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Hoosier United Methodist News Archives
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April 2004 |
Campolo says love means nothing unless coupled with justice
1,350 congregational leaders meet for National Pastors' Convocation
By Toni Carmer and Mark Fenstermacher
Special to the Hoosier United Methodist
SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- "Love means nothing unless it is coupled with justice. We, as Christians, need to stand up for justice on the part of our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters," Tony Compolo, a popular Christian sociologist, told more than 1,350 pastors and congregational staff members during the fourth annual National Pastors' Convention here March 9-13.
Speaking to a standing-room only crowd on the subject of homosexuality and the church, Campolo said, "If the church is not about loving the wrong people, then the church isn't the kind of church that Jesus came to establish."
Campolo, an American Baptist, who holds a traditional view of homosexuality, believes that the Bible does not affirm same-sex eroticism. As a Christian sociologist, he noted the difference between homosexual orientation and homosexual behavior.
He also noted that as tax-paying citizens, homosexuals should share the civil rights all citizens enjoy. "America is all about not allowing taxation without representation."
The Christian church needs to reach out to gay and lesbian people, Campolo said, and offer them community. Be family to them even as we believe that same-sex eroticism is a symptom of human brokenness.
"Because if the church doesn't welcome gay and lesbian persons into the community, then we have condemned them to a life of isolation and loneliness," he said.
"Truth comes from the bottom-up of the church," Campolo said, "and not from the top-down. I believe individual congregations -- not denominations -- should decide who to ordain or marry."
The National Pastors' Convention is co-sponsored by Zondervan ChurchSource, Youth Specialities and Leadership magazine. In addition to 1,350 pastors, 750 younger leaders gathered for the Emergent YS Conference.
The event, which is located on the sprawling grounds of the Town and Country Resort here, featured daily general sessions with smaller workshops on a variety of topics. General Sessions included worship led by the Saddleback Church praise team and Rick Muchow, Christian stand-up comedians like the improve group CPR and Jeff Allen, outstanding musicians such as Ken Medema, Joy Williams and Phil Keaggy. Brennan Manning, Joseph Stowell, Ken Ulmer, Craig Barnes and Rick Warren preached.
Workshops leaders included Campolo, Dallas Willard, poet Phyllis Tickle, Will Willimon of United Methodist-related Duke University, Lutheran scholar Martin Marty, and emergent leader Dan Kimball.
The dream behind the National Pastors' Convention, according to organizer Tic Long, "was to create a safe place where people could get excited about ministry. It would not be limited to a particular denomination or theological viewpoint, and it would not be a 'here is how we do ministry so you can copy this.' The convention is about skill building and an event where ministry would be celebrated, pastors would be inspired, and where both liberals and conservatives could celebrate the Body of Christ.
During the Convention, the grounds of the resort hotel were busy from early in the morning into the late evening as groups gathered, participated in early morning Bible studies, walked the labyrinth for a time of prayer and meditation, laughed at teams of comedians, and enjoyed the various swimming pools and spas.
United Methodist theologian Will Willimon, addressed the challenge of preaching to a secular world. He said, "I can't believe what God is up to on the secular campus where I serve. God is getting into the dorms and confronting students."
Willimon encouraged pastors to work to hear what God is saying and worry less about trying to make the message of the cross palatable to a disbelieving world.
"Tell people about Jesus," he said. "Tell them that to follow the Carpenter is a narrow way. It is the way of the cross. What Jesus wants to do isn't make our life easier but He wants to kill the life we have and resurrect us to a new life."
The Revs. Toni L. Carmer and Mark O. Fenstermacher serves as pastors of Trinity United Methodist Church in Elkhart, Ind.,
Last updated on 04/19/2004