NEWS STORY: Gay Issue Opens A Racial Divide

c. 2000 Religion News Service RALEIGH, N.C. _ As a new congregation within the United Church of Christ, the North Raleigh United Church followed the liberal denomination’s recommendation when it opened its doors to gays and lesbians. But when it applied for membership within the local association of UCC churches, it was soundly rejected. As […]

c. 2000 Religion News Service

RALEIGH, N.C. _ As a new congregation within the United Church of Christ, the North Raleigh United Church followed the liberal denomination’s recommendation when it opened its doors to gays and lesbians.

But when it applied for membership within the local association of UCC churches, it was soundly rejected.


As it turned out, the UCC association in Eastern North Carolina is made up of mostly African-American churches. Unlike the denomination’s national leadership, these churches disapprove of the UCC’s stand on homosexuality, maintaining that the practice is a sin condemned by Scripture.

Now the fate of the new church, which must become a member of the association to remain in the denomination, is unclear. And a racial fault line has emerged: Many of the mostly white churches see homosexuality as a human rights issue; many of the mostly black churches say homosexuals must repent before fully becoming members.

The division within this particular association reflects a broader trend nationwide.

“Historically, African-American churches have tended to be more conservative than white liberals on the issue of homosexuality, while on other issues, such as race and social justice, they are far more progressive,” said Laurie Maffly-Kipp, a professor of religion at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill who studies black trends.

The Rev. Michael McCotter, the pastor of Corinth United Church of Christ, a mostly black church in Youngsville, N.C., reflects that trend.

“Homosexuality is no different than adultery or fornication,” he said “It’s immoral. The church should not be compromising or tolerant of sin. No church should accept such a policy and see it as OK. It’s not OK.”

Members of the North Raleigh church say the association’s action earlier this month is unprecedented. The United Church of Christ is governed by the “free church” model. That means each church is independent and autonomous. It can differ on theological issues and still be part of a larger denomination.

“There’s always been the right to faithfully disagree,” said the Rev. Doug Long, the pastor of the North Raleigh United Church. “That cornerstone was ignored at the association meeting. This is an affront to the soul of the UCC.”


Although the church will keep its provisional status for now, it must reapply for membership in the association if it wants to be a part of the denomination.

Its predicament is not unique. Lots of churches in recent years have sparred with their denominations over homosexuality. The only difference is that the national leadership of the 1.4-million member United Church of Christ is more liberal than many other Protestant groups. Indeed, it is more liberal than many of its own churches.

Since its founding in 1957, the UCC has been at the forefront of every social cause: the civil rights movement, the equal rights movement for women and, most recently, the battle for gay rights. In 1985, its General Synod, a representative body of lay people and clergy, passed a resolution urging churches to be “open and affirming” of gay, lesbian and bisexual people. Six years later, it passed a resolution supporting the right of gays, lesbians and bisexuals to be ordained.

None of these declarations is binding on its churches and, so far, 342 of the denomination’s 6,000 churches have taken formal stands welcoming gays and lesbians _ about 6 percent.

In North Carolina, five other UCC churches, including three longtime members of the association, have in recent years declared themselves “open and affirming.” Still, the majority of the association, which includes 132 churches, of which 84 are predominantly black, has resisted dealing with the issue head-on.

“This church is the vehicle that brought this issue to us on the local level,” said the Rev. Leowen Evans, pastor of Eagle Rock United Church of Christ in Wendell, N.C., who has led the opposition to the North Raleigh church’s inclusion. “Over the next year we’ll be wrestling with this issue. How can we be true to Scripture, and how can we follow Christ’s lead to be loving and compassionate to all people? I assume we’ll work with North Raleigh in helping them accept the stand we take.”


But the North Raleigh church, which so far includes 95 members, is unlikely to reverse course and deny gays and lesbians _ several of whom already belong to the church _ membership. The issue of gay inclusion was one of the principles that the new church agreed on when it first met on Easter 1999. A postcard it sent to 20,000 households in North Raleigh read: “When it comes to teaching tolerance, have you ever felt the church was more than a little behind?”

Those who have joined the church say they are not persuaded by biblical passages that condemn homosexuality.

“I don’t think (homosexuality) is something people necessarily choose,” said Harding Birkhead, who joined the church last year with his wife, son and daughter. “It’s part of who they are at the core. I base that on the people I’ve known. They were friends before I knew they were gay. I have no reason to doubt them.”

Traditionally, churches in the Bible Belt, both black and white, have taken conservative stands on the subject of homosexuality. But within the UCC, white churches that took progressive views on race and poverty teamed up with black churches willing to work together to fight for justice and equality. Although the denomination is 95 percent white, half of its African-American churches are in Eastern North Carolina.

In the past few years, many white, upper-middle-class church members have reconsidered their views on homosexuality. That was the case with mostly white UCC churches in Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill. But the black churches, for the most part, continue to adhere to a more literal reading of the Scriptures when it comes to personal morality.

“All human sexuality outside of marriage is outside the will of God,” said the Rev. David Dolby, pastor of Christian Chapel United Church of Christ in Apex, N.C.


The differences also reveal a rural/urban divide. All the open and affirming churches in North Carolina are urban. The majority of the black churches are rural.

And there’s another difference. Many of the white churches within the UCC have long held to the “free church” form. Many of the black churches come from traditions that practice a more hierarchical church model.

For now, the church will continue to receive funding designated for new churches from the national headquarters. It is expected to reapply for membership in the association next year.

Most pastors said they looked forward to a year of dialogue.

“Nobody has made a final determination,” said the Rev. Raymond Hargrove, associate conference minister with the Eastern North Carolina Association.

“Consultation, dialogue and discernment are the next step.”

DEA END SHIMRON

(Yonat Shimron is religion reporter at the News & Observer in Raleigh, N.C.)

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