Methodist Church Decides Not To Decide About LGBT Ministers

The Church faces a possible schism over ordaining out clergy and accepting same-sex marriage.
From: NewNowNext

 All eyes were on the United Methodist Church, which held its General Conference in Portland, Oregon last week: At issue was the subject of ordaining and accepting LGBT clergy.

Some hoped the church would finally become inclusive, while others feared the issue would cause a church-wide schism.

Instead, the Church kicked the issue down the road a bit.

On Wednesday, the United Methodist Church (UMC) announced it was forming a commission to decide whether to ordain LGBT people and allow pastors to officiate same-sex marriages. The vote approving the measure was close—428 to 405—and illustrated the deep divide within the denomination.

Currently, the Church’s Book of Discipline prohibits “self-avowed practicing homosexuals” from serving as ministers.

Think Progress reports that bishops had been meeting prior to the conference over a possible restructuring of the church.

More than 100 overtures regarding sexuality were proposed for the conference, but pro-LGBT activists say everything ground to a halt when news broke that bishops have been meeting for months to discern whether the church should find a new structure—or even potentially a schism — to grant bishops the ability to institute LGBT-friendly policies within their areas of responsibility.

“This historic action by the Council of Bishops (COB) represents a significant institutional shift in the direction of inclusion and equality,” said Matt Berryman, director of the Reconciling Ministries Network, a LGBT advocacy group.

“It is just a beginning, but it signals hope to an end of church trials, to celebrating all marriages, to accepting the gifts of our LGBTQ candidates for ministry, clergy and lay employees.”

Berryman added that LGBT Methodists and their allies “call on the Council to act quickly and deliberately and to lead the church as promised.”

While a majority of American Methodists support same-sex marriage and out ministers, there is strong opposition from oversees, especially Africa.

In the weeks prior to the General Conference, more than 100 UMC clergy came out as LGBT. Thousands more signed a letter stating they would disobey the Church’s Book of Discipline and ordain people regardless of sexual orientation.

Reverend Mike Tupper camped outside in a tent for more than four months in support of his lesbian daughter, Sarah, and all LGBT Methodists.

The activism continued during the conference, as ministers stood outside the convention center with their hands tied up by rainbow sashes.

Others covered their mouths with rainbow duct tape, to illustrate how the church had silenced them.

About 160 demonstrators greeted delegates as they arrived today at #UMCGC in a silent protest for LGBT inclusion. pic.twitter.com/0luuejABmu

— Emily Miller (@emmillerwrites) May 18, 2016

The bishops said they expect the commission to “develop a complete examination and possible revision of every paragraph in our Book of Discipline regarding human sexuality.”

The commission is empowered to call an emergency conference of church leaders when it reaches some conclusion, but that could be years from now. (The next General Conference isn’t until 2020.)

And it’s not clear how binding its decision would be.

The Church could simply be hoping to wait out the clock until opposition to LGBT clergy and marriage equality is weaker—or perhaps its looking to find a bureaucratic way to separate pro- and anti-LGBT factions without taking a doctrinal stand.