David Gura speaks wh Rev. Kimberly Stt about last week's meetg of the Uned Methodist Church's Council of Bishops and s impedg vote on whether to orda gay pastors.
Contents:
- UNED METHODIST NSERVATIV TAIL BREAKAWAY PLANS OVER GAY CLN
- UNED METHODIST CHURCH MOV TO ALLOW LGBT CLERGY AND GAY MARRIAGE
- UNED METHODIST CHURCH ANNOUNC PROPOSAL TO SPL OVER GAY MARRIAGE
- UNED METHODISTS TIGHTEN BAN ON SAME-SEX MARRIAGE AND GAY CLERGY
UNED METHODIST NSERVATIV TAIL BREAKAWAY PLANS OVER GAY CLN
The Uned Methodist Church, wh an timated 10.4 ln members, has current polici that are strongly agast the LGBTQ muny. However, many church lears, cludg lol pastors, wele gays and lbians as church members and support their basic human rights. * umc and gays *
The Church “implor fai and church not to reject or nmn lbian and gay members and iends.
Homosexualy was first openly bated at General Conference 1972, four years after the formatn of The Uned Methodist Church, rultg the addn of first statement on homosexualy. While affirmg belief that persons of homosexual orientatn are persons of sacred worth who need the mistry and guidance of the church, the statement add that the church “do not ndone the practice of homosexualy and nsirs this practice patible wh Christian teachg.
UNED METHODIST CHURCH MOV TO ALLOW LGBT CLERGY AND GAY MARRIAGE
* umc and gays *
Sce that time, the church has mataed the posn that “the practice of homosexualy is patible wh Christian teachg.
Based on the posns about homosexual practice and marriage, the Church has also mataed rtrictns regardg clergy. Pastors may not be “self-avowed, practicg homosexuals” and may not nduct ceremoni that celebrate same-sex weddgs or unns. Wh a body of over 12 ln members globally, Uned Methodists are not of one md about how to be mistry wh lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr and queer people.
UNED METHODIST CHURCH ANNOUNC PROPOSAL TO SPL OVER GAY MARRIAGE
A mtee wh the Uned Methodist Church has affirmed a proposal on acceptg LGBT clergy and gay marriage. Ron Cogswell/Flickr Gay clergy and same-sex marriage may be allowed at Uned Methodist Church thanks to a proposal drafted by the Connectnal Table, a rpected ternatnal body of clergy members and lay people the church. On Tuday, the mtee * umc and gays *
Some members feel strongly that the church should uphold s current stanc regardg gay clergy and marriage. While the church has official statements regardg homosexualy, all members n disagree wh the church’s posns and n advote for change policy.
In 2019, a special ssn of General Conference met specifilly to addrs ongog, unrolved divisns regardg homosexualy. Its cisns strengthened rtrictns on ordatn (broang the fn of "self-avowed, practicg homosexual" the footnote to ¶304.
UNED METHODISTS TIGHTEN BAN ON SAME-SEX MARRIAGE AND GAY CLERGY
One was to clare an abeyance (lay) on submtg or procsg plats related to homosexualy until after a procs for separatn had been approved and the nomatns that may rult om uld hold their first post-separatn General Conferenc. The agreement about abeyance, though, beme effective immediately among s signers, and many other bishops the Uned Stat have likewise agreed to hold homosexualy-related plats agast clergy abeyance until after a post-separatn Uned Methodist General Conference 2028 term what new polici, if any, will be.
The impasse over homosexualy has led to uncertaty about the Church’s future. However, many church lears, cludg lol pastors, wele gays and lbians as church members and support their basic human rights. The church’s 2016 Book of Disciple regniz the “sacred worth” of all persons but also stat that "the practice of homosexualy is patible wh Christian teachg" and bans fancial support of LGBTQ-based groups.