Methodist church homosexual
United Methodists elect a third openly gay, married bishop
[Religion News Service] The first two openly gay and married bishops in the Joined Methodist Church were elected to their positions under a cloud. The denomination’s rulebook did not allow LGBTQ+ people to be ordained, much less consecrated as bishops.
But for the first day in its history, the Joined Methodist Church has elected a third openly gay and married bishop — this time in the clear light of day.
Kristin Stoneking, an ordained pastor and the associate professor of Together Methodist Studies and Leadership at Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley, California, was elected bishop last week in the Western Jurisdiction of the church. Her election comes three months after the United Methodists voted at their General Conference to get rid of all restrictions on the occupied participation of queer members.
Stoneking will oversee some churches in the denomination’s Mountain Sky Conference, which includes congregations in Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah and a petite part of Idaho. She will be based in Denver.
“We’re not done
Sexuality and the United Methodists
Others, like the Episcopals, Presbyterians (PCUSA), and Lutherans (ELCA) have taken explicit stances in encourage of LGBTQ inclusion. Of course, individual members of these institutions will contain diverse views on the topic, and the stance of an institution does not always convey the stance of an individual member; The United Tactic 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 construct church decisions. In , the Conference voted to append language to the church’s law, stating “the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching,” and that lgbtq+
Stances of Faiths on LGBTQ+ Issues: The Merged Methodist Church
In May , the General Conference voted to remove longstanding bans on the ordination of LGBTQ+ clergy and the celebration of lgbtq+ marriages by clergy and in churches. These changes became fully effective on January 1,
BACKGROUND
The UMC traces its origins to the Methodist movement initiated in the midth century by Anglican priest John Wesley and his brother Charles. The current structure of the UMC was established in 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, delegates (half lay leaders, half clergy) amass to consider revisions to the Book of Resolutions and the Book of D
United Methodists welcome LGBTQ+ people as pastors
United Methodists contain changed their rules, paving the road for what some are hoping will be a more welcoming denomination. At a May gathering of United Methodists from around the society, members voted to delete language that excluded Queer people.
This topic was previously discussed at another General Conference in Some members were frustrated when the church voted to carry on not allowing LGBTQ+ pastors.
But during a recent General Conference meeting, they voted on that issue again. This time, the outcome was different.
What You Ask for To Know
- The United Methodist Church voted in May to allow LGBTQ+ people as pastors, and Gay weddings on their property/officiated by UMC pastors
- These rules have been in place since the infancy of the UMC
- This comes as some local churches acquire chosen to disaffiliate from the UMC, with some joining the newly formed Global Methodist Church
“I think that taking out harmful language is only a positive thing in our in our world and in our in our denomination,” said Pastor