Are methodists accepting gay marriage
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 work in the church, reversing a 40-year ban.
The church had forbidden "self-avowed homosexuals" from entity 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 waning to perform homosexual 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 impair of the Joined Methodist Church," Rev David Meredith said to United Methodist News.
Conservative members and congregations own left the denomination in recent years over the issues of LGBTQ clergy and gay marriage, changing the makeup of the chur
Methodist Church allows same-sex marriage in 'momentous' vote
The Methodist Church has turn into the largest religious denomination in Britain to enable same-sex marriages.
A vote to change the definition of marriage at the Methodist Conference on Wednesday overwhelmingly passed by 254 in favour with 46 against.
Freedom of conscience clauses signify ministers will not be forced to conduct such weddings if they object the move.
Same-sex marriage is not allowed in the Church of England or the Roman Catholic Church.
However it is welcomed in the Scottish Episcopal Church, the United Reformed Church and the Quakers in Britain.
The Methodist Church is Britain's fourth largest Christian denomination with about 164,000 members across more than 4,000 churches.
Church officials hope the first same-sex weddings in Methodist chapels will take place in the autumn.
The Rev Sam McBratney, chair of the Dignity and Worth campaign group, said it was a "momentous step on the road to justice" after many years of "painful conversations".
"Some of us have been praying for this time to come for decades, and can hardly b
Bishop Karen Oliveto is retiring in a few months as a United Methodist bishop.
Oliveto was feeling saying those words aloud. As the church's first openly gay bishop, her path was not always certain.
"Every morning of my ministry, I've had to wonder, is this the day my ordination will be taken from me?" Oliveto said.
That is, until this year's United Methodist General Conference, the church's global legislative body, voted to overturn every ban on LGBTQ people. The historic changes comprise a new definition of marriage as a lifelong covenant between "two people of faith," rather than solely between a man and a woman, and a repeal of its ban on LGBTQ clergy.
The General Conference also struck down a 52-year-old stance on homosexuality being "incompatible with Christian teaching."
"To perceive someone say, 'we need to repent of the injure we've done.' I didn't realize my body was waiting for that," said Oliveto.
The changes, which are effective immediately, open new doors for LGBTQ members. One 24-year-old, who wished to depart by J.M., is working toward becoming ordained as a deacon in the United Methodist Church.
"We have been here and we contain been fighting, and our fight has been wort
Talking of Marriage and Relationships - frequently asked questions
PLEASE NOTE
The content on this page is an archive created before the Methodist Conference voted to allow homosexual marriages in June 2021. Read more here.
What is the current guidance on homosexual marriage for Methodist churches?
At present, same-sex marriages may not be solemnised in local Methodist churches. This will be the case unless the Conference decides to change its knowledge of the nature of marriage.
What is the attitude of the Methodist Church to same sex marriage?
Within our Church there is a spectrum of views on human sexuality. The current Methodist Standing Orders state our belief, "that marriage is a present of God and that it is God's intention that a marriage should be a life-long union in body, mind and spirit of one bloke and one woman." At the same time we have since 1993 explicitly recognised, affirmed and famous the participation and ministry of lesbians and homosexual men, and been dedicated to a pilgrimage of faith to combat discrimination and give dignity and worth to people whatever their sexuality. The Conference in 2014 confirmed that there was no reason why Methodists
Stances of Faiths on LGBTQ+ Issues: The Together 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 Publication of Discipline. Decisions of the General Conference are binding until the next confer