Book of discipline homosexuality
Changes made to the Book of Discipline
Last Saturday at the Reconciling Ministries gathering for Clark County United Methodist Churches we discussed the changes made to the Book of Discipline by the General Conference. That Conference eliminated language that forbids the ordination of gay clergy. It opened the way for pastors to officiate at and churches to host equal sex weddings, at their discretion. It removed the words that homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching. These were big changes. They basically take the Together Methodist Church to neutral language regarding human sexuality.
Some have asked, given these changes, why we demand reconciling ministries now that the denomination has changed its stance. The best answer I&#;ve heard came from Pastor Byron Harris (Vancouver Heights UMC) who said, &#;The General Conference changes are like Abraham Lincoln issuing the Emancipation Proclamation.&#; If you comprehend your history, you will retain that the Emancipation Proclamation freed slaves, but it did not bring full justice. Formerly enslaved people were still
Historic day for UMC: year ban on ordination of gay clergy is lifted
By: Christa Meland
The United Methodist Church made history today by removing a year ban on the ordination of gay clergy.
As of May 4, , the conclusion of this General Conference, the denomination’s Book of Discipline will no longer include a statement saying: “The Combined Methodist Church does not condone the practice of homosexuality and considers this practice incompatible with Christian teaching. Therefore, self-avowed practicing homosexuals are not to be certified as candidates, ordained as ministers, or appointed to serve in The United Methodist Church.”
This change was among 23 items on today’s consent calendar, which was approved without debate. The consent calendar allows delegates to pass multiple petitions in bulk if they have overwhelming support in legislative committee and own no budgetary or constitutional impact.
Also on the consent calendar, which was approved by a 93 percent margin, delegates voted that superintendents are not to penalize clergy or churches for
UMC removes rule that homosexuality is ‘incompatible with Christian teaching’
The United Methodist Church General Conference has voted to remove a expression from its core rulebook that declared that homosexuality was "incompatible with Christian teaching."
In a vote of to obeying around 90 minutes of debate on Thursday, the churchwide legislative gathering opted to remove a clause from the Book of Discipline, ¶ under "Qualifications for Ordination."
"The perform of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching," read the clause, which had been originally added to the Publication of Discipline in
Get Our Latest News for FREE
Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Upload. Be the first to know.
With the vote, delegates also approved the utterance that "marriage [is] a sacred, lifelong covenant that brings two people of faith (adult dude and adult lady of consenting age or two grown-up persons of consenting age) into a union of one another and into deeper relationship with God and th
Church Changes Stance Against Homosexuality
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready
This story was originally published on on May 2, , and is reprinted with permission.The United Methodist Church’s condemnation of homosexuality — which sparked a half-century of conflict — is now no more.
By a vote of to after about an hour and a half of debate, General Conference delegates eliminated the year-old assertion in the denomination’s Social Principles that “the practice of homosexuality… is incompatible with Christian teaching.”
In the same vote, delegates affirmed “marriage as a solemn, lifelong covenant that brings two people of faith (adult man and elder woman of consenting age or two adult persons of consenting age) into a union of one another and a deeper relationship with God and the religious community.”
Randall Miller, who chaired the Social Principles Task Press that developed the revisions approved over the past week, said this was a historic moment.
“It’s been 40 years of work for me and