LETTER TO THIS EDITOR, 5 MARCH

Letter to the editor,

My journey through life to this point, at times, seems as though I have lived in multiple time periods due to technological advances. However being born in the early 1950's I've witnessed the continued struggle for civil rights and human rights.

Today we find the struggle for both civil and human rights extending into our churches. The question at hand is how should we treat our LGBT friends and neighbors? Do we include them in our houses of worship or do we exclude them?

Presently I am a member of a Diocese of South Carolina Church in coastal South Carolina who left The Episcopal Church in 2012 over the issue of human sexuality. The long term effects of this schism have been horrendous both from a human and financial aspect. Just recently my wife and I began worshiping again with an Episcopal Church parish near our home.

Last week the United Methodist Church voted to strengthen the denomination's bans on same-sex marriage and openly gay clergy. Schism seems to be inevitable. My hope was the UMC would welcome the LGBT community within their churches, not turn them away. It was truly sad to see what happened within the UMC last week.

Our world now seems to be more complex and more broken than ever.

I pray that God's grace will infuse our broken world with mercy, goodness and healing. I pray church doors will be opened wide to welcome everyone so that we can faithfully love God, and all our neighbors.

Randolph (Randy) Wilson,

Myrtle Beach

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Amen. And, thanks Randy for this fine letter. I think all good people would agree with you.