Reconciling United Methodist Texas Conference (RUMTX), formerly Breaking the Silence, is a group of clergy and laity in the Texas Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church. We aspire to be a healing voice within the climate of fear and misinformation surrounding sexual orientation and gender identity. RUMTX works to create a welcoming atmosphere for all persons in the churches of the Texas Annual Conference. We seek to follow the example of Christ, loving our neighbors as ourselves and establishing radical hospitality as the norm for all human relationships. RUMTX pursues these goals by providing opportunities for dialogue through witness and education. RUMTX has identified itself as a Community within Reconciling Ministries Network, a national grassroots organization that exists to enable full participation of people of all sexual orientations and gender identities in the life of the United Methodist Church, both in policy and practice.

RUMTX is committed to the following principle statements:
  • We are grounded in the biblical witness of responsibility to God and love of neighbor.
  • We actively participate in a relationship with a loving God as revealed through Jesus the Christ.
  • We rejoice in the knowledge that each of us is created in God’s own image and is of sacred worth.
  • We are convinced of God’s unconditional love, acceptance and affirmation of all people.
  • We are committed to Christ’s commandment to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.
  • We are committed to following Christ’s example, treating all persons as equal and equally cherished in the eyes of our creator.
  • We are committed to John Wesley’s principle of “going on to perfection” and therefore value and devote appropriate time and effort to continuing education and spiritual growth.
  • We are committed to our Wesleyan heritage that calls us to biblical scholarship, a historical-critical interpretation of Holy Scripture, and the Quadrilateral (scripture, tradition, reason, experience) as the established United Methodist tool for theological reflection.
  • We seek to “do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God.” (Micah 6:8)
  • We struggle in disagreement with portions of the United Methodist Book of Discipline that we find to be in conflict with Christ’s teachings.
  • We uphold The United Methodist Book of Discipline while prayerfully and passionately working within the established policy to petition for change.
  • We are committed to preaching, teaching and living out each of these beliefs and practices.

Revised and adopted by Executive Board – June 20, 2013