My faith pt 1

My faith is an integral part of my life. For as long as I can remember I have had a relationship with God. At times it has been really strained and at times it's been smooth sailing. Throughout my life this relationship has been fostered by my participation in the United Methodist church.

Over the last couple of years, however, I have had to ask myself why I am involved with a church that seems bent on rejecting my participation based on one aspect of my being. The answer comes out in several forms, but to me it comes down to my hope to see us become a fully inclusive church and family tradition. I come from a long line of Methodists who have been pastors, and teachers in the church and I too would like my turn to serve the church in the same way that my predecessors have.

While my list of predecessors is very much like that of everyone else, the one slight difference is that I am an African, Southern African to be exact. My great great grand father served the missionaries. He helped out as a translator but never fully participated in the church due to the laws of the country at the time. My great grand father was educated by the missionaries and eventually joined the seminary at the urging of his father. He became a rev and served the church until his passing. My grandfather was also educated by the missionaries but never made it into seminary. He instead taught elementary education at the Methodist mission. He made it up the ranks and eventually became the headmaster of the school which is the equivalent of the American principal. My father was educated at the mission at the same school that his father and grand father had been educated at. He taught at the high school which is where he met my mother who was also a teacher there.

When it was my turn to step up to the plate, I joined laity, the first in several generations to take a step in the church away from the family congregation ( I was several time zones and and an ocean away). I have been blessed with the opportunity to attend a reconciling congregation. My pastor knows about my sexuality as I made a conscious decision to not hide it. He has also helped me to see why it is important to not only be out, but to also speak out. And that is why I am offering this small contribution as we head towards General Conference. It is my prayer that we as Methodists will live up to the expression of having "Open Hearts. Open Minds. Open Doors. " and that this year's General Conference will be a giant leap in that direction.