SAN JOSE — The National Japanese American United Methodist Caucus (NJAUMC) of the United Methodist Church stands in support of a same-sex marriage ceremony that took place May 17 inside the sanctuary of Wesley United Methodist Church in San Jose’s Japantown.
NJAUMC stands in solidarity with Wesley UMC, a reconciling congregation within the United Methodist Church, in its decision to enable the service of Christian marriage to take place in its sanctuary. In this decision, Wesley UMC prioritizes the principles of hospitality over exclusivity.
Furthermore, NJAUMC stands with Rev. Michael Yoshii, the presiding elder of the wedding ceremony, for his courageous faith in maintaining biblical obedience to the teachings of Jesus, summed up in his great commandment, “to love one another as I have loved you (John 13:34).”
Rev. Yoshii is senior minister of Buena Vista UMC in Alameda. “I believe that providing pastoral support for the couple outweighs any restrictions placed upon us as clergy,” he says.
The NJAUMC affirms the witness and support of all who have supported the couple in their relationship up to this point in their lives, and who will continue supporting their marriage as a faith statement of God’s unconditional love and acceptance for all persons.