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United Methodist Church delegates Wednesday lifted a 40-year prohibition connected cheery clergy. Another ballot was expected later Wednesday removing a prohibition connected religion blessing of cheery marriage. Members of nan Dumbarton United Methodist Church pictured offering communion adjacent nan Supreme Court successful Washington, D.C., aft nan Court's 5-4 ruling legalized cheery matrimony nationwide successful 2015. File Photo by Pete Marovich/UPI | License Photo
May 1 (UPI) -- The United Methodist Church Wednesday removed a 40-year prohibition connected cheery clergy, overwhelmingly passing nan measurement during a nationalist delegate gathering successful Charlotte, N.C.
The UMC General Conference delegates Wednesday approved an amended policy ended banning "self-avowed practicing homosexuals" from being ordained.
Delegates besides approved a argumentation alteration that prevents section UMC congregations from punishing clergy aliases churches for blessing same-sex unions.
A abstracted alteration scheduled for information later Thursday would region nan existent religion prohibition connected clergy blessing same-sex unions.
The past LGBTQ+ projected alteration would destruct wording successful nan church's Social Principles that reads, "the believe of homosexuality ... is incompatible pinch Christian teaching."
The decisions travel aft years of disputes that led to astir 25% of United Methodist blimpish congregations leaving nan denomination.
In a connection up of nan convention that opened April 23, nan Methodist Church said, "Our deepest desire is to foster greater unity successful nan Church while recognizing our denomination's divers theological, societal and contextual viewpoints. We find ourselves astatine a seminal infinitesimal successful nan life of this denomination."
The argumentation allowing disaffiliation expired astatine nan extremity of 2023.
That displacement near down a mostly of congregations that supported lifting nan cheery clergy ban.
The Tennessean reported that a large, jubilant crowd spontaneously collapsed retired successful celebration, singing hymns and embracing each other.
"Draw nan circle wide, tie it wider still. Let this be our song: No 1 stands alone," they sang from a Methodist opus adopted by LGBTQ Christians.
The blimpish churches near nan UMC aft congregations were allowed to time off for "reasons of conscience" successful 2019. They were allowed to clasp religion spot and assets arsenic agelong arsenic they had charismatic support to time off by nan extremity of 2023.
More than 40% of UMC Texas congregations left.
