Evangelism for Everyone

Grace and Peace to you, in the name of Christ Jesus!


Last weekend at Worcester Fellowship, a worship service for the homeless on Worcester Common, a young boy, no more than eleven, raised his prayer concern. “I want to pray for all of those kids who are treated badly at school…” He broke down, crumbled in half, fighting tears. A gray haired man piped up from a park bench. “I know how he feels,” the man began. “I was bullied in school, bullied at work, and I’m bullied today because I am a gay man.”

A few days ago, the news reported the sad story of Tyler Clementi, a gay freshman at Rutgers University who committed suicide after being bullied by this roommate at Rutgers University. Earlier, a 13-year old boy, Seth Walsh, passed away after he was driven to hang himself when fellow students mercilessly taunted him over his sexual orientation. Another 15-year-old, Billy Lucas, hanged himself because he was harassed by students who judged him to be gay. Asher Brown, 13, took his life with a gun after his parents unsuccessfully tried to stop ongoing bullying after he came out. Tyler Wilson, 11, was taunted with homophobic remarks by classmates who later broke his arm. All of this happened in September.

Of course, we all remember Matthew Shepard, who was beaten, tied to a post on a windy prairie, and left to die over ten years ago because he was gay.

Why aren’t things getting better? What is our responsibility in all this?

Sure, we should hold those who bully accountable for their actions. It goes without saying.

Sure, we should sit with the parent grieving the loss of a child. It goes without saying.

Sure, we should comfort the man in park who has been bullied all of his life. It goes without saying.

Sure we should encourage schools to teach tolerance. It goes without saying.

Here is something, however that must be said. Our churches must stop demonizing homosexuality. Our churches must stop must stop ostracizing and rejecting gays and lesbians. Our pastors must speak the truth from the pulpits of this nation: God commands us to love one another. Period.

Today, Eddie Fox, infamous throughout the United Methodist denomination for his exclusive position regarding those who are welcome in the United Methodist church, is speaking at FUMC about, ironically, evangelism. He is well known for his actions at the 2008 General Conference, sustaining the condemnatory language in our bylaws that state “The United Methodist Church does not condone the practice of homosexuality and considers this practice incompatible with Christian teaching.” At the same General Conference, Brother Fox went on to lead the charge against a constitutional amendment that would have made it clear that all persons were welcome by the United Methodist Church. He even wrote and produced a video supporting that position.

We must ask ourselves and Mr. Fox, is the Gospel for everyone, or only for those who comply with the exclusionary reading of the scriptures that suits Eddie Fox?

Dr. Gary Brewton, M.D. at a meeting at Perkins School of Theology, commented, “Those who say the homosexuality and Christianity are not compatible cannot escape the consequences of that statement: homophobia kills kids. Theology is indeed a matter of life and death.” Let’s all work together to decrease hatred against the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (lgbtq) people in this world. Let’s stop the hatred in the very dark corners of the Church. Let’s transform the world by spreading the good news of Jesus Christ to everyone.

Evangelism is, after all, for everyone.

In Grace and Peace,

Rev. Leigh Dry