Second Class Citizenry in the Church: Being LGBTQIA2S+ in Christian Communities of Faith

While the Epistle writer Paul said we are all equal, sacred worth in the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12), LGBTQIA2S+ and non-LGBTQIA2S+ people, the Church universal has not caught up yet with this theological truth. We are all "first class" citizens of the body of Christ. 

However, in today's church politics, we who are LGBTQIA2S+ continue to be second class citizens in our various denominations. 

To begin, there's no doubt that, until there is an amended/revised version of The United Methodist Church's Book of Discipline, that denomination treats LGBTQIA2S+ people as second class citizens, if not worse. "Homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching," and the ban of out LGBTQIA2S+ to be ordained, or same sex weddings being allowed in their sanctuaries, or funds being used from the pew for LGBTQIA2S+...enough.

Of course, there are more conservative Wesleyan groups that treat LGBTQIA2S+ people as less-than second class citizens in the body of Christ, such as the Nazarenes and Free Methodist Church of North America. 

This is what discrimination looks like.

Sadly, last week, the Church of England (part of the Anglican worldwide communion) came out affirming that it will "bless" same sex marriages or unions, but would not allow same sex couples to be married in any Church of England church building. After a five-year discussion on what to do with those of us who are LGBTQIA2S+, the officials in the Church of England said we can be "blessed" in a Church of England after we have had a civil wedding or registered in a civil partnership at the nearby town hall. Would the Church of England make couples who are man and woman do this? No. Only same-sex couples. Why? Because they continued to choose to discriminate. Yes, bishops would later apologize for the treatment of LGBTQIA2S+ couples, but they said there wasn't close to a majority vote to change the "rules" about marriage itself in a church building that is part of the Church of England.

Here's an article on the topic: https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2023-01-18/church-of-england-refuses-to-back-same-sex-marriage#:~:text=LONDON%20%28AP%29%20—%20The%20Church%20of%20England%20said,and%20consultation%20on%20the%20church%27s%20position%20on%20sexuality.

By any name, this is discrimination.

Even in the Presbyterian Church (USA) some Presbyteries (regional bodies) can discriminate against out-LGBTQIA2S+ people when it comes to working within the bounds of some Presbyteries. Each Presbytery has a Presbyter Executive or a Commission on Ministry that serves as a "watch dog" or "gate keeper," in which, if a Minister of the Word and Sacrament is not in good standing in one Presbytery, that person cannot move to another Presbytery. However, some of us who are Presbyterian clergy can still be kept out of some Presbyteries simply because we are out-LGBTQIA2S+ people of faith. The same does not hold for non-LGBTQIA2S+ people. It is called the "local option." 

This is what discrimination looks like. Feels like. Smells like. Acts like.

I can go on with the other branches of Christendom. For example, Pope Francis recently said that homosexuality is not a crime but it is still a sin. That helps? Southern Baptists? We are sinners, or "hate the sin, love the sinner" people. Mormons? Same. And the list goes on.

Discrimination against LGBTQIA2S+ people abound in religious communities to this very day.

Again, in Paul's first letter to the Corinthian church, there is one body of Christ, in which we are all equal, and we celebrate that there is one baptism into the one body of Christ. Equals. The nose cannot say that it is better or of more value than the eye, etc.

Such discriminatory practices need to be part of the past, in the dust-bin of history. Modern church polity needs to re-visit Paul's vision of the body of Christ.

Until then, discrimination rules.