MWR : 3 churches leave Western, Central districts

Last updated October 18.

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Oct. 15, 2012 issue

3 churches leave Western, Central districts

Three congregations have withdrawn from two Mennonite Church USA area conferences due to differences over issues of sexuality.

Two congregations left Western District Conference after delegates upheld a decision not to discipline a pastor for performing a same-sex ceremony.

House of Healing Mennonite Church of Dallas and Eden Mennonite Church of Inola, Okla., have withdrawn from WDC. By leaving the district, they also leave MC USA.

Conference minister Clarence Rempel reported the withdrawals Oct. 2 in an email to congregations and pastors.

At the WDC annual assembly in July, delegates turned down a request from Bethel Mennonite Church of Inman, Kan., to overrule a Leadership Commission decision not to discipline Joanna Harader, pastor of Peace Mennonite Church of Lawrence, Kan.

Delegates directed that a note be placed in Harader’s file stating that her action was at variance with MC USA’s Membership Guidelines.

Boynton Mennonite Church of Hopedale, Ill., has left Central District Conference and is joining the Fellowship of Evangelical Churches after three same-sex civil unions were conducted by Megan Ramer, pastor of Chicago Community Mennonite Church, last year.

The CDC Ministerial Committee last spring affirmed Ramer’s ministerial gifts and her pastoral work and noted that her actions in performing same-sex unions are at variance with MC USA’s Membership Guidelines.

CDC conference minister Lois Johns Kaufmann said Boynton Mennonite began discerning its ties to the conference soon after the 2009 MC USA convention in Columbus, Ohio. Boynton brought its decision to the CDC annual meeting in June.

Comments

ive been on both sides of this issue....from trying to convince a church i was in to not join, to wondering why we bother imposing sexuality on membership instead of being the hands and feet of Jesus.

its dissapointing that the conference is still embroiled in this, but really, its just a cleansing. if churches feel they can better be part of the "sheep" crowd, feeding the hungry and clothing the poor, buy yelling at people about their sex life, let 'em. in the words of Paul, paraphrased, who cares so long at the good news is spread. the rest of us left in the conference can then better focus on being what Jesus called us to be without this stupid distraction.

- kerry (oct 19 at 6:08 p.m.)
haha sorry for the typos...ipad and lack of proofreading!

- kerry (oct 19 at 6:09 p.m.)
This is my first time on your site. I must say I was so sad after reading this article. Is there no truth left even in the church? This reminds me of Rom. 1 : 27-28

- Dwayne (oct 28 at 5:04 p.m.)

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