The Youth Petition the Church

The youth group at First United Methodist Church, Omaha has a petition on Change.org entitled, "Demand that the United Methodist Church allow same sex marriage and gay clergy."  The group plans to send the petition to the delegates of the 2016 General Conference.

The youth find the UMC motto, "Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors" hypocritical in light of the denomination's ban on same-sex marriage and the ordination of LGBT clergy.  The image accompanying the petition symbolizes their impression of the UMC's heart--

At a Jan. 24 forum on General Conference hosted by First UMC-Omaha, the youth explained their position and asked the adults in attendance to sign their petition.  I am so impressed with these youth's ability to connect their faith to a social issue, to speak publically about it, and to take an action in support of reform.

These young people represent the majority opinion in the United States.  More than likely, this opinion will not represent the opinion of the majority of delegates to General Conference.  The delegates will gather and vote on proposed reforms over ten days (May 10-20) in Portland, OR. Follow the example of this youth group, and let the delegates know your position on these issues.