United Methodists prepare for votes on lifting LGBTQ bans and other issues at General Conference
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — United Methodist delegates are heading into the homestretch of their first legislative gathering in five years — one that appears on track to make historic changes in lifting their church’s longstanding bans on same-sex marriage and the ordination of LGBTQ clergy.
After a day off on Sunday, delegates to the General Conference of the United Methodist Church resumed their work Monday and will be meeting all this week before wrapping up their 11-day session on Friday
They’ve already begun making historic changes: On Thursday, delegates overwhelmingly endorsed a policy shift that would restructure the worldwide denomination into regional conferences and give the U.S. region, for the first time, the same right as international bodies to modify church rules to fit local situations.
That measure — subject to local ratification votes — is seen as a way the U.S. churches could have LGBTQ ordination and same-sex marriage while the more conservative overseas areas, particularly the large and fast-growing churches of Africa, could maintain those bans.
Related articles
Mystery artist who erected signs comparing pothole
A defiant resident infuriated by the potholes in their road has taken revenge on the council by erec2024-05-21Rays and Brewers get into wild brawl, with Uribe and Siri in the middle of it
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Punches were thrown when a brawl broke out between the Tampa Bay Rays and Milwaukee2024-05-21Ukraine's army chief reports tactical retreat in the east, and warns of front
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine’s troops have been forced to make a tactical retreat from three village2024-05-21OpenAI lawsuit: Eight major U.S. newspapers sue ChatGPT
NEW YORK (AP) — A group of eight U.S. newspapers is suing ChatGPT-maker OpenAI and Microsoft, allegi2024-05-21Independent UN experts urge Yemen’s Houthis to free detained Baha'i followers
CAIRO (AP) — Human rights experts working for the United Nations on Monday urged Yemen’s Houthi rebe2024-05-21Int'l horticultural expo attracts worldwide green fingers to Chengdu
* On Friday, the International Horticultural Exhibition 2024 Chengdu opened in southwest China's Sic2024-05-21
atest comment