Posted on 05/01/2024 12:34:47 PM PDT by Ennis85
United Methodist delegates repealed their church’s longstanding ban on LGBTQ clergy with no debate on Wednesday, removing a rule forbidding “self-avowed practicing homosexuals” from being ordained or appointed as ministers.
Delegates voted 692-51 at their General Conference — the first such legislative gathering in five years. That overwhelming margin contrasts sharply with the decades of controversy around the issue. Past General Conferences of the United Methodist Church had steadily reinforced the ban and related penalties amid debate and protests, but many of the conservatives who had previously upheld the ban have left the denomination in recent years, and this General Conference has moved in a solidly progressive direction.
Applause broke out in parts of the convention hall Wednesday after the vote. A group of observers from LGBTQ advocacy groups embraced, some in tears. “Thanks be to God,” said one.
The change doesn’t mandate or even explicitly affirm LGBTQ clergy, but it means the church no longer forbids them. It’s possible that the change will mainly apply to U.S. churches, since United Methodist bodies in other countries, such as in Africa, have the right to impose the rules for their own regions. The measure takes effect immediately upon the conclusion of General Conference, scheduled for Friday.
The consensus was so overwhelmingly that it was rolled into a “consent calendar,” a package of normally non-controversial measures.
“It seemed like such a simple vote, but it carried so much weight and power, as 50 years of restricting the Holy Spirit’s call on people’s lives has been lifted,” said Bishop Karen Oliveto, the first openly lesbian bishop in the United Methodist Church.
“People can live fully into their call without fear,” said Oliveto, of the Mountain Sky Episcopal Area, which includes Colorado, Montana, Utah and Wyoming. “The church we’ve loved has found a home
(Excerpt) Read more at apnews.com ...
I think the God Fearing members left last year - just saying
The UMC is not a Christian faith. It is a pagan cult.
big surprise.
Yes, many churches are leaving the “United Methodists”.
Jesus’ cousin was “John the Baptist” not “John the Methodist”..................Just sayin.................
God gave them over!
United Methodists are changing their name to United Marxists.
I am not a theologian, and do not know the details of the Theology of the Methodist Church.
But, assuming the theology teaches that homosexuality is sinful Behavior, how can they be intellectually honest and allow homosexual clergy?
Or have they changed the theology, homosexuality is okay , thus a homosexual minister is okay because of that?
I believe some conferences have been ignoring that rule for some time. The good Methodist pastors I had while I was growing would be rolling in their graves about the condition of their denomination, except they are in a better place and don’t have to worry about it anymore.
The UMC is going the way of the Episcopal Church USA. They won't like it when they get there. The ECUSA is in crisis -- unless a church has a huge endowment (or air rights in NYC) they can't even afford to maintain their buildings.
The Methodists are already showing signs of this. An enormous church on the east side of Atlanta (Druid Hills Methodist, at Ponce and Briarcliff) had a membership in the thousands when my grandfather-in-law was a minister there, back in the 60s and 70s. It closed and they sold the physical plant (over 4 acres) for upscale condos - $1.1M per unit. They merged with another old downtown Methodist church for a grand total of 75 members. They now call themselves "Neighborhood Church" although still affiliated with UMC, and they are getting the trendy resettlement crowd. But there are only so many of those who will go to church. Most figure, if they can believe anything, they believe they'll sleep in on Sunday.
They are way behind Rome on this issue.
Homo priests have been OK for decades - even serving in the Vatican.
They no longer believe that homosexuality is a sin, but something to celebrate.
Now the members can openly engage in sodomy during sermon.
Exactly what they want to do to children. /spit
My church left.
I passed by a “gay” Presbyterian church today. They actually advertised it on their sign out front.
**Applause broke out in parts of the convention hall Wednesday after the vote. A group of observers from LGBTQ advocacy groups embraced, some in tears. “Thanks be to God,” said one.**
And the Devil said, “Neither do I condemn thee, go and sin all the more!”
Truly there are a multitude of sinners that are anti-christs.
Pretty much....
My wife left the UMC 20 years ago. It had become a political action committee disguised as a human caring religion
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