Wh spl over gay marriage layed, Uned Methodists face a year limbo

Contents:

• OVER 6,000 UNED METHODIST NGREGATNS VOTED TO LEAVE THE NOMATN AS BE MORE FLEXIBLE WH GAY MARRIAGE AND LGBTQ+ MISTERS
• UNED METHODIST DENOMATN VOT TO EXPEL LGBT PASTORS AND PRO-LGBT CHURCHSPLITTHE LONG-SIMMERG SCHISM EXPLOD THIS WEEK AND WILL LIKELY E MANY U.S. CHURCH TO LEAVE AMERI’S SEND-LARGT PROTTANT NOMATN.JAY MICHAELSONUPDATED FEB. 27, 2019 8:45AM EST / PUBLISHED FEB. 26, 2019 4:59PM EST PHOTO ILLTRATN BY THE DAILY BEAST / PHOTO BY GETTYAMERI’S SEND-LARGT PROTTANT NOMATN, THE UNED METHODIST CHURCH, IS SET TO SPL, AS THE CHURCH’S TOP POLICY-MAKG BODY VOTED TUDAY TO MATA PROHIBNS ON HOMOSEXUALY AND TO EXPEL GAY PASTORS.TODAY’S VOTE AT THE UMC’S GENERAL CONFERENCE ST. LOUIS—LAYED BY FILIBTERS, AMENDMENTS, AND OTHER TACTICS BY PROGRSIV— AFTER TWO PROMISE OPTNS WERE REJECTED BY NARROW MARGS.ONE, THE “ONE CHURCH PLAN,” WOULD HAVE LET DIVIDUAL CHURCH AND REGNAL BODI CI WHETHER TO ORDA AND MARRY LGBTQ MEMBERS. THAT PLAN WAS BACKED BY A MAJORY OF THE CHURCH’S COUNCIL OF BISHOPS, BUT WAS REJECTED BY A VOTE OF 53% TO 46%.ANOTHER, THE “SIMPLE PLAN,” WOULD HAVE SIMPLY REMOVED ALL MENTNS OF HOMOSEXUALY OM METHODIST DOCTRE, RERD S OFFICIAL ‘BOOK OF DISCIPLE.’  IT, TOO, WAS REJECTED. ONLY THE ANTI-LGBTQ “TRADNAL PLAN” WON A MAJORY OF LEGAT, PREVAILG BY A VOTE OF 56% TO 44%.THAT PLAN MATAS THE BOOK OF DISCIPLE’S STATEMENT THAT “THE PRACTICE OF HOMOSEXUALY IS PATIBLE WH CHRISTIAN TEACHG” AND THAT “SELF-AVOWED PRACTICG HOMOSEXUALS” NNOT BE ORDAED AS MISTERS OR BE MARRIED THE CHURCH.  MOREOVER, THE PLAN ACTUALLY CREAS THE ENFORCEMENT OF THIS PROVISN.  AT PRENT, THERE ARE NUMERO LGBTQ METHODIST PASTORS – ONE, BRIAND ADKS, SPOKE AT THE CONFERENCE AND STATED PLALY “I AM A GAY PASTOR” – AND THE NOMATN HAS NOT TAKEN AFFIRMATIVE ACTN TO DISMISS THEM. AND 2016, THE WTERN UNED STAT DISTRICT OF THE UMC ELECTED AN OPENLY LBIAN BISHOP, KAREN OLIVETO.  AT THE TIME, NSERVATIV WARNED THAT THE CISN WOULD LEAD TO A SCHISM THE NOMATN, WHICH NOW APPEARS TO BE ON THE BRK OF TAKG PLACE.UNR THE TRADNAL PLAN, REGNAL BODI WOULD BE PELLED TO EXPEL THE PASTORS, CLUDG BISHOP OLIVETO.  “NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS, I’M GOG TO KEEP ON FOLLOWG J,” SHE TWEETED EARLY TODAY.FROM ONE PERSPECTIVE, THE VOTE IS PUZZLG.  WHY IS UMC MOVG BACKWARD ON LGBT CLN WHEN RELIG AMERINS ARE MOVG FORWARD?BUT THE ANSWER IS NOT HARD TO UNRSTAND.  UMC IS A GLOBAL NOMATN WH 12.7 LN MEMBERS: 43% OF PARTICIPANTS AT THE NOMATN’S GENERAL CONFERENCE G OM OVERSEAS, MOSTLY AI.  AND WHILE AMERINS ARE MOVG LEFT, AIN CHURCH LEARS ARE NOT.“WE AINS ARE NOT CHILDREN NEED OF WTERN ENLIGHTENMENT WHEN TO THE CHURCH'S SEXUAL ETHICS," SAID REV. JERRY KULAH, AN OF GBARNGA SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY LIBERIA, DURG THE NFERENCE. “WE STAND WH THE GLOBAL CHURCH, NOT A CULTURALLY LIBERAL CHURCH ELE THE U.S.”OF URSE, THE OPPOSN OF AIN PASTORS ON THE GROUNDS THAT EQUALY FOR LGBTQ PEOPLE IS A WTERN VENTN IS IRONIC, GIVEN THAT HAS BEEN WELL DOCUMENTED THAT AIN ANTI-LGBT LEARS HAVE LONG BEEN BANKROLLED BY AMERIN NSERVATIV.  IN FACT, SAME-SEX RELATNSHIPS HAVE LONG BEEN PART OF DIGENO AIN CULTUR.  THE METHODIST NOMATN SELF WAS FOUND BY JOHN WLEY 18TH CENTURY ENGLAND.BUT AIN PASTORS’ NSERVATISM IS ALSO PARTLY THE RULT OF THEIR ‘PETN’ WH NSERVATIVE ISLAM FOR FOLLOWERS.  SOME IMAMS TOUTS ISLAM AS MORE P THAN CHRISTIANY PART BEE OF S HARD LE ON HOMOSEXUALY.AT THE CONFERENCE, LGBTQ PARTICIPANTS EXPRSED HORROR AT THE CISN.J.J. WARREN, A GAY NEW YORK STATE LLEGE STUNT WHO WANTS TO BEE A METHODIST PASTOR, GAVE AN IMPASSNED SPEECH AT THE CONFERENCE SCRIBG HIS OWN EVANGELIZG TO PEOPLE WHO “DIDN’T KNOW GOD ULD LOVE THEM BEE THEIR CHURCH SAID GOD DIDN’T.”DOROTHEE BENZ, AN ACTIVIST OM NEW YORK CY, SPOKE ON THE FLOOR OF THE CONFERENCE ABOUT THE NNECTN BETWEEN ANTI-LGBTQ RELIG DOCTRE AND ANTI-LGBTQ VLENCE.OVERALL, THE GENERAL CONFERENCE WAS RIVEN BY FUR BATE AND THE SHEDDG OF TEARS.  NUMERO ATTEN AND ALLI TOOK TO SOCIAL MEDIA, WH MENTS LIKE “THIS IS 2019 AND A MAJOR CHRISTIAN NOMATN IS UNCID OF MY YOUTH” AND “IF YOU THK A VOTE WILL KEEP ME OUT OF THIS CHURCH, YOU ARE ABOUT TO BE SERLY DISAPPOTED.”  REVEREND ROB LEE TWEETED SIMPLY “I’M BROKEN.”ON A LIGHTER NOTE, ONE SEATTLE PASTOR TWEETED THAT “THE TRADNAL PLAN TURNED #UMGCC TO FYRE FTIVAL.”FYRE, HOWEVER, FLAMED OUT A SGLE WEEKEND.  BUT THE CRISIS IS JT BEGNG FOR THE METHODIST CHURCH.  ALREADY, PROGRSIV AND NSERVATIV ALIKE ARE DISCSG HOW LGBT-AFFIRMG CHURCH (AND PERHAPS REGNS) N MAKE A “GRACEFUL EX” OM THE NOMATN.  THE QUTN IS NOT WHETHER, BUT HOW.  AT STAKE ARE NOT ONLY THE AFFILIATNS OF LNS OF AMERIN METHODISTS, BUT ALSO THEIR CHURCH, THOSE STUTNS’ FANCIAL ASSETS, AND THE STCTURE OF THE NOMATN SELF.  AS EXS S GLOBAL NFERENCE, THE SEND LARGT PROTTANT NOMATN IS A SHAMBL.EDOR’S NOTE: THIS STORY WAS UPDATED FOLLOWG THE FAL VOTE.THIS ARTICLE ORIGALLY CLUD A QUOTE ATTRIBUTED TO PASTOR ANTHONY TANG.  THE PERSON WHO TWEETED THE QUOTE HAS RETRACTED . JAY MICHAELSON
• UNED METHODIST NSERVATIV TAIL BREAKAWAY PLANS OVER GAY CLN
• METHODIST CHURCH VOT TO BAN GAY CLERGY AND SAME SEX MARRIAGE, EVOKG BATE AMONG MEMBERS
• UNED METHODIST CHURCH ANNOUNC PROPOSAL TO SPL OVER GAY MARRIAGE
• IMPROPER VOTG DISVERED AT METHODIST VOTE ON GAY CLERGY
• UNED METHODISTS TIGHTEN BAN ON SAME-SEX MARRIAGE AND GAY CLERGY
• WH SPL OVER GAY MARRIAGE LAYED, UNED METHODISTS FACE A YEAR LIMBO

OVER 6,000 UNED METHODIST NGREGATNS VOTED TO LEAVE THE NOMATN AS BE MORE FLEXIBLE WH GAY MARRIAGE AND LGBTQ+ MISTERS

Bridgeforth is the first openly gay Ain-Amerin man to be elected bishop.

UNED METHODIST DENOMATN VOT TO EXPEL LGBT PASTORS AND PRO-LGBT CHURCHSPLITTHE LONG-SIMMERG SCHISM EXPLOD THIS WEEK AND WILL LIKELY E MANY U.S. CHURCH TO LEAVE AMERI’S SEND-LARGT PROTTANT NOMATN.JAY MICHAELSONUPDATED FEB. 27, 2019 8:45AM EST / PUBLISHED FEB. 26, 2019 4:59PM EST PHOTO ILLTRATN BY THE DAILY BEAST / PHOTO BY GETTYAMERI’S SEND-LARGT PROTTANT NOMATN, THE UNED METHODIST CHURCH, IS SET TO SPL, AS THE CHURCH’S TOP POLICY-MAKG BODY VOTED TUDAY TO MATA PROHIBNS ON HOMOSEXUALY AND TO EXPEL GAY PASTORS.TODAY’S VOTE AT THE UMC’S GENERAL CONFERENCE ST. LOUIS—LAYED BY FILIBTERS, AMENDMENTS, AND OTHER TACTICS BY PROGRSIV— AFTER TWO PROMISE OPTNS WERE REJECTED BY NARROW MARGS.ONE, THE “ONE CHURCH PLAN,” WOULD HAVE LET DIVIDUAL CHURCH AND REGNAL BODI CI WHETHER TO ORDA AND MARRY LGBTQ MEMBERS. THAT PLAN WAS BACKED BY A MAJORY OF THE CHURCH’S COUNCIL OF BISHOPS, BUT WAS REJECTED BY A VOTE OF 53% TO 46%.ANOTHER, THE “SIMPLE PLAN,” WOULD HAVE SIMPLY REMOVED ALL MENTNS OF HOMOSEXUALY OM METHODIST DOCTRE, RERD S OFFICIAL ‘BOOK OF DISCIPLE.’  IT, TOO, WAS REJECTED. ONLY THE ANTI-LGBTQ “TRADNAL PLAN” WON A MAJORY OF LEGAT, PREVAILG BY A VOTE OF 56% TO 44%.THAT PLAN MATAS THE BOOK OF DISCIPLE’S STATEMENT THAT “THE PRACTICE OF HOMOSEXUALY IS PATIBLE WH CHRISTIAN TEACHG” AND THAT “SELF-AVOWED PRACTICG HOMOSEXUALS” NNOT BE ORDAED AS MISTERS OR BE MARRIED THE CHURCH.  MOREOVER, THE PLAN ACTUALLY CREAS THE ENFORCEMENT OF THIS PROVISN.  AT PRENT, THERE ARE NUMERO LGBTQ METHODIST PASTORS – ONE, BRIAND ADKS, SPOKE AT THE CONFERENCE AND STATED PLALY “I AM A GAY PASTOR” – AND THE NOMATN HAS NOT TAKEN AFFIRMATIVE ACTN TO DISMISS THEM. AND 2016, THE WTERN UNED STAT DISTRICT OF THE UMC ELECTED AN OPENLY LBIAN BISHOP, KAREN OLIVETO.  AT THE TIME, NSERVATIV WARNED THAT THE CISN WOULD LEAD TO A SCHISM THE NOMATN, WHICH NOW APPEARS TO BE ON THE BRK OF TAKG PLACE.UNR THE TRADNAL PLAN, REGNAL BODI WOULD BE PELLED TO EXPEL THE PASTORS, CLUDG BISHOP OLIVETO.  “NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS, I’M GOG TO KEEP ON FOLLOWG J,” SHE TWEETED EARLY TODAY.FROM ONE PERSPECTIVE, THE VOTE IS PUZZLG.  WHY IS UMC MOVG BACKWARD ON LGBT CLN WHEN RELIG AMERINS ARE MOVG FORWARD?BUT THE ANSWER IS NOT HARD TO UNRSTAND.  UMC IS A GLOBAL NOMATN WH 12.7 LN MEMBERS: 43% OF PARTICIPANTS AT THE NOMATN’S GENERAL CONFERENCE G OM OVERSEAS, MOSTLY AI.  AND WHILE AMERINS ARE MOVG LEFT, AIN CHURCH LEARS ARE NOT.“WE AINS ARE NOT CHILDREN NEED OF WTERN ENLIGHTENMENT WHEN TO THE CHURCH'S SEXUAL ETHICS," SAID REV. JERRY KULAH, AN OF GBARNGA SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY LIBERIA, DURG THE NFERENCE. “WE STAND WH THE GLOBAL CHURCH, NOT A CULTURALLY LIBERAL CHURCH ELE THE U.S.”OF URSE, THE OPPOSN OF AIN PASTORS ON THE GROUNDS THAT EQUALY FOR LGBTQ PEOPLE IS A WTERN VENTN IS IRONIC, GIVEN THAT HAS BEEN WELL DOCUMENTED THAT AIN ANTI-LGBT LEARS HAVE LONG BEEN BANKROLLED BY AMERIN NSERVATIV.  IN FACT, SAME-SEX RELATNSHIPS HAVE LONG BEEN PART OF DIGENO AIN CULTUR.  THE METHODIST NOMATN SELF WAS FOUND BY JOHN WLEY 18TH CENTURY ENGLAND.BUT AIN PASTORS’ NSERVATISM IS ALSO PARTLY THE RULT OF THEIR ‘PETN’ WH NSERVATIVE ISLAM FOR FOLLOWERS.  SOME IMAMS TOUTS ISLAM AS MORE P THAN CHRISTIANY PART BEE OF S HARD LE ON HOMOSEXUALY.AT THE CONFERENCE, LGBTQ PARTICIPANTS EXPRSED HORROR AT THE CISN.J.J. WARREN, A GAY NEW YORK STATE LLEGE STUNT WHO WANTS TO BEE A METHODIST PASTOR, GAVE AN IMPASSNED SPEECH AT THE CONFERENCE SCRIBG HIS OWN EVANGELIZG TO PEOPLE WHO “DIDN’T KNOW GOD ULD LOVE THEM BEE THEIR CHURCH SAID GOD DIDN’T.”DOROTHEE BENZ, AN ACTIVIST OM NEW YORK CY, SPOKE ON THE FLOOR OF THE CONFERENCE ABOUT THE NNECTN BETWEEN ANTI-LGBTQ RELIG DOCTRE AND ANTI-LGBTQ VLENCE.OVERALL, THE GENERAL CONFERENCE WAS RIVEN BY FUR BATE AND THE SHEDDG OF TEARS.  NUMERO ATTEN AND ALLI TOOK TO SOCIAL MEDIA, WH MENTS LIKE “THIS IS 2019 AND A MAJOR CHRISTIAN NOMATN IS UNCID OF MY YOUTH” AND “IF YOU THK A VOTE WILL KEEP ME OUT OF THIS CHURCH, YOU ARE ABOUT TO BE SERLY DISAPPOTED.”  REVEREND ROB LEE TWEETED SIMPLY “I’M BROKEN.”ON A LIGHTER NOTE, ONE SEATTLE PASTOR TWEETED THAT “THE TRADNAL PLAN TURNED #UMGCC TO FYRE FTIVAL.”FYRE, HOWEVER, FLAMED OUT A SGLE WEEKEND.  BUT THE CRISIS IS JT BEGNG FOR THE METHODIST CHURCH.  ALREADY, PROGRSIV AND NSERVATIV ALIKE ARE DISCSG HOW LGBT-AFFIRMG CHURCH (AND PERHAPS REGNS) N MAKE A “GRACEFUL EX” OM THE NOMATN.  THE QUTN IS NOT WHETHER, BUT HOW.  AT STAKE ARE NOT ONLY THE AFFILIATNS OF LNS OF AMERIN METHODISTS, BUT ALSO THEIR CHURCH, THOSE STUTNS’ FANCIAL ASSETS, AND THE STCTURE OF THE NOMATN SELF.  AS EXS S GLOBAL NFERENCE, THE SEND LARGT PROTTANT NOMATN IS A SHAMBL.EDOR’S NOTE: THIS STORY WAS UPDATED FOLLOWG THE FAL VOTE.THIS ARTICLE ORIGALLY CLUD A QUOTE ATTRIBUTED TO PASTOR ANTHONY TANG.  THE PERSON WHO TWEETED THE QUOTE HAS RETRACTED . JAY MICHAELSON

Regnal meetgs this month that clud the electn of s send openly gay bishop. ”They also passed non-bdg measur askg anyone to whdraw om learship rol if they're planng to leave the nomatn soon — a tegory that almost entirely clus nservativ movg toward the nomatn still officially bans same-sex marriage and the ordatn of any “self-avowed, practicg homosexual, ” and only a legislative gatherg lled the General Conference n change that.

He is the first openly gay Ain-Amerin man to be elected bishop. A vote by a 2019 General Conference was the latt of several recent s that rerced the church's ban on gay clergy and marriage.

UNED METHODIST NSERVATIV TAIL BREAKAWAY PLANS OVER GAY CLN

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.

The Uned Methodist nomatn has over 6 ln members the Uned Stat, and they're divid over the qutn of ordag gay misters.

METHODIST CHURCH VOT TO BAN GAY CLERGY AND SAME SEX MARRIAGE, EVOKG BATE AMONG MEMBERS

She left the church for seven years and me back to be s first Black, female, openly gay pastor, and she jos now om Phoenix. KIMBERLY SCOTT: Thank you, So this bate over ordag gay clergy has been gog on for a while, sce the late '60s.

And then the other part was always send-gusg myself - whether or not I was supposed to be open about my sexual orientatn, whether or not I was supposed to play the game of don't ask, don't Jt so that I'm clear, is the church's official stance on homosexualy today ambiguo or is pretty clearly fed and you'd like to see changed? It clearly stat that you nnot be an openly-practicg homosexual and be ordaed the Uned Methodist Church. It also stat that although all human begs are of sacred worth, homosexualy is patible wh Christian teachg.

S., church have gone beyond what the Book of Disciple says to make the church open and accsible to gay and lbian clergy like Do you know other pastors who aren't as open as you or haven't been able to be as open as you - have ma this choice to keep this important si of their liv quiet or secret om their ngregatns? The bate around homosexualy is not somethg that most Ain and third-world untri are - really re about.

UNED METHODIST CHURCH ANNOUNC PROPOSAL TO SPL OVER GAY MARRIAGE

The cisn to leave me after years of tratn wh the East Oh Conference for not valug the church’s nservative doctral stance on issu such as homosexualy and not fdg nservative misters to serve the church.

Most have left cg wears wh the bate or a lack of enforcement of the nomatn ’s bans related to homosexualy. One-fifth of Uned Methodist ngregatns the Uned Stat have received permissn to leave the nomatn over disagreements over same-sex marriage and gay preachers. This year alone, 4, 172 ngregatns left, acrdg to an unofficial tally by Uned Methodist News the church forbids the marriage or ordatn of “self-avowed, practicg homosexuals, ” many church and nferenc fy those bans.

IMPROPER VOTG DISVERED AT METHODIST VOTE ON GAY CLERGY

Conservativ May 2022 officially lnched a new Global Methodist Church, where they plan to mata and enforce bans on thgs that clu gay misters and same-sex weddgs. Recent shifts the church2019: A vote by a General Conference was the latt of several recent s that rerced the church’s ban on gay clergy and marriage.

Many wh the nomatn are seekg to reverse bans on the ordatn of gay and lbian misters and officiatns of gay weddgs. LGBTQ+ rponseWhile some partg church allow LGBTQ+ members, ’s an unacceptable double standard when they let LGBTQ+ people attend their servic but refe to marry them, said Sonja Feist, print of the Topeka chapter of Parents, Fay and Friends of Lbians and told The Capal-Journal she didn't see how a church that bans same-sex marriage n claim to be welg to gay people. Florida clergy of different perspectiv about LGBTQ cln agreed was the prence of openly gay ndidat this year’s group that ed the ssn to fall jt short of the required 75 percent vote for approval — somethg that’s ually route.

Tradnalists strsed that clergy promise to uphold Uned Methodist policy, which, spe many efforts to change , says the practice of homosexualy is patible wh Christian teachg and prohibs ordatn of “self-avowed practicg homosexuals. Two of the 16, Kipp Nelson and Er Wagner, nfirmed for UM News that they were the openly gay ndidat at the center of the bate, though not by name, durg the June 9 clergy ssn. Though clergy ssn bate foced on two gay ndidat, a third, Anna Swygert, told UM News that she has been open about her same-sex orientatn, although not active on social media about .

UNED METHODISTS TIGHTEN BAN ON SAME-SEX MARRIAGE AND GAY CLERGY

But Silva, his post, said the blame belongs wh the nference’s board of ordaed mistry for remendg gay ndidat spe the church’s official teachgs on homosexualy and related rtrictns on ordatn. Jack Jackson, another Florida Conference elr and a tradnalist and semary profsor, said the nference is clearly on a progrsive path but that the board and nference lears acted too soon puttg forward gay ndidat. Last week, the Florida Conference approved 14 lol church disaffiliatns, and Carter said clergy planng to leave were proment the bate about gay ndidat for provisnal membership.

By the end of 2023, the Uned Methodist Church will be signifintly ls uned, torn asunr by a host of issu but mostly over how to addrs same-sex marriage and gay clergy.

Uned Methodists have been more or ls civilly disagreeg about gay rights sce the 1970s, but the issue me to a head 2019.

WH SPL OVER GAY MARRIAGE LAYED, UNED METHODISTS FACE A YEAR LIMBO

At a UMC General Conference that year, the theologilly nservative mp, aid by socially nservative Uned Methodists om Ai, outflanked the morat and liberals and phed through a rolutn affirmg existg UMC bans on same-sex weddgs and the ordatn of "self-avowed practicg homosexuals" as General Conference also approved a new church law, Paragraph 2553 of the Book of Disciple, offerg UMC church a path out of the Uned Methodist Church wh their church buildgs and property — if they get approval om two-thirds of their ngregatn, sign-off om their regnal erng body, and pay their fair share of clergy pensn liabili and two years of "apportnments" for the larger nomatn.

In each se the more theologilly nservative church broke om the ma nomatn, Heather Hahn explas at UM News, and the ma nomatns have sce expand their embrace of gay and lbian members. Wh the Epispal Church, the breakup began when the New Hampshire dce elected and nsecrated the first openly gay bishop, V. After years of tumult, the breakaway Anglin Church North Ameri spl om the Epispal Church Evangelil Lutheran Church Ameri (ELCA) lost members after votg to allow pastors to bls same-sex unns and ngregatns to accept gay clergy "monogamo" marriag 2009.