<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class="">Happy Birthday Bob! And hello Judy! I just realized I have seen or spoken with either of you in 45 years!!! OMG! Would love to do that…. where are you and do you ever get to northern California? <div class=""><br class=""><div><br class=""><blockquote type="cite" class=""><div class="">On Jul 29, 2018, at 7:56 AM, W. J. via OE <<a href="mailto:oe@lists.wedgeblade.net" class="">oe@lists.wedgeblade.net</a>> wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><div class=""><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml><o:OfficeDocumentSettings><o:AllowPNG/><o:PixelsPerInch>96</o:PixelsPerInch></o:OfficeDocumentSettings></xml><![endif]--><div class=""><div style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:16px;" class=""><div style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:16px;" class=""><div style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:16px;" class=""><div style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:16px;" class=""><div style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:16px;" class="">Bob and Judy, here are my Sunday morning thoughts after our conversation yesterday.</div><div style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:16px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:16px;" class=""><span class=""><div style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:16px;" class="">And a <b class="">Happy 80th Birthday</b> to Bob today! I really enjoyed celebrating at lunch with bites of birthday cake!<br class=""></div></span></div><div style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:16px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:16px;" class="">I forgot to mention that one of the highlights of the CoB meeting at Lake Junaluska last fall was Bishop Karen Oliveto's sermon at their public worship service on Tuesday in the Harrell Center auditorium. I would have been there had I been tuned into the grapevine. The report from those who were there was that she had the African bishops applauding and shouting their Amens with great enthusiasm.</div><div style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:16px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:16px;" class="">What amazed me was that choosing Karen to preach from among 100+ bishops could not have been by chance. The powers that be in the council leadership must have been very intentional, though they claimed that all the bishops got their shot at the sermon slot in rotation. Yeah, fat chance!</div><div style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:16px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:16px;" class="">My other point is that the best argument against the One Church Plan is Bishop Karen. By removing the prohibition, there WILL be more like her! (Lesbian bishops! Gasp! BTW, she is the first 'out' lesbian bishop, but definitely NOT the first. I can name several who are/were closeted, including Bishop Susan Morrison, whose cabinet included Art Brandenburg and who spoke at the symposium honoring Bishop Mathews and his brother Joe at Wesley Theological Seminary. She retired to Rehobeth Beach, MD--big clue!).</div><div style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:16px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:16px;" class="">Remember that "episcopalizing" Bishop Gene Robinson was a huge affront for the Anglican communion around the world. Especially in Africa, I would surmise.</div><div style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:16px;" class=""><br class=""></div>Conservative Riley Case, whom I don't agree with, made the point in 2011: <br class=""><div style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:16px;" class=""><span class="">"If changing <a href="http://www.umc.org/site/apps/nlnet/content.aspx?c=lwL4KnN1LtH&b=5066287&ct=6467529¬oc=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" class="">our stance on sexual morality</a>
would wreck havoc in American churches, the effect in the African
churches would be many times greater. And, the effect in lands where
Muslim presence is strong would be devastating."</span><div class=""><br class=""></div></div><div style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:16px;" class=""><span class="">Read the whole article about the 36 retired bishops who 'came out' @</span></div><div style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:16px;" class=""><a href="https://methodistthinker.com/2011/02/21/riley-case-retired-bishops-statement/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" class="">https://methodistthinker.com/2011/02/21/riley-case-retired-bishops-statement/</a><div class=""><div class=""><br class=""></div><span class=""></span></div><div class=""><span class=""><span class=""><div style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:16px;" class="">BTW,
I DID attend the opening Memorial Service for the CoB (and their
spouses) @ FUMC Waynesville. Beautiful and elaborate with the full pipe
organ and their church choir and the bishops' colorful robes in
procession down the aisles.</div><div style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:16px;" class=""><br class=""></div></span></span><div class=""><span class=""><div class=""><span class=""><div style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:16px;" class="">I
sat on the back row directly behind a long pew full of African bishops
and showered them with my silent prayers of blessing and profound
gratitude. That's the closest I ever got to them. Afterwards I made eye
contact and nodded a greeting to a few bishops without saying a word. Including Bishop Talbert.<br class=""></div><div style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:16px;" class=""><br class=""></div></span></div></span></div></div></div><div style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:16px;" class="">Finally, here's a BIG CLUE as to why the Connectional Conference Plan can NEVER pass muster with a 2/3 vote of annual conferences:</div><div style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:16px;" class=""><a href="https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/religion/2018/05/10/why-these-bishops-dismayed-united-methodist-churchs-recent-efforts-affirm-gender-equality/596793002/" class="ydp8e134399enhancr_card_3242663438" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bishops dismayed at United Methodist Church's failure to affirm gender equality</a></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div id="ydpaaf002denhancr_card_3242663438" class="ydpaaf002dyahoo-link-enhancr-card ydpaaf002dymail-preserve-class ydpaaf002dymail-preserve-style" style="max-width:288px;font-family:"Helvetica Neue", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;display:inline-block" data-url="https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/religion/2018/05/10/why-these-bishops-dismayed-united-methodist-churchs-recent-efforts-affirm-gender-equality/596793002/" data-type="YENHANCER" data-size="MINI" contenteditable="false"><a href="https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/religion/2018/05/10/why-these-bishops-dismayed-united-methodist-churchs-recent-efforts-affirm-gender-equality/596793002/" style="text-decoration: none !important;" class="ydpaaf002dyahoo-enhancr-cardlink" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><table class="ydpaaf002dyahoo-ignore-table ydpaaf002dcard" style="border-width:1px;border-style:solid;border-color:rgb(224, 228, 233);width:288px;background-color:#fff;border-radius:2px" width="288" height="80" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"><tbody class=""><tr class=""><td style="width:80px;background-color:#000;border-radius:2px 0 0 2px;border-right:1px solid rgb(224, 228, 233)" width="80px" class=""><img src="https://s.yimg.com/lo/api/res/1.2/OQnpQa2pEl1Tb3HID5TKGg--~A/Zmk9ZmlsbDt3PTgwO2g9ODA7YXBwaWQ9aWV4dHJhY3Q-/https://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/79c170a2de9eccc8d20c382104c381e083a15630/c=0-150-366-356/local/-/media/Nashville/2014/05/26/-jtnbrd04-24-2013jacksonsun1a00620130423imgbishopbillmcalilly1.jpg?width=3200&height=1680&fit=crop.cf.jpg" style="width:80px;vertical-align:middle;border-radius:2px 0 0 2px" data-inlineimagemanipulating="true" draggable="false" width="80" height="80" class=""></td><td style="width:10px" width="10px" class=""></td><td class=""><h2 class="ydpaaf002dcard-title" style="font-size:14px;line-height:16px;color:#26282a;font-family:"Helvetica Neue", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;text-decoration:none !important;margin:4px 0;word-break:break-word">Bishops dismayed at United Methodist Ch...</h2></td></tr></tbody></table></a></div><div style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:16px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:16px;" class=""><span class=""></span>Grace and Peace,</div><div style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:16px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:16px;" class="">Marshall</div><div style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:16px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:16px;" class="">And here's an article on the (former) ministry of Rev. Bryne Comrade, who was smuggled out of Uganda and whom I met recently in SF as he awaits his asylum decision by USCIS:</div><div style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:16px;" class=""><a href="http://oneloveallequal.org/2016/12/01/providing-hiv-services-to-a-hidden-lgbt-network-in-uganda-this-is-brians-story/" class="ydp8e134399enhancr_card_3012810217" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Providing HIV Services To A Hidden LGBT Network in Uganda – This Is Brian’s Story</a></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div id="ydp22c4b9d0enhancr_card_3012810217" class="ydp22c4b9d0yahoo-link-enhancr-card ydp22c4b9d0ymail-preserve-class ydp22c4b9d0ymail-preserve-style" style="max-width:288px;font-family:"Helvetica Neue", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;display:inline-block" data-url="http://oneloveallequal.org/2016/12/01/providing-hiv-services-to-a-hidden-lgbt-network-in-uganda-this-is-brians-story/" data-type="YENHANCER" data-size="MINI" contenteditable="false"><a href="http://oneloveallequal.org/2016/12/01/providing-hiv-services-to-a-hidden-lgbt-network-in-uganda-this-is-brians-story/" style="text-decoration: none !important;" class="ydp22c4b9d0yahoo-enhancr-cardlink" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><table class="ydp22c4b9d0card ydp22c4b9d0yahoo-ignore-table" style="border-width:1px;border-style:solid;border-color:rgb(224, 228, 233);width:288px;background-color:#fff;border-radius:2px" width="288" height="80" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0"><tbody class=""><tr class=""><td style="width:80px;background-color:#000;border-radius:2px 0 0 2px;border-right:1px solid rgb(224, 228, 233)" width="80px" class=""><img src="https://s.yimg.com/lo/api/res/1.2/qZx5Qz6jIUT1pvkZ_jO1EQ--~A/Zmk9ZmlsbDt3PTgwO2g9ODA7YXBwaWQ9aWV4dHJhY3Q-/http://oneloveallequal.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Brian-World-AIDS-Day.jpeg.cf.jpg" style="width:80px;vertical-align:middle;border-radius:2px 0 0 2px" data-inlineimagemanipulating="true" draggable="false" width="80" height="80" class=""></td><td style="width:10px" width="10px" class=""></td><td class=""><h2 class="ydp22c4b9d0card-title" style="font-size:14px;line-height:16px;color:#26282a;font-family:"Helvetica Neue", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;text-decoration:none !important;margin:4px 0;word-break:break-word">Providing HIV Services To A Hidden LGBT...</h2></td></tr></tbody></table></a></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div style="font-family:times new roman, new york, times, serif;font-size:16px;" class=""><br class=""></div></div></div></div></div></div>_______________________________________________<br class="">OE mailing list<br class=""><a href="mailto:OE@lists.wedgeblade.net" class="">OE@lists.wedgeblade.net</a><br class="">http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/oe-wedgeblade.net<br class=""></div></blockquote></div><br class=""></div></body></html>