United methodist stance on homosexuality
United Methodists remove anti-gay language from official teachings on societal issues
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — United Methodist delegates on Thursday removed a year-old declaration from their official social teachings that deemed “the exercise of homosexuality incompatible with Christian teaching” — part of a wider series of historic reversals of the denomination’s long-standing disapproval of LGBTQ activity.
The historic vote came as delegates also approved a new definition of marriage as a covenant between “two people of faith” while noticing the couple may or may not involve a man and a woman. That replaces an exclusively heterosexual definition of marriage and followed a debate that exposed tensions between some U.S. and international delegates.
The vote to approve a section of the church’s Revised Social Principles took place at the General Conference of the United Methodist Church in the penultimate day of their day legislative gathering in Charlotte.
It came a day after the General Conference removed its long-standing ban on “self-avowed practicing homosexuals” from being o
Bishop Karen Oliveto is retiring in a few months as a United Methodist bishop.
Oliveto was passionate saying those words aloud. As the church's first openly gay bishop, her path was not always certain.
"Every daytime of my ministry, I've had to wonder, is this the day my ordination will be taken from me?" Oliveto said.
That is, until this year's United Methodist General Conference, the church's global legislative body, voted to overturn every ban on LGBTQ people. The historic changes contain a new definition of marriage as a lifelong covenant between "two people of faith," rather than solely between a man and a woman, and a repeal of its ban on LGBTQ clergy.
The General Conference also struck down a year-old stance on homosexuality being "incompatible with Christian teaching."
"To perceive someone say, 'we need to repent of the injure we've done.' I didn't realize my body was waiting for that," said Oliveto.
The changes, which are effective immediately, open new doors for LGBTQ members. One year-old, who wished to move by J.M., is working toward becoming ordained as a deacon in the Unite
Stances of Faiths on LGBTQ+ Issues: The Joined Methodist Church
In May , the General Conference voted to remove longstanding bans on the ordination of LGBTQ+ clergy and the celebration of queer 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 set church policy. Approximately 1, delegates (half lay leaders, half clergy) accumulate to consider revisions to the Book of Resolutions and the Book of D
Sexuality and the Merged Methodists
Others, enjoy the Episcopals, Presbyterians (PCUSA), and Lutherans (ELCA) possess 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 indicate the stance of an individual member; The Together 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 commandment, stating “the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching,” and that gay