Christian churches, in various forms, are grappling over questions of gender, sexuality and marriage and how to relate to one another with different convictions. To my mind, the present crisis in the Body of Christ is about bodies. How do we understand the moral obligations of human bodies in relation to one another? How do we respond to the various attractions and desires of our bodies and the role of gender? How do we overcome the conflicts surrounding races and ethnicities that have been used as markers of division and tools of oppression rather than differences created by God to celebrate?

Currently, Mosaic Mennonite Conference and others are discerning how to relate to Mennonite Church USA. I have written a letter to the leaders of Mosaic and MC USA asking for consideration to reform the Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective. The proposal is to incorporate the phrase “in Christ there is no longer male and female” (derived from Galatians 3:28) into the Confession. This would encourage congregations and conferences to discern the implications of this phrase at the local level. It would allow discretion about the relevance of gender as applied to bodies within the Body of Christ, so as to not perpetuate unnecessary division.

I have a petition available to sign online at ipetitions.com/petition/reform- the-mennonite-confession-of-faith. Please consider prayerfully reading and supporting the proposal.

Steve McCloskey, Taftsville, Vt.