- Sunday, October 30, 1:00pm
- First UMC Family Life Center, (northwest corner of 13th & Lavaca)
On October 30th at 1pm, First United Methodist Church in downtown Austin will host the Texas Premiere of a documentary titled Incompatible with Christian Teaching. It will be screened by the film maker, Anne P. Brown and there will be an opportunity to ask Anne questions after the screening. Snacks will be provided. After seeing this film in Washington, DC, Liza Chigos, a St. John’s UMC member, helped bring this film to Texas in order to share it with the Methodist community here. Liza says, “This film explores the efforts of Methodists to remove exclusionary language from the Book of Discipline and to allow full inclusion of Gay/Lesbian/ Bisexual/ Transgender people into the clergy and into the life of the church.”
History of Incompatible Language:
In 1972, the United Methodist Church (UMC) adopted the phrase, “homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching.”
In 1984, the UMC declared that “no self avowed practicing homosexual could be ordained.”
In 1996, the UMC adopted into church law that no pastor could officiate over a same-gender union and such a ceremony could not occur in a local Methodist church.
These laws have ignited over 80,000 United Methodists to dissent from denominational policy and advocate for change in the UMC by demanding that the discriminatory language be eliminated from church law and that the doors of the church be open to all.
“Incompatible with Christian Teaching” is a documentary film detailing the stories of clergy and laity, and GLBT and straight allies. Some have been arrested while others have been tried by the Judicial Council. Each has demanded that the church live into the true meaning of the Gospel.
http://annepbrown.com/Film%3A_Incompatible_with_Christian_Teaching.html