Portland Methodist churches celebrate removal of anti LGBTQ+ language

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — For congregants at Portland First United Methodist Church, a weight was lifted by a recent UMC decision to remove anti-LGBTQ+ language from its book of discipline and social principles on a global level.

But the decision comes after decades of darkness for many in the church, from clergy to lifelong members like Paul Nickell.

“I have had people ask me over the years, ‘Why did you stay? Why did you stay? Why didn’t you leave?'” Nickell told KOIN 6 News.

It’s a complicated question for him. In 1972, when he was 17 and just coming out as a gay man, the United Methodist Church added new language to its principles that stated homosexuality was incompatible with Christian teaching.

“Once I heard that,” he said, “that put me right back in the closet.”

He remained closeted for 8 more years. And he was not alone.

Reverend David Weekley of Rose City Park United Methodist hid his identity from congregants as a transgender man for 28 years.

“I couldn’t deny my call,” Rev. Weekley said. “So I thought, well, I will be the best pastor I can be. And when the time comes, I’ll let that be what speaks and see where it goes.”

In 2009, when his kids were old enough, he and his wife Deborah felt the time was right to share his story. He came out to his congregation at Epworth UMC in the Hawthorne neighborhood.

“There were colleagues who tried to press charges to take my ordination. But because there’s no language about transgender people in the book of discipline at that time, there was nothing they could pursue,” Weekley said.

He’s since written two books that cover both his transition journey and being a transgender person of faith.

Even though some individual colleagues were upset, he said the Western jurisdiction of UMC has historically been more progressive than other areas of the country. Weekley was Rev. Carly Hodge’s pastor when she was in college — before either of them had come out.

“Knowing him and seeing his journey here gave me strength to know that, OK, people are doing this,” Rev. Hodge of Parkrose United Methodist said. “People are getting brave and telling their stories and living into their calls to ministry, and maybe I can do this, too.”

She met her future wife in a Kansas City seminary and encountered big road blocks. They decided to move to Portland where there are many so-called “reconciling” churches.

“What it means is that we are reconciling all people into our church family. and that we are welcoming everyone,” said Cacky Cromer of Portland First UMC. “Doesn’t matter whether they’re gay, straight, disabled, whatever. All races and ethnicities, everything. And so, we reconcile them together as one.”

Cromer also helps organize Portland First UMC’s involvement in the Pride parade.

For decades Portland First and many other congregations in the Western jurisdiction essentially ignored UMC’s social principle and book of discipline to participate in events like the Pride parade — even when the church doubled down on anti-gay language at the general conference in 2019.

That time period was difficult for Portland First Rev. Karyn Richards-Kuan. She knew she could be sanctioned for something like performing same-sex marriages.

“It wasn’t a surprise to me that this was happening. It wasn’t a surprise that I would potentially be faced with a choice to follow my conscience and the faith that was instilled in me, that I would be breaking the rules of the church and potentially cost me my credentials so I could no longer pastor,” Rev. Richards-Kuan said.

Ricky and Pam Mitchell previously belonged to a more conservative UMC in Texas. They said they fought to keep their son visible in church.

“Our oldest son is gay, so we experienced it as parents, watching our child, watching the damage churches can do to LGBTQ+ folks,” they said. “We had to make sure he was recognized. And all our LGBTQ people were recognized. So, we did things, like, I have my rainbow shoes. I wear them to church every Sunday. I have a rainbow hat I wear quite often.”

They said coming to a reconciling church like Portland First has been incredible.

The decision this past April at the general conference to remove the anti-LGBTQ language came with much celebration — and controversy.

Since 2019, when it became clear the more progressive UMC churches would fight for inclusivity language, 25% of UMC congregations in the US have left. Many joined the newly formed Global Methodist Church.

“The people left at the table want to be at the table together. They care deeply about one another even if they don’t agree with one another and that’s something we have not had for a long time,” Rev. Richards-Kuan said.

The one thing all of these people have had during the ups-and-downs is their unwavering faith.

“Someone wise once told me, you can either make a point or make a difference. And if you want to make a difference you have to stay, because if you leave, you cannot change the church,” Nickell said.

Rev. Carly Hodge realized “the best place to effect change is from within the system.”

They did. But as they move forward, they’re working to repair damage from decades of pain.

“There’s grief. There are the people who have died never seeing this day,” Rev. Weekley said. “There are people’s lives who were ruined, devastated, can’t recover. so it’s a mixed thing. It’s a great thing and moving forward, I hope it’s wonderful.”

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