AW seems to be treating the split of the Mennonite church with tolerance and sympathy, which is fine but misses a large part of the story: broken communities and the abandonment of individuals and families caught in the middle of the conflict over sexual orientation. Churches with long histories of internal disagreement about a lot of things had always been able to tolerate each other and cooperate in the interest of the community and their faith. Now families and individuals on the “wrong” side have not only been abandoned but some excluded. People find themselves essentially kicked out because of the “sin” of an LGBTQ family member they love and embrace. What about their suffering? What are they to do?
Coming to grips with rejection by their community and even their relatives, they might be able to find a church that is tolerant, but such options are not often available in smaller towns and rural areas. There are Mennonite churches that not only tolerate but actually appreciate the presence of people with alternate sexual identities, but they are limited in number and mostly in urban areas. How about a research effort to find out how many people have been kicked out in this way and how they are coping with their rejection?
Donald E. Voth, Albuquerque, N.M.
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