by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News)—America’s United Methodist Church General Conference last week voted to remove from its Book of Discipline rulebook a clause asserting that homosexuality is “incompatible with Christian teaching,” the Christian Post (CP) reports.
Theological differences between conservatives and progressives prompted many conservative churches to leave the denomination ahead of this year’s General Conference, facilitating the approval of changes.
Over the past couple of years, thousands of congregations have departed the UMC to join the Global Methodist Church, established in 2022 as a conservative counterpart to the denomination.
South Carolina Conference Bishop L. Jonathan Holston noted in a statement that the vote would bring joy to some and sorrow to others.
“I know that some of you are celebrating, some are mourning and some are uncertain about what your future holds — for the denomination, for your local church and perhaps even for yourselves as followers of Jesus Christ,” Holston said. denomination amid intense debate and turmoil surrounding the issue.
In a vote taken in Charlotte, North Carolina, on May 2, the UMC General Conference voted 523 to 161 in favor of removing clause 304.3 under “Qualifications for Ordination” in the Book of Discipline. The clause was added in 1972 and read: “The practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching.”
The delegates further approved a new statement that: “Marriage [is] a sacred, lifelong covenant that brings two people of faith (adult man and adult woman of consenting age or two adult persons of consenting age) into a union of one another and into deeper relationship with God and the religious community.”
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