Dear Members of the Clergy and Council of Matthews United Methodist Church,

The decision made by the Special Session of the General Conference to adopt the Traditional Plan and enforce a ban on LGBTQ+ marriage and ordination directly violates our belief that all people, without exception, are worthy of God’s unconditional love. While we understand that there is the potential for this ban to be overturned at the judicial hearing in April, we feel it is necessary to issue an immediate response expressing our disappointment and intention to fully love and accept all members of our community.

We believe that the Traditional Plan does not represent the people of Matthews United Methodist. As Pastor Chuck has written:

“Matthews United Methodist believes every person is of sacred worth and created in God's image. We commit to Jesus' example of love, care, and intentional hospitality with persons of every race, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, faith story, physical or intellectual ability, economic status, or political perspective. We respect and value our diversity of opinion and expressions of faith. Therefore, as God loves us, so let us love and serve in the name of Jesus. Let us remember who we are and all that we share together as we continue to build a community of love and justice.”

We affirm these words and respectfully ask that they be followed with action. It is our hope that we will move forward as a community, showing love and kindness to those who have been deeply wounded by the events of the past few days. At a minimum, we ask that you:

-Issue a public statement expressing our love and support of all people, and our commitment to providing a welcoming community where everyone is invited to God’s table.

-Prominently display a rainbow banner near one or more of our church entrances to express our solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community.

-Continue to promote and engage in dialogue with the church about how to move forward.

We believe that these actions will encourage members to express their support of establishing a more loving and just community of worship, and will lead others to see God’s love set forth in our example.

Yours in Christ,

Members of Matthews United Methodist Church