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By Chris Owens

As a member of the Conference?s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Dialogue Team, I want to offer some reflection on the recent passage of the 'Resolution to Prohibit Discrimination in Receiving Members into United Methodist Congregations' and then I want to offer an invitation.

During Annual Conference this year, several people asked me for the position of the LGBT Dialogue team on this resolution. I had no answer, and I still don?t. We purposely are an ideologically, theologically diverse group, so it?s simply impossible to issue a comprehensive statement. But we do have one thing in common: we are committed to creating Christ-like community around these issues.

While we may never be unified on the issues, the unity we seek is a sharing in the transforming, reconciling grace and love of Jesus Christ. In our time together, we have certainly found that.

However, I felt the acute pain over our conference?s dividedness over LGBT issues on Friday night of annual conference. The resolution to ban discrimination on membership was presented, and then the vigorous debate and voting began. I could feel the tension and anger on both sides.

I didn?t want to vote, knowing that how I vote would be in opposition to someone I knew perhaps sitting right near me. The last thing I wanted was my vote (or theirs) to strain our relationship.

As the vote was taken and the numbers tallied, my heart sank. I couldn?t imagine Jesus being pleased with this ? brothers and sisters aligning themselves on a side with a vote?s outcome only increasing the divide between them. Many that night walked away feeling justified. Almost as many probably walked away defeated.

But then, after the vote was taken and the results announced, God?s amazing grace swept into the room. Bishop Schol led the Conference in a time of prayer, asking us to grasp the hand of someone next to us. A woman sitting in front of me, who had voted 'on the other side,' turned around and said, 'I want to hold your hand.' I saw Jesus in her.

We held on to each other tightly, and more than the act of praying, I felt the hope that, somehow, the unifying love of God just might be possible, as long as we keep our hearts open to God and to one another.

My friends, I am inviting you this fall to attend one of the upcoming LGBT dialogue training sessions. For anyone who was present or heard the events on that Friday night, I hope you have come to realize that this issue is everyone?s issue. We have a long way to go in bridging the divide between us.

Personally, I do not believe that on this side of eternity, we will reach unity on this issue, but I do believe that it is possible, in the words of Paul, to 'reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ' (Eph. 4:13, NIV).

Through my experience on the LGBT Dialogue Team, that maturity and fullness in Christ has been learning to love as God loves.

Building relationships of love, trust and respect while learning how to communicate and be honest and open with each other as we wrestle with these issues, has certainly made me more whole and mature in Christ. We are all about building community with one another in the midst of our dividedness on LGBT issues. I wish for nothing more than to share in this gift with each of you.

The Rev. Chris Owens is pastor of Bethel UMC in Upper Marlboro.

Members of the LGBT Dialogue Team include: the Revs. Richard Harden, Chris Owens, Karin Walker, convener, and Ella Curry, Michael Dean, Ron Gebhardtsbauer, Johnny Hines, Delores Martin, and Rick Shives.