Some observers, delegates and bishops stood in support of the protesters. As the protesters left the floor, some wept or embraced.

Representatives of the protest groups and several bishops then met in a private area for what conference officials called "holy conferencing."Marcher Ed Hoar, 65, a retiree from Delaware, Ohio, said he works for a suicide hot line.

"I discovered what kind of pain we cause gay people," Hoar said. "They're just regular people trying to lead regular lives. ... There was an opportunity to do the right thing, but the church didn't have the courage to do it."

Reconciling Ministries Network, a Methodist group supporting equality for gays, lesbians, transgender and bisexual people, said the 10-day conference ending today has been characterized by "controversy and contradiction." The statement said that many of the delegates' decisions conflicted with wording imploring families and churches not to reject lesbians and gays.

But James Z. Labala, a conference attendee from Liberia, said he supports the delegates' decisions.

"I go with the church that these teachings are incompatible with the Bible," Labala said. "But I do think you need to be given the freedom like was done this morning [the protest]," he said.

The delegates' actions are "faithful to Christian teaching," said Mark Tooley, executive director of UMAction of the Institute on Religion and Democracy.

Before the walk, dozens of people lay down on the sidewalk and outlined their bodies with pastel chalk, symbolizing the hurt done them by the church through its limitations on the practice of homosexuality and limitations on gay and lesbians roles in the church.

Two Chicago lesbians attending the conference said they will have a same-sex spiritual union today near the Fort Worth Convention Center, attended by family and friends.

Julie Bruno, 47, a social worker, said she and her partner, Susan Laurie, 52, have been together for 25 years.

"In the general culture, there is a presumption that the legal bond and the covenant with God are the same," she said. "But with us, that's not an option. So this is a recognition of our covenant with God and God with us. God has been in our relationship since the beginning."

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Protesters at Methodist conference in Fort Worth decry take on gays
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