During this week’s historic United Methodist General Conference in Uptown Charlotte (the first time in 8 years the global congregation has met), nearly 700 delegates voted to officially allow LGBTQ clergy to lead local churches and to remove other same-sex marriage restrictions.
Yesterday afternoon, inside the Charlotte Convention Center, denominational leaders from around the world voted 692 to 51 to stop issuing mandatory penalties for conducting same-sex marriages in UMC churches, to remove a 40-year-old ban on LGBTQ candidates for ministry, and to allow funding for LGBTQ-friendly ministries.
This historic vote follows years of contentious debate within the denomination, which has seen a shift towards more progressive stances as many conservative members have recently left the church. The newly adopted measures also prevent district superintendents from penalizing clergy for their involvement in same-sex weddings, either by performing or refusing to perform them. Furthermore, the church’s Social Principles were amended to no longer describe homosexuality as “incompatible with Christian teaching” and redefine marriage as a union between “two people of faith.”
“I have loved this church, even when it didn’t quite know how to love me back. I loved it because it was a vessel of God’s grace, in spite of its flaws,” said Bishop Karen Oliveto, the denomination’s first openly gay and married bishop, in a press release. “I loved it still even when it suddenly made God’s love conditional through harmful language about LGBTQ people and the way it sought to limit our role in its life and ministry.”
The changes are effective immediately around the world, though they may predominantly affect US congregations due to differing regional policies, particularly in more conservative areas like Africa. The decision marks a pivotal shift for a denomination that has grappled with LGBTQ issues for decades and could lead to further departures from the church, especially from regions with more conservative views on sexuality.
You can watch the full recap of yesterday’s meeting and vote here:
