• Rich Barlow

    Senior Writer

    Photo: Headshot of Rich Barlow, an older white man with dark grey hair and wearing a grey shirt and grey-blue blazer, smiles and poses in front of a dark grey backdrop.

    Rich Barlow is a senior writer at BU Today and Bostonia magazine. Perhaps the only native of Trenton, N.J., who will volunteer his birthplace without police interrogation, he graduated from Dartmouth College, spent 20 years as a small-town newspaper reporter, and is a former Boston Globe religion columnist, book reviewer, and occasional op-ed contributor. Profile

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There are 3 comments on Looming Methodist Schism Would Enable Marsh Chapel Dean to Perform Gay Marriages

  1. The Reverend Dr. Robert A. Hill lives the faith of the Gospel and speaks with love and truth. As a colleague, I am glad for his articulation and longevity of inclusivity. He is a beacon in a world needing Light and Truth. May his proclaim beliefs and Lived faith become the Word as it is lived out in our world.

  2. My 2nd great grandfather established a Methodist church in Florida in 1880. It still is in operation today, and it is in an urban environment. I know at least one older historic Methodist church in the district (city of Tampa) has recently closed doors and died from dwindling membership. I believe that most of the larger churches in metro areas will likely stay in United Methodist fold. I don’t think the urban churches will lose much membership over the LGBT issues.

    OTOH I do know that a local (rural) church where I attend, it is definitely going to split away from the majority. The current pastor personally does not want to be in the gay marriage business. Unfortunately once you decide to separate from the pack, you can not easily get integrated back into the group again.

    In the thousands of years of recorded history, humanity has had same-sex couples and relationships. No need to fear gays since they cannot reproduce biologically. Science suggests that there may be some complex biology hidden in genetics and prenatal conditions not fully understood yet.

    In the meantime, since 2015 same-sex marriage has been given legal status in the United States. It follows the modern trend of global tolerance for LGBT reality. Marriage of same-sex couples is relatively uncommon, and I see no harm in a pastor performing a marriage rite based on the imperative of same-sex attraction and desire for permanent co-habitation rather than soley condoning a marriage based on the biological attraction between heterosexuals.

  3. This is the second article I’ve seen recently that mentions the split on the table for the United Methodist Church at its General Conference, May 5-15. That date has long since been postponed to August 29-September 7, 2021 in Minneapolis. The only issue yet to be determined is whether it will be an “in person” or a virtual conference.

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