BWC clergy approve candidates
In a clergy session Wednesday afternoon, May 29, Baltimore-Washington Conference clergy voted to approve two deacons and nine Elders as candidates for commissioning and one Deacon and 11 Elders for ordination. Included in those approved were T.C. Morrow, a provisional Deacon and Joey Heath-Mason, a full Elder. Both candidates are married to people of the same gender and were not approved at last year’s clergy session.
Their approval this year came, in part, from a motion brought by the Rev. Katie Bishop to consider the candidates recommended by the Board of Ordained Ministries together as a block, rather than as individuals, as has been the practice in the past.
Bishop and several others argued that the district and conference Board of Ordained Ministries did their due diligence and that the BOOM’s examination and evaluation of the candidates’ qualifications, fitness, and readiness for ministry should be trusted. This method of considering the candidates was approved in a vote of 245 to 122.
The class of provisional members was approved by a 79 percent majority, in a 285 to 77 vote. The class of ordinands was approved by an 87 percent majority, in a vote of 315 to 47.
“The vote today demonstrates the powerful work of the Holy Spirit and God’s vision for building a loving and just church and world,” said Morrow who expressed her profound gratitude to the BWC for affirming her call to the ordained ministry.
Heath-Mason also expressed his gratitude. “This is one small step toward justice in the UMC and a sign of hope that God is still moving,” he said.
The Rev. Loretta Johnson and others asked how this move might be affected by the Traditional Plan passed at the 2019 Special Session of the General Conference. Bishop LaTrelle Easterling answered that the portions of the Traditional Plan that did pass will not take effect until Jan. 1, 2020.
Following the votes, the Rev. Chip Aldridge of Wesley Seminary in D.C. spoke about his own same-gender partnership and their hopes to be married.
“I’m so tired of having this conversation as if Lesbian, Gay, Bi- or Transgender people weren’t in the room. We are in the room,” he said. “See us.”
The Ordination Service is scheduled for Friday at 7 p.m. and will be livestreamed on this website.
A more in-depth story will appear in the June UMConnection.
This is a travesty. It appears that the clergy has betrayed the members of the UMC by ignoring anything that doesn't agree with their perversion of the Gospel, including scripture.
Congratulations to the approved candidates. I am thankful for the hard work of our spirit led clergy.
It is a joy that all of these individuals of sacred worth, created in the image of God, called by God to ordained ministry, and filled with the Holy Spirit, have been affirmed.
Wooooooooot!
Congrats to our candidates!!!! Praise the Holy Spirit!!!
Finally, all people who are made in the image of God can openly share the Good News of love and compassion.