HERNDON, Va. — Will the united Methodist Church Break apart? That is the question after delegates voted this week against same-sex marriage and openly LGBTQ clergy.
On Sunday, ministers will be discussing the way forward with their congregations. The vote is already causing some members to leave.
"It’s very hurtful that the institution made the decision that they did...I think the Church's institutional decision is unchristian," said Patty Lankenau. She and her family have been members of Floris United Methodist Church in Herndon for more than 20 years.
Her youngest child Jackie Rae is 20 years old. She’s studying music at Berklee College of Music and has a beautiful, low voice
Jackie Rae is transgender. She used to be Jack who came out as gay as an adolescent. The young musician found a home at Floris.
"[Jackie] was in the church orchestra and sang a solo Christmas Eve," says Lankenau. Flores United Methodist has been nothing but welcoming and embracing of Jackie, she can't reconcile the institutional decision.
"I personally have great trouble coming back into a church building that bears the Methodist brand. The cross with flames. To me, there's a taint, a sense of condemnation of my child and my family.," Lankenau said. "When I know in my heart that’s wrong just can’t attend a church that’s not Christian have a problem with that."
"I think the brand is hurtful and harmful. I would feel hypocritical coming into this church accepting that that's okay. Because it's not," Lankenau explained.
Her pastor, Rev. Tom Berlin, attended the St. Louis meeting and presented the One Church plan that would’ve let churches accept LGBTQ clergy and perform same-sex marriage if they wanted to.
"First thing we want to do is reach out to all of our members who are in the LGBT community or who are family or friends and first state to them, we want you to know we are standing in solidarity with you," Rev. Berlin said. "What that means for us we can’t tell you right now."
In the interest of transparency, the reporter writing this story is a lay leader at another United Methodist Church. The vote is troubling and she's not sure what she or her church plans to do.
There is language that would allow churches to leave but whether or not it fits in the denomination’s constitution is still up in the air.