Best of 2020: Lifelong Methodist Waits For Her Denomination to Include Her
Julie Reeves’ mother had a simple wish for her daughter when she sat down to inscribe her daughter’s Bible 54 years ago.
“My prayer is that you will study and use this Bible as a guide for your life and strive always to please God,” she wrote.
“And I feel I have done that,” the self-described “cradle Methodist” said. But Reeves said that while her church, Northaven United Methodist, has made her feel included, the larger denomination is an entirely different story.
Reeves and her partner of 22 years, Meg O’Malley, have watched the denomination dig in its heels on its official stance on same-sex marriage and LGBTQ clergy.
“My conversation with Julie and Meg was poignant, and I feel really honored that they agreed to tell me how it felt to watch this debate unfold over decades, especially for Julie, who has been a Methodist her entire life,” said People Newspapers deputy editor Bethany Erickson.
Read the story, which is one of our Best of 2020 picks, here.
