Tommy Lawrence, FUMC Plano Lay Leader
Dear FUMC Family,
Two weeks ago, the delegates to the General Conference of the global United Methodist Church voted to retain the language in the Book of Discipline regarding persons who identify on the LBGTQ spectrum. As your Lay Leader, I can report that your Church Council discussed this topic many times last year. The two goals in our discussions were, 1) to inform the church of the impending vote and to allow for questions and dialogue and, 2) to plan our response to our church family and to our community.
Your Church Council met this past Monday to discuss this monumental vote and to have dialogue on how we will proceed in our mission field of “making disciples of Jesus Christ for the for the transformation of the world” by Connecting God and Grace to Self and Community. The council wholeheartedly agreed on the need to communicate to our community that we are a body of Christ who welcomes and accepts all people. The Council was presented with a plan by over 100 clergy from the North Texas Conference to publish a full-page letter that will run in the Dallas Morning News this Sunday. This letter echoes the same theme as our Crossfire Youth Choir’s anthem from two weeks ago - Mark Miller’s I Am a Child of God. A simple question was asked of the Council, “Do you want to attach the name of FUMC Plano to the letter along with our clergy and many other churches?” 100% of the attending council (13 attendees) voted to attach FUMC Plano to the letter.
FUMC Plano has been my church home for over 40 years, and I’m confident we will continue to reflect the Light of God in our community. FUMC Plano has been and will continue to be a welcoming community to all those who are thirsting for the redeeming Grace of God.
Yours in Christ,
Tommy Lawrence