The United Methodist Church (UMC) has undergone significant changes following its General Conference, where delegates approved revisions to the church's stance on LGBTQ issues. These changes include the approval of same-sex wedding ceremonies and the blessing of same-sex unions in local congregations. Additionally, the church revised its Social Principles, removing language that previously deemed homosexuality 'incompatible with Christian teaching' and redefining marriage as a covenant between two adults, not limited to heterosexual couples. This shift reflects broader cultural changes and has led to a division within the church, with a loss of 25% of its U.S. congregations, totaling over 7,600 mostly conservative congregations, at the end of 2023. The conference also affirmed that clergy are neither required nor prohibited from performing any marriage, allowing for individual discretion based on revised laws. Leaders of the UMC’s African churches, representing 4 million overseas members, indicated they face important decisions about their future involvement.
In addition to removing the language about homosexuality being “incompatible with Christian teaching,” that revision also defined marriage as a covenant between two adults, without limiting it to heterosexual couples, as the previous version had done. https://t.co/FWKL37wEsO
On Thursday, delegates approved Revised Social Principles, or statements of the church’s values. https://t.co/FWKL37wEsO
Clergy will neither be required nor prohibited from performing any marriage, according to existing law that the conference affirmed with minor revisions Friday. https://t.co/FWKL37wEsO
This was the one resolution the UMC General Conference adopted I agreed with. https://t.co/67NCbRsxJ1
“The postponed 2020 General Conference of The United Methodist Church has changed the United Methodist definition of marriage - not because the Bible has changed. But because western culture has changed. At this Conference The United Methodist Church has chosen to follow what… https://t.co/rO07o2EZZm
“Now, conservative Methodists are free to practice an orthodox faith marked by the distinctive parts of our Wesleyan heritage.” @jimantle #UMCGC https://t.co/GPsEXQPfic
From a conservative Methodist: After this week’s UMC votes on LGBTQ issues, African Methodists should join American conservatives in the new Global Methodist denomination. https://t.co/LUjXcBEAec
Headline: "Celebrating Diversity, United Methodists Pull A Love Train" https://t.co/34XkTonqBL
But gay rights advocates in the church rejoiced at the changes. https://t.co/HyZFxLbOHe
Leaders of the UMC’s African churches — where the majority of the group’s 4 million overseas members are said to reside — said Thursday they would go home “with important decisions to make regarding the future.” https://t.co/HyZFxLbOHe
The moves to overturn established policies on homosexuality will likely lead to a further schism in the denomination that had lost 25% of its U.S. churches — more than 7,600 mostly conservative congregations — at the end of 2023. https://t.co/HyZFxLbOHe
OPINION: The merging of Christianity and Americanism still exists even in many progressive Methodist churches. https://t.co/FnJzK3vbes
Delegates were expected to approve same-sex wedding ceremonies and/or the blessing of same-sex unions in local congregations later Thursday or Friday, the last day of the gathering. https://t.co/HyZFxLbOHe
United Methodism offers lifetime tenure to clergy with housing etc. That world is ending, replaced by Wild West of entrepreneurial nondenominationalism & loose church networks. #UMCGC https://t.co/nIytrTNBws
United Methodism offered lifetime tenure to clergy with housing etc. That world is ending, replaced by Wild West of entrepreneurial nondenominationalism & loose church networks. #UMCGC https://t.co/nIytrTNBws
Opinion: The closing of a storied church in central Phoenix highlights how much our idea of religious worship has changed. https://t.co/TsaNCu3PJd