To: Bishop Ken Carter, President, Council of Bishops, The United Methodist Church
Dear Bishop Ken,
We were deeply touched by the open letter of the United Methodist Bishops to your LGBTQ+ kin and wished to respond with words of encouragement, faith and gratitude.
In your letter, you acknowledged the price paid by LGBTQ+ people when our relationships are discussed in Church Councils and Conferences. The hurt this causes is so often underestimated and so your recognition is important to us and reassures us that our pain is not hidden or dismissed.
Our request has always been simple: to be able to take our God-given place in the Body of Christ. We long for the promises of our baptism to be fulfulled in genuine and Spirit-filled fellowship. It is for that reason we are prepared to endure the hate, violence and rejection of those who are our sisters and brothers because, as you reminded us, we cannot say, “I have no need of you.” We do indeed belong to each other.
We write to you, as those who have been demeaned and dehumanised, whose relationships have been biologised and whose children have been refused the blessing of baptism, to thank you for your confession and words of repentance. In them, we find the rich soil from which reconciliation can grow and flourish. May your humility and contrition be an example to Methodist leaders around the world.
Your deliberations will have repercussions for the whole Wesleyan and Methodist family of which we are part. In Great Britain, we are also seeking the Spirit’s gracious guidance as we struggle to live well together with contradictory convictions. We pray that the Spirit of wisdom and gentleness, truth and holiness broods over the Special Session and allows each and all to engage in holy conferring together.
We want to assure you of our heartfelt prayers as you prepare to lead the United Methodist Church in its discernment of God’s purposes on the way forward.
Yours in Christ,
Ruby Beech | Revd Sam McBratney | James | Jenny Spouge | Revd J A Taylor | Laura Hill | Judy | Marion West | John Binns | Selina Nisbett | Brian James | Revd Mark Rowland | Robin Fox | Revd John Hayes | Revd Graeme Dutton | Charlie McQuaid | Deacon Bob Stoner | Penny Thorne | Rosalind Light | Dave Warnock | Jo Kay | Sue Pollard | Keith Salter | Vivienne | Revd David G Vale | Jenny Jones | Revd Roger Stubbings | Sheila | Joyce | Sheridan Pengelly | Revd Barbara Petitt | Delyth Liddell | Esther Green | Glayne Worgan | Geoff Best | Anne Hollows | Revd Ric Stott | Iain | Christopher Collins | Shirina Ibrahim | Angy Long | Revd Wendy Tucker | Mary Willis | Emma Elwell | Revd Neil Whitehouse | Nicky Townsend | Nick Waterfield | Ian Worsfold | Andrea Jones | Revd Sara Cliff | Jason McMahon | Nick Baker | Linda Beverton | Judith Laycock | Kate Bosman | Philippa Newis | Sue Marshall-Jennings | Alister McClure | Revd Mandy Briggs | Carole Challis | Revd Christine Sutherby | Revd Gill Baalham | Wendy | Alison Tomlin | Revd Rachel Borgars | June Oldfield | Muriel Sowden | Keith Albans | Revd Gareth Jones | Marty Presdee | Katherine Grace Reed | Carol Wilson | Revd Adam Stevenson | Melissa Quinn | Neil Manthorpe | Lynne Matthews | Janet Pybon | Deborah Install | Pam Gidney | Kim Shorley | Mo Onyett | Emily | Jon Purcell | Val Fowles | Ian Howarth | Margaret Sawyer | Revd Sally Coleman | Revd Steve Charman | Revd Jarel Robinson-Brown | Revd Shaun Sanders | Wendy Beard | Nel Shallow | Rob Wylie | Revd David Butterworth | Dave Shaw | Julian Bond | Diane Rowland | H Richard Hall | Julia Skitt | Barbara Jean Newland | Michaela Youngson | Steven Croft | Sally Rush | Stewart Blackledge | Revd Peter E Barber | Revd Rick Ormrod | Shadow Amery | Stuart Earl | Revd Dr Noel Irwin | Revd Phil Warrey | Lesley Cook | El Roberts | Stephanie Cooper | Rachel Frank | Aaron Barnes | Paul Edmondson | Zena & Richard Ridyard | Revd Mark F Pengelly | Deacon Kerry Scarlett | Revd David Coppard | Deacon Alison McMillan | Revd John Cooke | Bonni-Belle Pickard | Deacon Dawn Canham | Revd Deborah Cornish | Revd Jennifer Pathmarajah | Kathie Heathcoat | Paul Curtis | Liz Dooley | Steve Penrose | Revd Patrick Stonehewer | Christina Crow | Jacqui Tankard | Alison Ransome | Andy | Kat Pearson | Revd Bruce Anderson | Dorothy North | Revd Liz Singleton | Revd Pearl Luxon | Revd Farai Mapamula | Revd Rory Dalgleish | Revd Catherine Dixon | Revd Naomi Cooke | Revd Dalwyn Attwell | Anne Browse | Kim Osborne | Kath Collman | James Pritchard | Kate | Revd Andrew Orton | Revd Charity Nzegwu | Revd Simon Edwards | Revd Ruth Simpson | Sheila Sharman | Revd Gareth Phillips | Dr Jon Curtis | Graham Stockill | Revd Stephen Froggatt | Marie Attwood | Fran Rhys | Revd Gary Hall | Catherine Smith | Becca Byass | Revd Eleanor Smith | Revd Ruth Wilson | Sue Culver | Revd Anne Ellis | Gareth Moore | Revd Rach Ward | Natalie Hackett | Fran Milligan | Craig Virco | Steve Rogers | Eric Potts | David Coppard | Mary | Revd Steph Jenner | Revd Dr Iain Ballard | Sylvia Gnanapragasam | Bala Gnanapragasam | Revd Miriam Moul | Helen Lunn | Rach Collins | Revd Daniel Balsdon | Diane Allen | David Walton | Rachael Wilson | John Anderson | Deacon Jonathan Miller | Ken Wales | Revd Steven Foster | Revd Anderson Marsh | Alana Lawrence | Deacon Jenny Parnell | Revd Matt Lunn | Keith Norman | Julie Minns | Owen Roberts | Michael Pryke | Revd Andrew Hollins | Helen Harrell | Helen Kirk | Jill Barber | Peter Smith | Barbara Easton | Howard Smith | Ian Yates | Jane Warnock | Ben Riley | Sarah Cooke | David Clitheroe | Ruth Yorke | Revd Canon Dr Jennifer Smith | Revd Patricia Billsborrow | Revd Jo Rand | Daniel Dawkins | Revd Julian Hamilton | Judith Jessop | David Hollingsworth | Deacon Belinda Letby | Deacon Laura Evans | Denis Beaumont | Revd Dr Catrin Harland-Davies | Dottie North | John Lampard | Revd Silas Wood | Ruth Fry | Ruth Elizabeth Pickles | Judith Lampard | Revd Colin A Smith | Marie-Anne Kent | Revd Catherine Lewis | Jane | Jacky Goaten | Revd Jon Chesworth | Revd David Haslam |
Please let us know if you would like to add your signature to this letter to Bishop Ken Carter, the President of the United Methodist Council of Bishops.
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