But a good Desert Southwest Methodist

Despite my frustration with the United Methodist Church on the national level (hence the title of this blog), I am quite pleased with our local conference, the Desert Southwest Annual Conference, which covers Arizona and a small part of Nevada. I didn't attend our Annual Conference this year (June 7-11), but I heard reports that a lot of really good resolutions were passed.

1. A resolution to support the so-called "protect marriage" amendment that would eliminate domestic partnership rights and possibly invalidate domestic violence laws for unmarried couples was defeated by about a 60/40 margin.

2. A resolution to oppose the amendment was passed by the same margin. Not sure what that will look like yet, but it's nice to know my local conference will be fully opposing this hateful initiative. It's also interesting to note that this is roughly the same margin polls say Arizonans as a whole oppose this amendment.

3. A resolution that all are welcome in the United Methodist Church, that pastors are not allowed to deny membership to anyone (as happened in New Jersey not long ago when a pastor denied membership to a gay man because of his sexual orientation), passed by a landslide.

4. A resolution that it is not wrong and should never be illegal to provide aid to an illegal immigrant in distress was passed nearly unanimously.

These are the kinds of issues that make me proud to be a United Methodist. I'm proud of my denomination when they stand for Christ's love and mercy and against discrimination and hate. So until the denomination as a whole changes, I'll remain a Bad Methodist, but locally, I'm a Good Desert Southwest Methodist.