Religion news consumers who have been alive for a few decades are probably aware that — on issues related to the Bible and sexuality — United Methodists are, in fact, not united.
Anyone looking for deep background on that topic can turn to a classic document from the mid-1980s entitled “The Seven Churches of United Methodism.” Click here for the first of two “On Religion” columns I wrote about the continuing relevance of that report, which was written by Duke University sociologist Robert L. Wilson, who died in 1991, and William Willimon, now a retired bishop.
Of course, there are bipartisan plans for a United Methodist divorce that would create a more LGBTQ-friendly version of the current denomination and a global Methodist body that would retain traditional teachings on marriage and sexuality. Hold that thought.
Every now and then, Religion News Service — one of the definitive sources for news on the Christian left — produces a news report that perfectly illustrates just how divided Methodists are on edgy issues related to sexuality. This brings us to the following dramatic double-decker RNS headline:
Meet the United Methodist pastor featured on HBO’s drag reality show ‘We’re Here’
Performing in drag was an ‘incredibly wonderful, refreshing, deepening, powerful spiritual experience,’ said Pastor Craig Duke of Newburgh United Methodist Church in Indiana.
Let me note, right up front, that this story opens all kinds of doors to discussions of the two doctrinal approaches that — on issues of biblical authority and a host of other issues — can be found in the current United Methodist Church. However, the story includes absolute zero voices from Methodists on the traditional side of these debates — even from members of the pastor’s own congregation who can be expected to ask questions about his TV leap into the world of drag culture.
Here is the overture to this advocacy-journalism report. This is long, but essential:
“Welcome to church,” Pastor Craig Duke said before stepping onstage.
But this wasn’t the usual Sunday service Duke oversees as lead pastor of Newburgh United Methodist Church. It wasn’t held within the walls of his church near Evansville, Indiana. And Duke doesn’t normally deliver his sermons while wearing a tall pink wig and 4-inch-heeled boots. …
This service was part of a drag show that aired on Monday night’s episode of “We’re Here” on HBO. The Emmy-nominated reality show follows renowned drag artists Eureka O’Hara, Shangela and Bob the Drag Queen as they travel to small cities and towns across the United States, transforming locals into drag queens. This week, the show came to Evansville — and for Duke.
“It was an incredibly wonderful, refreshing, deepening, powerful spiritual experience,” Duke told Religion News Service. “I was surrounded and immersed in a culture that I’ve never been immersed in, and one of the things in ministry, if you want to involve people different than yourself in your ministry, you have to go to where people different than you are. The invitation to be part of the show allowed me that.”
There were personal and theological reasons for Duke’s decision. The story notes that he has had some experience in theater. Also, he was anxious to show support to LGBTQ people in his own community and, it’s implied, his congregation
Another crucial factor was closer to home. The RNS story noted that Duke wanted to “show his support for his daughter, who came out two years ago as pansexual.”
As for his own local flock, the pastor noted that it is divided on LGBTQ issues, with some open to modernizing the denomination’s teachings on marriage and sex and others defending traditional doctrines on these hot-button issues. Thus, it is likely that there will be radically different reactions to his HBO drag performance.
Later on, Duke also mentions that he discussed his drag-queen performance with his bishop and other relevant authorities. He’s convinced that he has done nothing that would lead to charge of violating his denomination’s Book of Discipline.
This brings us to some background material on the national and global context for this story:
Duke is a pastor in the United Methodist Church, which is currently deadlocked over the inclusion of its LGBTQ members, including whether LGBTQ United Methodists can be ordained and whether clergy can perform same-sex marriages.
United Methodist leaders introduced a proposal to split the denomination ahead of the 2020 meeting of its global decision-making body, the General Conference. But that meeting — as well as any action on the proposal — already has been postponed twice by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
And that’s that.
It’s time to get back to the theological message in this journalistic sermon. In addition to Duke, the other key voice is drag-star Eureka O’Hara of “We’re Here,” who grew up in Bible Belt culture.
Let us attend:
“I’m such a spiritual person and I do believe in God. For a long time, I hated myself and who I was because I had been taught my entire life that I was going to burn in hell, and that I was a horrible person,” O’Hara said.
That’s not an uncommon experience for many in the LGBTQ community, they said.
“I think it’s really hard for queer people to get past the trauma that was inflicted on them by people in the church growing up. Being treated like a monster and being mistreated, it’s unfair,” O’Hara said. “We deserve to know that God loves us (too). Because God loves everyone, God loves all their children. I think that’s an important message for people to hear.”
Would it help readers to understand that there are other points of view in these debates, including the voices of gays and lesbians who support traditional church doctrines? Is there any need for RNS to seek out alternative United Methodist voices at the local, national or global level?
I know, I know. It was silly of me to ask.
FIRST IMAGE: Screenshot from the promotional website for HBOs “We’re Here” series.