"Hearts on Fire" - The Lake Junaluska Controversy

A problem's been a stirrin' over at Lake Junaluska. And the question is what to do about it.

It seems that a group called Reconciling Congregations, who support the ordination of homosexuals and same-sex marriage...and who disrupted General Conference last year, have decided to have their conference at Lake Junaluska this September. And what a hornet's nest this is stirring up.

This post will be rather long, but in it I place three things. 1st is a letter from my District Superintendent, Rev. Steve McDonald (D.S. of the Greenwood District of the Mississippi Annual Conference). 2nd is the article that he has submitted to the Advocate (the Mississippi A.C. newsletter). And 3rd will be a link to an explanation from Jimmy Carr, executive director at Lake Junaluska, of their actions.


Rev. McDonald's letter to the clergy in the Greenwood District


Dear Greenwood District Colleagues,

Many of you will have had questions concerning the upcoming “Hearts on Fire” conference being held at Lake Junaluska over the Labor Day weekend by the Reconciling Network of Gay-Lesbian-Bisexual-Transgendered United Methodists. Some have received an appeal from AFA or Don Wildmon to withhold payment of apportionments to protest, and a large number of you have called me to ask about all this. I ask you to think clearly and carefully before you advocate non connectional activities by your church or lay people. Keep in mind all the good things that happen every year for United Methodists through the programs and events sponsored by the Southeastern Jurisdiction and Lake Junaluska. None of our apportionments are going to this Labor Day event, and to withhold giving does nothing to prevent or punish the Reconciling Network, but may profoundly injure the good work of our church. There are those who benefit from controversy and embarrassment of the United Methodist Church, in that it helps them in fund raising.

Lake Junaluska is in a legal quandary. The real villain of this situation, in my opinion, is the Reconciling Network, which has been having meetings for years in places that raised no controversy. They have been careful and clever in avoiding any technical violation of the language of the Discipline. It seems clear to me that they chose Lake Junaluska precisely to generate the maximum publicity and to embarrass and damage the mainline United Methodist Church, especially in the Southeast, where traditional Christianity is strong. I have also included a letter I have written to the Advocate, so you will understand my take on this whole mess.

I remain available to talk with any of you who would like to call about this.


Grace and Peace,

Steve McDonald


Rev. McDonald's letter to the Advocate


CONSIDERATIONS
IN RESPONSE TO THE “HEARTS AFIRE”
CONFERENCE AT LAKE JUNALUSKA

The impending conference of homosexual, lesbian, bi-sexual and trans-gendered United Methodists scheduled for Lake Junaluska Assembly for Labor Day weekend is an occasion to reflect on our church, its values, processes and directions. The freedom of United Methodists of any persuasion to gather for any purpose is not at issue. Homosexual persons are free to meet and discuss subjects of mutual interest, just as we all are. A constructive, theological dialogue on same sex attraction and homosexual practice would be very helpful to all parties. The letter of church law is also not at issue. The Discipline (Para.806.9) forbids the expenditure of church funds to promote the acceptance of homosexuality. There appear to be no church funds being spent in connection to the conference. The groups involved are paying for the use of the Assembly, as other hosted gatherings do.

The concerns which arise over this planned event are, therefore, not legalistic or technical. There are, however, serious concerns raised by this event which deserve consideration. These concerns fall into three categories; financial, spiritual, and theological. The consistent majority of United Methodists are in agreement with the language and positions of the Discipline regarding homosexuality and Christian faith and practice. To be presented with an agency of their own jurisdiction playing host to groups whose expressed purposes include changing the positions of the church flies in the face of their sensibilities. Lacking legal grounds to respond and express dissatisfaction with the decision to host the event, many United Methodist laypersons and churches will withhold funds in protest. I anticipate this will be a significant problem in many Annual Conferences, but none so profoundly as here in Mississippi, the home conference of the Director of Lake Junaluska Assembly. The effect might be limited to the SEJ line item, or it might spread to adversely impact all apportionments. This is unfortunate, and inappropriate. No monies from the SEJ will be spent on this conference, and to penalize other apportionments is to cripple vital ministries and missions wholly unrelated to Lake Junaluska; like throwing the baby out with the bath water. I encourage those unhappy with the Assembly’s decision to write, call and e-mail officers and staff of the SEJ rather than cripple essential programs of faithful ministry by withholding giving.

The second concern is spiritual. While the letter of church law is being observed in this case, the spirit of our covenant life is being broken. There is no doubt whatsoever that one of the primary objectives of this conference is to build support and plan for the effort to change the law of the United Methodist Church, and to take steps to build greater acceptance for homosexual practice, marriage, and ordination. I know of no other organization or association in America that would condone and facilitate the undoing of its own basic principles. This is not a blanket condemnation of persons with same sex attraction, or of the right of any person to gather for a variety of purposes. But, the involvement of the church, through one of its own facilities, in enabling the dismantling of its own established beliefs is incomprehensible. It appears to violate, in some very basic ways, the spiritual covenant of United Methodists to live their life together according to a shared standard expressed in church law.

By far, the most troubling concern raised by this conference is theological. To embrace the practice of homosexuality, not to mention bi-sexuality or trans-gendered lifestyles, one must first dispose of several very clear statements in scripture opposing homosexual practice, clear and consistent teachings in scripture about male-female marriage, and two millennia of development of theology and doctrine regarding the authority of scripture and the nature of God’s self-revelation. In addition, any theory of Biblical interpretation which allows for the removal or reinterpretation of these texts and their supporting tradition and church history will, necessarily, also remove, along with the prohibitions of homosexual practice, the exclusion of incest, pedophilia, necrophilia, and violence which are contained in these same passages. It is an all or nothing proposition. So, the question raised by this conference is a theological one: will our church continue to stand for Biblically revealed truths, or will we become morally relativistic (that is, will we consider every belief system, every lifestyle, every practice as morally equivalent to one another, with no beliefs normative or authoritative, and all behavior considered relative in moral terms).

The “Hearts Afire” Conference at Lake Junaluska is not illegal according to church law. In fact, to refuse to host such groups would probably place the church in legal jeopardy. The issues which so deeply move so many have to do with what such a conference says about our church, and where our church could possibly go, if we are not faithful and responsible to the will and Word of God

Steve McDonald


Lake Junaluska's response to the controversy


Jimmy Carr's response can be found at http://www.lakejunaluska.com/sejac/news_releases.cfm?id=322