United Methodist Church regional body rejects commissioning married lesbian as deacon

Chiqui Guyjoco Tuesday, June 07, 2016

Members of the Board of Ordained Ministry (BOOM) for the United Methodist Church's regional body Baltimore-Washington Conference (BWC) voted Wednesday, June 1 against commissioning Tara "T.C" Morrow, a married lesbian woman, as a deacon.

BOOM is the denomination's body tasked with the responsibility of selecting and approving applicants for ministry.

Xu Na (L) and her new wife Xue Mengyao display their rings after getting married at a group wedding for seven same-sex couples from China, in West Hollywood, California, United States, June 9, 2015. | REUTERS/LUCY NICHOLSON

Chair of the BOOM for BWC Rev. Charles Parker stated that a candidate's sexual practice was not considered as with the case of Morrow who had failed to reach two-thirds of the vote, as reported by the UMConnection.

Nevertheless, Morrow thanked the BOOM clergy as she remains part of the staff of the National Religious Campaign Against Torture and Foundry UMC in Washington, DC.

"While I am saddened that the full clergy session did not affirm the BOOM's recommendation, I appreciate the BOOM's openness and transparency related to my candidacy," Morrow said in a statement.

"I hope such openness may be an example as the Council of Bishops moves forward with a commission to study and possibly offer revision of the parts of the United Methodist Book of Discipline related to 'human sexuality,'" she added.

The delegates for the denomination's General Conference held in Portland, Oregon last month were expected to tackle on the issue of homosexuality but voted instead to place the debate on moratorium as they agreed on a special commission to conduct a study on the subject and to recommend revisions for the church's doctrine, Book of Discipline. The delegates also referred the question of gay ordination to the Judicial Council.

As per church doctrine, it is traditionally interpreted as against allowing those in same-sex relationships to be ordained as clergy. However, the debate on homosexuality has seen regional bodies as siding to accept gay clergy as they seek to follow policies adopted by the Northern Illinois Annual Conference.

Chair of the Northern Illinois BOOM, Rev. John Bell told The Christian Post, "We discern each candidate based on their fitness for ministry. Sexual orientation and identity is not part of the evaluation by the Board of Ordained Ministry."