Perhaps for outsiders it isn't a big deal, but for insiders it is. Conservatives have fought this for years, and they've succeeded for years. I have an email sent from Good News, a renewal group in our denomination, detailing their understanding of where this will go at the next general conference.
Most don't understand our governance and policy making in the UMC. We have only 1 meeting ever 4 years for about 10 days at which ANY official rulings, changes, or policies can be changed, dropped, or added. That is why things move so incredibly slowly in the UMC.
People will point to bishops who say this, agencies who say that, but what they don't realize is that those folks speak for themselves and not for the denomination. The ONLY body that speaks for the denomination is that once every 4 years General Conference. Obviously, I don't agree with the liberal bishops or agency heads, but it is absolutely true that they don't speak for the denomination. If they did, gay marriage would have been approved a decade ago.
How did these shameful people get into positions of leadership? The same way leftists do in most hierarchies. They lied about themselves in the 50's and 60's, and when they ascended they appointed like-minded derelicts to position. All kept themselves somewhat secret until the last 2 or 3 decades. So, they have control of the hierarchical offices for the most part, and faithful pastors and people have control of the majority of churches, particularly south of the Mason Dixon and overseas.
The bottom line is that this same sex marriage is between two homosexuals, neither of which is a pastor in the UMC. The one pastor did resign. It surprises me a bit, since Michigan is a blue state, that he didn't expect support from the heretic caucus.
For the record, saying that so and so should fire so and so is easy for them to say, but the rules of evidence and conviction in a church trial in the UMC are virtually the same as in our civil courts. IOW, unless you have videotape of someone actually ENGAGING in homosexuality, you can't prove it. And even words of support from their mouths can be recanted or claimed to be misunderstood.
My personal prayer is for a denominational split.
They have to enforce the Book of Discipline because the Book of Discipline says that lay people cannot perform the sacraments. If you eschew the Book of Discipline, you could eliminate the need for paid pastors.
When pastors take political stands in the pulpit, they alienate half the congregation. Our attendance and giving is down 30% since we got a new pastor who went political on us immediately. Some of our clergy are chomping at the bit to do a same-sex marriage and have made that desire known.
The UMC is looking at a major downfall for getting too involved in politics.
I was a Methodist before the Uniting occurred.
A split seems necessary.
Michigan is a blue state due to fiscal issues and inner cities, not social issues. This isn't California or New York. This state only got stuck with homo civil marriage because of SCOTUS. The only real social leftist areas are the college areas, the hipster/yuppie areas like the Royal Oak area, the homo areas like Ferndale and Saugatuck, and a few gentrified areas like Downtown Detroit and Downtown Grand Rapids.
It worked for the LCMS and the ELCA. The problem remains of the progressives who purposely infiltrate the conservative branch with the goal of changing it to their demonic point of view. As you indicate, the strength to resist turns on the convictions of the top leadership.
The fact that the National Condference will be held in Oregon is not good -- the remote state having fun persecuting Christian cake bakers. I'm thinking they will try to pack the proceedings with leftcoasters. Hope the Africans fly in as previous to help hold the line. Ironic, isn't it?
Prayers up. Are you going?