Elyse Ambrose, second from right, and Lea Matthews, far right, were among group approved as provisional deacons by the New York Conference. Photo by Joanne Utley
Four clergy candidates who came out as gay in an open letter to The United Methodist Church before the 2016 General Conference were among 28 people approved for ministry by the New York Conference.
Elyse Ambrose, Bruce Lamb and Lea Matthews were approved for commissioning and Alex da Silva Souto was approved for ordination.
A clergy member raised questions about the legality of ordaining or commissioning of this group of pastors, and Bishop Jane Allen Middleton said on June 10 that it would be improper for her as bishop to make any substantitve decisions of law on the questions.
Mathews said it was difficult waiting to hear about the vote.
“But when Bill Pfohl (chair of the board of ordained ministry) threw back the door with a huge smile on his face and gave me a thumbs-up, I felt the tears come. My heart nearly burst from the joy of that moment. I could accept the call from God and the commission of my church as me, all of me. A gift divine!” she wrote in an email to United Methodist News Service.
Lamb expressed his gratitude to the conference for “being a river of life and love for all God’s children where all truly means all.
“This is an historic first and I pray that it is truly the first of many for other annual conferences,” he said.
Da Silva Souto said being allowed to serve was “an amazing privilege.”
“Many have fought to allow me to dream of serving. The dream has come true for me, I can finally do this as a whole person, not as a fractured, frighten and terrified pastor.
“I can be who God has made me,” he said.
Read the rest HERE.
“We’ve appointed a committee. What more can we do?”
Of course they did! More of “the beginning of the end”.