United Methodist Church delegates vote to end anti-LGBTQ policies after decades
One local minister was happy that the United Methodist Church ended a longtime prohibition on same-sex marriages, and a pastor who grew up in Charlotte said she was glad the vote happened in her hometown.
Methodists had intense debates over the issue at past conferences. But after a split in the church, in which conservative parishes largely left the denomination, delegates at the 11-day conference in uptown Charlotte voted 692-51 to repeal the church’s ban on LGBTQ clergy and officiating of same-sex weddings.
There was no debate.
“It’s something I’ve been working for for most of my adult life within the United Methodist Church, so I’m certainly happy,” said the Rev. James Howell, senior pastor at Myers Park United Methodist Church in Charlotte and a delegate at the conference. “We want to keep our arms around everybody. We’re better together. God wants all people to be together in church.”
Delegates also voted to bar local church leaders from penalizing clergy or churches who choose or don’t choose to host or officiate same-sex weddings.
The actions taken on Wednesday will remove text from the Book of Discipline, which establishes laws and doctrine in the church, that targeted “self-avowed practicing homosexuals,” as well as text stating “the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching.”
Because of the overwhelming result of the vote, the Associated Press reported, the issues will be rolled into a consent calendar of normally non-controversial measures that are taken in a single vote to save time. The changes will take effect immediately when the General Conference concludes on Friday.
Last week, delegates voted on “regionalization” of the denomination that would allow churches in other countries to make their own LGBTQ policies.
‘Long overdue’ decision
Howell said Wednesday’s policy changes were long overdue.
“The mood here is a lot of great hope and joy,” Howell said from the Charlotte Convention Center. “It’s not a progressive church or a conservative church — it’s a church for everyone, and we’re finally taking steps toward being sure that one group isn’t singled out and not part of that effort. That’s a good vote for us.”
The vote came during the denomination’s first General Conference in several years, and after a quarter of Methodist congregations in the United States disaffiliated, including hundreds in North Carolina alone.
Many splintered off into the more conservative Global Methodist Church. Dianne Burnett, the Global Methodist Church’s executive communications director, declined to comment Wednesday on the General Conference and the ongoing focus on LGBTQ acceptance in the church.
“The Global Methodist Church wishes to remain focused on the advancement of our mission and does not wish to become embroiled in the conflicts within the United Methodist Church, therefore we respectfully decline the invitation to comment at this time,” Burnett said.
Because of the denominational split, people who are typically opposed to LGBTQ acceptance weren’t at the conference, said Jamie Michaels, a queer clergyperson and pastor at First and Summerfield United Methodist Church in New Haven, Conn., who is attending.
The calm nature of this year’s conference gave queer members of the church, like Michaels, a range of emotions after the vote.
“It’s full. It’s full of memory, and joy, and hope and pain still,” she said. “It was sweet, for sure it was sweet. But even though we’re joyful, we still carry with us the grief and the hurt of the last half-century.”
