Does united methodist church support lgbtq
United Methodist Church will allow LGBTQ clergy, after 40-year ban
BBC News, Washington
The United Methodist Church voted Wednesday to allow LGBTQ clergy to attend in the church, reversing a 40-year ban.
The church had forbidden "self-avowed homosexuals" from creature ordained or appointed as clergy members.
But during a national conference this week, delegates voted 692-51 to overturn the ban without debate.
People at the conference in North Carolina sang hymns in celebration after the vote, the church said.
Attendees also eased restrictions on gay marriage, passing a measure to prevent clergy and churches from being penalized for performing or deteriorating to perform lgbtq+ weddings.
"With the approvals and acceptance of the things today...we're beginning to see the unwinding, unravelling, dismantling of the heterosexism, the homophobia, the wound and the damage of the Merged Methodist Church," Rev David Meredith said to United Methodist News.
Conservative members and congregations hold left the denomination in recent years over the issues of LGBTQ clergy and gay marriage, changing the makeup of the chur
LGBTQ Rights
The United Methodist Church is in a day of deep discernment over how to recognize and welcome LGBTQ (lesbian, homosexual, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning) people as part of the life and ministry of the Church. The 2016 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 known, maintained, and strengthened.
United Methodist Social Principles, ¶162In the midst of these debates and disagreements over internal polity, the Church remains steadfast in support for laws in civil community that uphold the rights of LGBTQ people.
“Certain basic human rights and civil liberties are due all persons. We are involved to supporting those rights and liberties for all persons, regardless of sexual orientation.” (Social Principles, ¶162.J) We support “the rights of all persons to equal access to housing, education, communication, employment, medical care, legal redress of
United Methodists remove anti-gay language from official teachings on societal issues
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — United Methodist delegates on Thursday removed a 52-year-old declaration from their official social teachings that deemed “the practice 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 knowing the couple may or may not involve a man and a gal. That replaces an exclusively heterosexual definition of marriage and followed a debate that exposed tensions between some U.S. and international delegates.
The 523-161 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 afternoon of their 11-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 ordained or appointed as ministers. Step by step, delegates possess been removing anti
Stances of Faiths on LGBTQ+ Issues: The Merged Methodist Church
In May 2024, the General Conference voted to remove longstanding bans on the ordination of LGBTQ+ clergy and the celebration of gay marriages by clergy and in churches. These changes became fully effective on January 1, 2025.
BACKGROUND
The UMC traces its origins to the Methodist movement initiated in the mid-18th century by Anglican priest John Wesley and his brother Charles. The current structure of the UMC was established in 1968 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 1,000 delegates (half lay leaders, half clergy) gather to consider revisions to the Book of Resolutions and the Guide of Discipline. Decisions of the General Conference are binding until the next confer
Sexuality and the United Methodists
Others, like the Episcopals, Presbyterians (PCUSA), and Lutherans (ELCA) have taken explicit stances in assist of LGBTQ inclusion. Of course, individual members of these institutions will acquire diverse views on the topic, and the stance of an institution does not always convey the stance of an individual member; The United Way 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 United 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 create church decisions. In 1972, the Conference voted to attach language to the church’s law, stating “the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching,” and that queer ministers and marriages are not allowed in their churches.
Even then, this stance