New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Paradise Valley United Methodist Church, 4455 E Lincoln Drive, Paradise Valley, AZ 85253, will host a screening and discussion of the documentary "An Act of Love" on Sunday, June 12 at 6:30 pm in the sanctuary. PVUMC has partnered with a reconciling church, Dayspring United Methodist Church, to show the film, which has been promoted by the Reconciling Ministries Network (RMN). The Fountains United Methodist Church and Scottsdale United Methodist Church have been invited to join us. The documentary, which premiered at the prestigious Mill Valley Film Festival and won an Audience Award, tells the story of Rev. Frank Schaefer's religious trials for officiating his son's same-sex marriage and the ensuing controversy that made national headlines. This event is free and open to the public. See the event on Facebook.
"An Act of Love" aims to continue to elevate the conversation around LGBTQ rights, in light of the recent events at the 2016 General Conference. Held every four years, the General Conference is The UMC's policy-making body composed of approximately 500 clergy and 500 lay delegates elected by their regional annual conferences around the world. RMN and ally organizations filed several pieces of legislation that would ban discrimination towards LGBTQ clergy and lay members employed in The UMC, allow clergy to perform same-sex marriages, and reduce harm toward LGTBQ children and youth—highlighting specific challenges faced by LGBTQ young people including family rejection, risk of homelessness, bullying and suicide. RMN had hoped to motivate United Methodists to call on their delegates to vote for full inclusion for the LGBTQ community in The UMC. Late in the afternoon on May 18, delegates voted to accept the recommendation of the Council of Bishops to delay a debate on homosexuality at this gathering of the denomination's top legislative assembly and let a proposed commission study church regulations.
"We accept our role as spiritual leaders to lead The United Methodist Church in a 'pause for prayer' — to step back from attempts at legislative solutions and to intentionally seek God's will for the future," said Council of Bishops president Bishop Bruce Ough in announcing the recommendation.
RMN has created the campaign website rmnetwork.org/itstime to enable supporters and allies to share their stories and tell those in leadership that "
It's Time" to reverse The UMC's discriminatory treatment of its LGBTQ ministers and congregants. In an article published online in May 2013 by
Christina Dillabough, communications director for the Desert Southwest Conference, she reported, "The Desert Southwest Conference is a Reconciling community as is the Western Jurisdiction, the Jurisdiction that the Conference is a part of. To find out more about the Reconciling Ministry Network or to access resources to start the process of becoming a Reconciling Community, visit https://rmnetwork.org."
