God Loves Us | Looking Forward
“Although I had witnessed many highly public trials, being a member of the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference, I needed to know — whatever the risks — that I had done everything that I could do to let that young person know God loved them, and to help my church proclaim as much publicly.”
Last week, we started the Looking Forward campaign, where we are asking our community to — Read. Pray. Share. — the stories of our LGBTQ+ siblings in the United Methodist Church as they head into the 2024 General Conference. This global conference is where they can vote on policies that will govern the denomination until they can meet again, shaping the lives of United Methodists worldwide. This week is the beginning of delegates arriving in North Carolina. Which includes Rev. Hannah Adiar Bonner, who is a United Methodist Elder who is finishing seven years serving the University of Arizona and becoming co-pastor of Hollywood United Methodist Church in July.
Today, Rev. Bonner shares with us her story as a queer pastor who works with the Queer Delegate Caucus and to contrast what her reality is now versus the last General Conference in 2019.
Photo of Rev. Hannah Adair Bonner, a queer United Methodist Elder.
As I journey towards General Conference, both physically and spiritually, I can’t help but feel the contrast between my reality the last time we gathered in 2019, and my reality now. In 2019, I was a decade into my service as clergy in the United Methodist Church, but in my first year of doing so as a publicly Queer clergy person.
That season began on a park bench in front of the Guerrero Center at the University of Arizona. A student sat beside me and informed me that a mutual friend had told them that I was Queer like them. I’m so grateful that, in that moment, I took the opportunity to proclaim the Gospel as my whole self. It was so powerful to be able to speak to another Queer person and reassure them not simply that God loved them, but that God loves us. It meant something different to them that I would be willing to stake my calling and my career on my confidence of God’s love for us.
And that’s exactly what I did. Although I had witnessed many highly public trials, being a member of the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference, I needed to know — whatever the risks — that I had done everything that I could do to let that young person know God loved them, and to help my church proclaim as much publicly. I had a close family member and a mentor who had votes at General Conference 2019, and who were planning to use them to expel people like me. So, I came out and I went to General Conference. I could not change their minds, but they had to cast their vote with me watching.
A lot of people thought that was the end, but it was only the beginning because God is doing a new thing. Five years later, I am now the one who is a part of the Eastern Pennsylvania Delegation. I am six years into my journey of being publicly Queer clergy and experiencing so much healing and joy working with the Queer Delegate Caucus. Whatever happens, I am focused on showing our young Queer kin that they are worth fighting for with all our love and strength.
Let us pray,
God of all surpassing love, who celebrates our wholeness — even before we are ready to do so ourselves — help us to be brave enough to hope, tender enough to forgive, and creative enough to find our path to a place with room for all your children. Amen.