A Call to Confession, Commitment, and Action*
a statement from Church of the Brethren youth and young adults

Who We Are

We are youth and young adults committed to the church. We are committed to the Church of the Brethren values of peacemaking, simplicity, and community. We have grown up with the statements on sexuality from the Church of the Brethren, specifically the 1983 Statement on Human Sexuality from a Christian Perspective, and we live in the tension between our reality and how we see the church acting in fear and remaining silent in the face of hatred and harassment. While we own this tension, it is past time to acknowledge the hurt and find ways to move forward in Christian love with one another. The future of the church cannot exist in this silenced hurt. We call for true confession and commitment.

A Confession of Brokenness

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people and allies have often been the focus of repeated verbal attacks and violence in a historically pacifist church. While the Program and Arrangements Committee has felt like a “lightning rod” for controversy on this issue, it is the LGBT community and allies who have been the targets of fear, hatred, and harassment through actions of the church itself. There cannot be healing in the church, and indeed within our own lives, until this unchristian behavior is ended. We call the church to confess this brokenness.

Much of this pain and brokenness has been caused by the misuse of the 1983 Statement on Human Sexuality, an outdated paper that has paralyzed us in fear. By avoiding open conflict, we actively dismiss the gifts and perspectives LGBT members of the church could offer. Increasingly, youth and young adults, no matter their sexual orientation, are finding communities outside of the Church of the Brethren where diverse perspectives are encouraged and gifts are celebrated. Our denomination has suffered a tremendous loss. We call the church to confess this brokenness.

A Call to Commitment

As younger leaders in the denomination, we do not seek to inherit this broken church. We actively seek ways to move forward as a community, continuing to explore what it means to be faithful to the calling of justice and love. We call the church to commit to reconciliation with the LGBT members who have been excluded by the church’s unjust practices. We call the church to re-commit to its pacifist values by ending all emotional and verbal violence against the LGBT community and allies. We call the church to commit to engage with the meaning of human sexuality. We call the church to commit to live into the ignored recommendations stated in the 1983 Statement on Human Sexuality: challenging openly the widespread fear, hatred, and harassment of LGBT persons; engaging in open, forthright conversations with members of the LGBT community; and advocating the right of LGBT individuals to jobs, housing, and legal justice. We call the church to commitment.

We recognize the sentiment behind the Standing Committee’s Statement of Confession and Commitment, but adamantly disagree with the sweeping reaffirmation of the ambiguous 1983 Statement on Human Sexuality that continues to perpetuate injustice within the church. Such an affirmation seems shortsighted and irreverent of the longstanding hurt, brokenness, and anger that has been felt by the whole church.  Before we can begin the much-needed process of healing, we must first recognize a lack of courage in the church to face the alienation experienced by its members; a lack of honesty to admit the true brokenness within our denomination; a lack of strength to seek reconciliation; a lack of humility to acknowledge the loss the church has experienced by excluding the LGBT community;  and a lack of faith to let the Spirit guide us forward in Christian love as we declare the old has gone and the new has come.

A Call to Action

We call the Church of the Brethren to step forward bravely and honestly, with strength, humility, and faith, to fully embrace LGBT members of our churches and communities, not as an issue, but as welcomed and affirmed members of the Body of Christ.

Therefore, as youth and young adults committed to the church, we recommend that Standing Committee’s Statement of Confession and Commitment be rejected so that it may be rewritten to include the following: acknowledgement of the pain the church has inflicted upon LGBT people and their allies, and the church itself; admission of the loss the church has suffered by excluding many who could contribute to the life of the church; and an outline of ways to move forward in support of the LGBT community. Because the youth and young adult community and the LGBT community have often been misrepresented, it is imperative that representatives from these communities be involved in the re-writing of this statement. We call the church to action.     

This statement is open to be signed by all Church of the Brethren middle school and high school youth and young adults under the age of 35. Please e-mail the BMC office at bmc@bmclgbt.org if you would like your name to be added. Click here to view signatories.

*The above statement was primarily written as a response to Standing Committee's A Statement of Confession and Commitment, which reads:

The issue of homosexuality continues to bring tension and division within our Body. We are not of one mind on this matter. We believe it is time to name the brokenness. Open sharing between persons with different perspectives and beliefs about homosexuality often seems impossible. Too often discussions in the life of the Body on this issue are marked by disrespect, meanness and anger. We confess our brokenness.

Too often our actions and words toward one another on this issue neither honor our 300 years of Brethren heritage, nor follow the guidance of scripture and our Lord Jesus Christ. We confess our brokenness.

We affirm the 1983 paper on Human Sexuality. The paper contains an honest tension. In its guidance to the church it calls for “open, forthright conversations with homosexuals” and “advocating the right of homosexuals to jobs, housing, and legal justice.” It also states: “Covenantal relationships between homosexual persons is an additional lifestyle option but, in the church’s search for a Christian understanding of human sexuality, this alternative is not acceptable.” It is inappropriate for anyone to quote one of these parts of the paper without also referencing the other. These positions are not meant to be used to “beat” an opposing viewpoint.

The tension between these points is not undesirable. Like balancing the Anabaptism and Pietism of our heritage, this tension provides a healthy, if uncomfortable, growing edge that turns us toward one another and toward Christ rather than away from each other.

This tension is also present in Scripture. In the John 8 passage, a woman caught in the act of adultery is brought before Jesus. Our Lord first addresses those who were ready to stone the woman to death. “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” Then he addresses the woman with a response in tension, “Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.” (John 8:1-11)

We own this tension. We acknowledge that in our fallenness we may not reach uniformity on this issue. But may we strive for unity in love, mission, ministry and witness in Christ.

Our ability to show respect even in our differences may draw an onlooker to Christ. Our meanness and fighting will certainly never draw anyone to Christ.

We also confess and ask forgiveness. For over 20 years we have allowed the Annual Conference Program and Arrangements Committee to be a “lightning rod” for controversy on this issue. There have been many mean-spirited, unkind attacks leveled against these faithful servants. This unchristian behavior must stop.

The 1983 paper remains our official position. We trust that it was guided by the Holy Spirit. We commit to continue to wrestle with its tension, to truly listen to one another, to disagree in love, to avoid unkindness toward those with whom we differ, and to continue to seek the mind of Christ together.