Methodist church on gays
Stances of Faiths on LGBTQ+ Issues: The United Methodist Church
In May , the General Conference voted to remove longstanding bans on the ordination of LGBTQ+ clergy and the celebration of same-sex marriages by clergy and in churches. These changes became fully effective on January 1,
BACKGROUND
The UMC traces its origins to the Methodist movement initiated in the midth century by Anglican priest John Wesley and his brother Charles. The current structure of the UMC was established in through the union of the Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church. The church is founded on three basic principles:
- Do no harm.
- Do good.
- Practice the ordinances of God, including prayer, Bible reading, worship, and the Lord's Supper.
The global church structure mirrors the United States government with legislative, executive, and judicial branches. The legislative branch, the General Conference, meets every four years to position church policy. Approximately 1, delegates (half lay leaders, half clergy) gather to consider revisions to the Book of Resolutions and the Book of D
Sexuality and the Combined Methodists
Others, prefer the Episcopals, Presbyterians (PCUSA), and Lutherans (ELCA) contain taken explicit stances in support of LGBTQ inclusion. Of course, individual members of these institutions will have diverse views on the topic, and the stance of an institution does not always convey the stance of an individual member; The Joined Method Church (UMC) is a perfect example of this complexity.
The UMC is a global Protestant denomination which has significant membership in North America, Africa, Europe, and Asia. While historically originating in the United Kingdom, the largest population of Methodists now lives in the Merged States, where it is the third largest religious group after Catholics and Baptists.
Every four years, the UMC meets at what they call the Methodist General Conference—a democratic body of representatives from across the world which gathers to make church decisions. In , the Conference voted to add language to the church’s rule, stating “the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching,” and that gay
United Methodists end anti-gay bans, closing 50 years of battles over sexuality
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — It took just a few days for United Methodist delegates to remove a half-century's worth of denominational bans on gay clergy and same-sex marriages.
But when asked at a news conference about the lightning speed of the changes, the Rev. Effie McAvoy took a longer view.
“Oh, it didn’t take days, honey," she said.
What You Require To Know
- United Methodist Church delegates gathered last week in Charlotte for their General Conference
- The mainline Protestant denomination removed anti-gay language from its official rules, allowing LGBTQ participation in the pulpit and at the altar
- Lutheran, Presbyterian, Episcopal and smaller mainline denominations have taken similar steps, but all have lost congregations in schisms
- The United Methodists counted million U.S. members in , but a recent departure of about 7, mostly conservative congregations will lower that number
It took decades of activism for a convert that was "so very healing," said McAv
LGBTQ Rights
The United Methodist Church is in a hour of deep discernment over how to recognize and welcome LGBTQ (lesbian, lgbtq+, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning) people as part of the life and ministry of the Church. The General Conference — the top legislative body of the denomination — adopted a motion that deferred consideration of all legislation related to human sexuality and led to the creation of the Commission on the Way Forward.
We affirm all persons as equally valuable in the sight of God. We therefore work toward societies in which each person’s value is recognized, maintained, and strengthened.
United Methodist Social Principles, ¶In the midst of these debates and disagreements over internal polity, the Church remains loyal in support for laws in civil society that uphold the rights of LGBTQ people.
“Certain basic human rights and civil liberties are due all persons. We are committed to supporting those rights and liberties for all persons, regardless of sexual orientation.” (Social Principles, ¶J) We support “the rights of all persons to identical