Our Reply to NWYM Elders 

The course of action outlined on this page was approved as a minute on March 17, 2013. This was our response to a request from the Elders of NWYM, to reexamine the language of our Advice & Queries.

THE CLARITY WE HAVE

1. We affirm our commitment to welcome LGBTQ people and honor their relationships.
2. We affirm our statement on Authority.
3. We recognize that our statement on Sexuality marked our development as a welcoming community. We maintain our commitment to LGBTQ people. In the spirit of peacemaking, we are moving our statement on Sexuality from our Advice and Queries to our historical archives, because the concerns expressed in this statement are no longer central to the focus of our community. We consider it significant that NWYM has a better understanding of how its current language on sexuality is a barrier to relationship (and that NWYM is reviewing its own statement on this topic).
4. We will consider writing a new Advice & Queries on the topic of Transformation.
   • This statement will challenge us to live out all of our values with humility, mindful of the example we set for others.
   • We will remind ourselves that condemnation and conformity to outward rules are not effective tools of Christian witness.
5. We will write additional paragraphs for our History of Process, to describe our experience since annual sessions in 2012, and to explain why we are taking whatever action we are led to take.
   • We believe others (both now and in the future) will be interested in the process behind whatever changes we are led to make.
   • We want to communicate our commitment to unity with NWYM.
   • These events need to be added to our history:
     1. Meeting with YM Elders in October (and the minute from that meeting).
     2. Having two YM Elders attend meeting for worship once each month.
     3. The WHF Bible studies in the fall of 2012.
     4. The results of this discussion (once we know what they are!)