What's Happening
Regardless of the damage done by the United Methodist General Conference in February, Dumbarton United Methodist Church will stick to its core values. We will continue to practice full inclusion. We will continue to offer our building and our clergy for same gender weddings. We will not obey unjust rules.
Dumbarton has been at the forefront of support for LGBQTIA+ people. We were one of the first United Methodist churches in Washington to join the reconciling movement and the first to conduct same-gender weddings. We are not about to stop now. LGBTQIA+ people are beloved children of God, created in God’s image, and wholly worthy of affirmation, ordination, and marriage in the United Methodist Church.
(From the Washington Post Feb. 28, 2019):
Dumbarton United Methodist Church is the oldest United Methodist congregation in Washington, D.C., dating back almost 200 years before the United Methodist denomination was created — even back before the United States was created.
On Wednesday, when the church’s minister, the Rev. Mary Kay Totty, traveled back to Washington from a groundbreaking meeting in St. Louis where the denomination decided to uphold its opposition to same-sex marriage and LGBT clergy, she thought that centuries-old history might be at a breaking point.
“To think of not being Methodist,” she said, then stopped, unable to complete the sentence. Dumbarton voted to affirm gay worshipers more than 30 years ago, and the church has performed 20 same-sex marriages since 2010, breaking the rules of the denomination every time. Now such actions will be met with much harsher penalties.
Jeehye Kim Pak, our minister of children and youth, is looking forward to serving as lead teacher for our youth and intermediate Sunday School classes this season. The youth class for sixth through twelfth graders will meet at 10 a.m. With nearly a dozen youth in this class, Jeehye anticipates lively discussions and probing questions about matters of faith, matters of the day and matters of life. "Sparkhouse" will be the curriculum springboard for planning, which will incorporate learning styles and interests of Dumbarton youth.
The intermediate class, for second through fifth graders, will meet during worship after the children's witness to the world. That is a change from last year, when the class met at 10 a.m. This class will gather in the Noah's Park classroom, which is a great size for the half a dozen current members. The focus will be on the intersection of faith and daily life, utilizing the Sparkhouse curriculum tailored for the class members' styles of learning and energy levels. Expect lots of interactive and moving around kinds of activities for this group! Because this class is meeting during worship, there will be no children's fellowship during the service this year.
The nursery will be available from 10 a.m. through coffee hour.
Meet new people at Dumbarton’s Young Adult Group, which combines faith journeys with social activities. You might find them at a book study session, a restaurant outing, a gathering at someone’s home or at Busboys and Poets. You’ll see them at the worship service, often seated in the right-hand back rows.
Issued in advance of UMC General Conference Feb. 23-26
At Dumbarton United Methodist Church in Washington D.C., together, side by side, people of all genders and sexual orientations have engaged in creative, vibrant, and vital ministries for more than 30 years. This is a tremendous blessing for our church.
Grounded in Jesus’ gospel teaching, we love God and we love our neighbors as ourselves. Guided by Jesus’s expansive example of embracing everyone, Dumbarton UMC affirms that God unconditionally loves gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual people, and celebrates that LGBTQIA+ people are created in the image of God.
We urge the 2019 General Conference of The United Methodist Church to remove all barriers to inclusion of LGBTQIA+ people from the Book of Discipline and to acknowledge the richness and beauty of the gifts that LGBTQIA+ people bring to United Methodism.
We strive for the day when every United Methodist church will be a safe and welcoming place for LGBTQIA+ laity and clergy, same-gender weddings will be celebrated, and vulnerable queer youth will find assuran
- ‹ previous
- 2 of 5
- next ›
Our Location
3133 Dumbarton St
NW Washington, DC, 20007
Phone: (202) 333.7212
DUMC
A Reconciling Congregation
Sunday worship is held at 11 a.m. from September through May, 10 a.m. during summer. . Refreshments following church. Nursery provided.
Accessible. All are Welcome!
Listening Devices Available
What People Say About Us
--"There is a welcoming fellowship and a continuing challenge to be engaged in social justice."--Harry K.
--"I love how Dumbarton continues to stand up for the rights of the marginalized, especially LGBT people"
--"I appreciate the incredible lay participation and leadership - it is unrivaled elsewhere, in my experience."--Jamie M.
--"Everyone at Dumbarton is honestly and uniquely who they are - there are no pretensions or facades to pretend to be someone we are not." Michelle D.
--"I like the time in the service when we prayerfully express our joys and concerns."--Joan C.