Despite there being official bans on LGBTQ+ clergy and same-sex weddings, many native geographic conferences of the church — particularly within the U.S. — selected to not implement them.
David Goldman/AP
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David Goldman/AP
Despite there being official bans on LGBTQ+ clergy and same-sex weddings, many native geographic conferences of the church — particularly within the U.S. — selected to not implement them.
David Goldman/AP
United Methodists from all over the world assembly at their General Conference in Charlotte, N.C., have voted on steps that would finish the church’s ban on LGBTQ+ clergy and same-sex weddings.
The proposal, referred to as regionalization, basically would enable completely different geographic areas — North America, Europe, Africa, and the Philippines — to make their very own guidelines about ministry.
One of the architects of the plan, Rev. Dee Stickley-Minor, mentioned she appears to be like ahead to being a part of a denomination by which the United States is not the middle of gravity.
“I celebrate that this is a beginning of a new way of being a worldwide church,” she mentioned, “where our voices are actually heard, and we can begin to listen to one another in new ways.”
By reorganizing the United Methodist Church on this manner, it’s miles extra possible that its ban on same-sex marriage and LGBTQ+ clergy could possibly be lifted in the united stateswhile permitting church buildings elsewhere to make their very own guidelines.
Bishop Tracy Smith Malone, the incoming president of United Methodist Council of Bishops, mentioned the vote sends a transparent sign that the United Methodist Church is able to embrace a brand new manner ahead.
“Yes, it decenters the U.S., but it also dismantles colonialism, giving us sense of agency, a sense of autonomy while still keeping us connected missionally,” she mentioned.
Malone describes the regionalization plan as retaining the church “one body” however with a wide range of expressions all over the world.
A giant concern in recent times has been how there seems to be a will to elevate bans on LGBTQ+ clergy and same-sex marriage within the U.S, however that sentiment shouldn’t be widespread in different components of the world, particularly in Africa.
Rev. Emmanuel Sinzohagera of the United Methodist Church’s Burundi Conference mentioned he’s happy with this reorganization plan.
“What matters in Africa may not necessarily matters to you, to the U.S. church, and what matters to you as church may not necessarily matter to the African Church,” he mentioned.
The regionalization plan handed with 78% of the vote however nonetheless must be ratified by native annual conferences. They’ll take up the measure within the coming yr.
Meanwhile, separate proposals to take away restrictive language about LGBTQ+ clergy and same-sex weddings globally are on the agenda subsequent week for this United Methodist General Conference. But the regionalization vote may make these proposals much less contentious and maybe much less more likely to cross.
Despite there being official bans on LGBTQ+ clergy and same-sex weddings, many native geographic conferences of the church — particularly within the U.S. — select to not implement them.
Many congregations, displeased at that non-enforcement, selected to go away the denomination, which is the second largest Protestant one within the U.S. Some turned unbiased congregations whereas others joined a extra conservative second referred to as the Global Methodist Church.
The deadline for “disaffiliating,” because it was referred to as, from the United Methodist Church was final December. More than 7,600 — about one quarter — of its congregations voted to leave. With probably the most conservative congregations gone, the trail ahead turned clearer.
Bishop Tracy Smith Malone says she was overjoyed to be presiding at Thursday’s regionalization vote, which comes after years of strife inside the denomination. “I had to contain myself,” she mentioned, smiling broadly. “We get to be the workers in the vineyard, but this is God’s vision.”