Season 1, Episode 21: Rev. Dr. Susie Beil talks about the road to inclusion, biblical interpretation

Rev. Susie is the lead pastor at Summit Ave Presbyterian Church. She is an ordained minister, MDiv from Princeton Seminary and a Doctorate from Fuller Seminary. She leads the congregation in worship and discipleship as well as pastoral care and counseling. 

Summit Avenue church kicked off the year by issuing this Statement of Inclusion:

Summit Avenue Presbyterian Church welcomes all persons regardless of race, ethnic origin, worldly condition, sexual orientation, or gender identity. All the sacraments, celebrations, privileges, and responsibilities of church participation and leadership are available to each person who responds in trust and obedience to God’s grace in Jesus and desires to become part of the mission and ministry of Christ’s Church.    

It came not from her but from her congregation. The words were intentional and purposeful, going through many drafts with feedback from the elders and the congregation to engage.  The statement had to reflect all people and was built on scripture and responding with trust. 

The statement was the culmination of a twenty-year long conversation beginning with a pastor who had a family member that came out. This cracked open the conversation but nothing formal was done. In 2011, the Presbyterian Church changed an amendment in their constitution that allowed churches to decide for themselves whether they would be affirming and inclusive, which made it possible for the discussion to happen at the leadership level. Three years ago, the outreach team lead the way in wanting to welcome people from the LBGTQ community. 

"We learned that advocacy work isn't just for people on behalf of others, it has to be with [them]."

So the church began to have conversations with people in their congregation, in their families and in their community.  It takes more than just putting a rainbow flag out, there has to be conversations.  The team spent a year did research, had interviews, they looked up resources. Then in 2018 the Elder Board decided to spend a year doing a Bible Study, followed by inviting the entire congregation to read with discussion groups, have conversations, and Susie preached a sermon series. She calls it "Presbyterian Standard Speed" because they do not move quickly. 

Danielle acknowledges that it's honoring to take the time and space to engage the conversation. There is sometimes a resistance to the long commitment to the process, starting with  awareness, an evaluation of your beliefs, and a willingness to step into doubts in your faith. 

The decision to become inclusive wasn't just made by the leadership and then told to the congregation. It was a gift to allow the congregation to participate in the process, engaging and deciding for themselves what they believed and supported. Then when the statement was made, the congregation had some ownership in it.  Doing it this way allowed for each person to have the confidence to engage the conversation, not just Susie as their Pastor.  

The resource they used for this process was first and foremost was the Bible. The Bible is also used for the against this conversation, so always starting with the text as the primary source.   The tool they used was a book called "Jesus, the Bible and Homosexuality: Explode the Myths, Heal the Church" by Jack Rogers. The book starts with asking how do we interpret the Bible? How is it that we come to the Bible? He outlines the 7 guidelines for biblical interpretation. Is it through the lens of Christ? Are we keeping the context? Does it follow the Rule of Love?

Ultimately the bible has been misused for centuries to justify slavery, never mind that the whole arc of scripture is God's heart to free people from slavery.  And the same with oppressing women even though God honors and gives voice to women throughout scripture. 

The author engages the "clobber" passages... Susie unpacks the Sodom and Gomorrah: Sodom has been used an example of destruction, but at times the prophets zero in on the sin of Sodom and shed light on why God destroyed it. 

Isaiah 1:10  says the sin of Sodom is meaningless worship

Jeremiah 23 says the sin of Sodom is adultery and worship of other gods

Ezekiel 16:49 “‘Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.

Wisdom of Solomon 19:13-14 "They practiced a more bitter hatred of strangers. Sodomites refused to receive foreigners when they came to them.”

So the sin of Sodom is pride, gluttony, idolatry, not helping the poor and needy, and not receiving foreigner... not homosexuality. 

The term "Sodomite" came from 6th century Emperor Justinian, condemning sex between men punishable by death. 

Jesus in Luke 10 says “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you. Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say,‘Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God has come near.’ ... I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town."

Jesus' judgement  on Sodom was not welcoming the stranger and foreigner. And we (Americans) are not doing that well right now either. 

Susie says it is important to also study the positive passages like about creation, John 1 "Nothing has come into being that did not come from God."  And God's heart for all people: Welcoming Gentiles. The central issue for the Jews was whether or not the gentiles would be circumcised--saying what they do with their private parts impacts their ability to belong. God is bigger than that! We are not created wrong. 

When the congregation completed the 10 week study through the book, they asked Susie to preach a sermon series and offered to tell their stories too. The series, "Let there be Light" has scripture lessons from Susie and people sharing their own stories. 

They did have obstacles and push back. The first was just being clear about what they believe. Brene Brown says, "Clear is Kind. Unclear is unkind." Some people didn't know the church was affirming and inclusive, it wasn't fair to them. There were also people who left because it was too uncomfortable to engage the conversation. 

Another obstacle was assumptions, "Of course you would" mentality on both side of the conversation. 

The hope they have for a church is offering a place where people can have the conversation.  "We can have hard conversation. We can do hard things." These hard conversations are what leads to transformation. 

When you engage in these conversations and dig in to scripture you can ask, What else have been missing? It's an opening of your heart to push and pull, give space and take space. 

Susie is reading: Kate Morton novel  called "The Distant Hours" and "Boys and Sex" by Peggy Orenstein

Susie is listening to: Armchair Expert podcast with Dax Shepherd 

Susie is inspired by: Celtic Daily Prayer book and her chickens

You can connect with Susie or hear her sermons online at http://www.summitave.net/ or find her on facebook.

Her church meets Sundays at 10:30am at 403 S Summit Ave, Bremerton, WA 98312

Some events coming up for Summit Ave:

• Social Justice bookclub. March book: Evicted by Matthew Desmond.
• March 29 – Joint Worship service with Samoan church with Marwan Cameron from G2 Bremerton speaking on homelessness, housing insecurity in Kitsap.
• Booth at Kitsap Pride this summer – July 18 Evergreen Park

Well, first I guess I would have to believe that there was or is an actual political dialogue taking place that I could potentially be a part of. And honestly, I'm not sure that I believe that.