BSC president issues statement on UMC decision

For Immediate Release
Feb. 28, 2019

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.—On Thursday, Feb. 28, Birmingham-Southern College President Daniel B. Coleman sent the following message to the campus community:

As many of you know, the United Methodist Church voted Tuesday at its General Conference to uphold and strengthen its prohibition of the ordination of LGBTQ pastors as well as the prohibition of hosting and officiating same-sex marriages.

Birmingham-Southern College was created from the merger of two colleges, Southern University and Birmingham College, both founded by the Methodist Church. The traditions of the church have had a profound impact on our school and have guided us to the institution we are today. As our mission statement says, BSC honors its Methodist heritage of informed inquiry and meaningful service.

At the same time, we believe that an educational community thrives when its membership is diverse and when everyone in our community feels not just safe, but welcome. Birmingham-Southern College welcomes into its community of faculty, staff, and students people of all beliefs, races, and ethnic backgrounds. In light of the recent events, I believe it is important to state as clearly and emphatically as possible that Birmingham-Southern welcomes people of all sexual orientations and gender identities. We welcome all people in all capacities.

Birmingham-Southern is here today to develop young people for lives of significance through teaching, scholarship, and service. We create a community here to prepare young people to have a positive impact on the world around them when they leave. Our focus is to create graduates who follow these words of John Wesley:

“Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can.”

Nothing will change this focus.

About Birmingham-Southern College:
Birmingham-Southern College is a four-year, private liberal arts institution in Birmingham, Ala., founded in 1856 and affiliated with the United Methodist Church. It enrolls about 1,300 students from more than 30 states and 8 foreign countries. Learn more online at www.bsc.edu.