Homosexuality and Methodism
The African Methodist Episcopal Church unanimously voted to forbid ministers from blessing same-sex unions in July 2004.
[1] In the same year, the General Conference voted to "appoint a sexual ethics discernment committee to make recommendations to the denomination about LGBTQ matters.
[1]In 2021, the AME General Conference voted against a motion to allow same-sex marriages in church, but confirmed that "it does not bar LGBTQ individuals from serving as pastors or otherwise leading the denomination.
"[6] The same AME General Conference voted "to appoint a sexual ethics discernment committee to make recommendations to the denomination about LGBTQ matters.
We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bi-sexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery, and any attempt to alter one’s gender by surgery or appearance are sinful perversions of God’s gift of sex.
[13] The Bible Methodist Connection of Churches, in its Discipline, states in ¶42 that: We believe that God has given to us the gift of sexuality which may be exercised only within the boundaries of covenanted, monogamous, heterosexual marriage.
Thus, we condemn homosexuality, lesbianism, pederasty, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, pedophilia, fornication, adultery, pornography, and other forms of licentiousness as sinful perversions of the divine gift of sexuality.
The Church of North India, uniting different Protestants including Methodists, takes a traditional stand on human sexuality maintaining that marriage is defined heterosexually.
The Evangelical Methodist Church therefore stands against, homosexuality, bestiality, and all sexual perversion and so-called "alternative life-styles" which are an abomination to the Lord and are strongly condemned in both the Old and New Testaments.
We will continue to show love and compassion to all who are enslaved in sin's degradation, proclaiming full deliverance through the precious blood of Christ.
It stands opposed to the immoral lifestyles of the day, including but not limited to homosexuality, lesbianism, transsexualism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery, pornography, polygamy, bigamy, and living together without legally being married, realizing that these are sinful perversions of God's gracious gifts to mankind.
As stated in the Book of Discipline (A/342) of the Free Methodist Church, it believes and teaches that Homosexual behavior, as all sexual deviation, is a perversion of God's created order (Genesis 1-3).
The Church has a personal and corporate responsibility to be God's instrument of healing, restoring love to the homosexual seeking recovery of Christian conduct and life-style (2 Corinthians 2:7-8).
[27] LGBT-affirming church leaders said "the references to homosexuality in the Bible needed to be understood taking into account issue of culture and interpretation, to avoid the danger of Biblical fundamentalism.
[38] The Methodist Church of New Zealand, since 2004, has approved of ordaining openly gay and lesbian ministers, and the denomination allows each local congregation to determine its own policy on the issue.
[46][47][48] In 2013, the Western Cape High Court found that "the Methodist Church did not have a rule prohibiting its ministers from marrying someone of the same sex".
Val Roseqnuist and retired Bishop Melvin Talbert officiated a same-sex marriage in 2016 and reached a 'just resolution' regarding that, avoiding a church trial.
[81] The latter denomination allowed individuals in committed homosexual relationships to serve as ministers,[82] while the United Methodist Church requires gay clergy to remain celibate.
[85] Several grassroots organizations not officially recognized by the United Methodist Church have also formed around positions on issues relating to homosexuality.
Moreover, another movement, Transforming Congregations, is a Methodist ex-gay ministry whose purpose is to "equip the local church to model and minister sanctified sexuality through biblical instruction, personal and public witness, and compassionate outreach.
The Baltimore-Washington, California-Nevada, California-Pacific, Desert Southwest, New England, New York, Northern Illinois, and Oregon-Idaho Annual Conferences voted in favor of full inclusion for LGBTQ members and clergy.
[100][101] In 2014, the Social and Ethics Ministry of the Central Conference in Germany supported an initiative to propose steps toward the full inclusion of LGBT people.
[104] Bishop Christian Alsted of the Nordic and Baltic Episcopal Area shared that some of the conferences within his region support same-sex marriage.
[110] In April 2016, Bishop Melvin Talbert performed a same-sex marriage as a public sign of his support for change and full inclusion of LGBT persons.
[115] Similarly, the United Methodist Bishops of the Central Conferences of Africa unanimously called for "unreserved commitment to the Holy Bible as the primary authority for faith and practice in the Church" and proclaimed that "sexual relations are affirmed only within the covenant bond of a faithful monogamous, heterosexual marriage, and not within same-sex unions or polygamy".
[124] On July 15, 2016, the Western Jurisdictional Conference elected Karen Oliveto to become the first openly lesbian Bishop in the United Methodist Church.
She previously served as Pastor at Glide Memorial Church, was an ordained elder, taught students at the Pacific School of Religion, and was on the Advisory Board of the Forum for Theological Education.
[138] In January 2020, a 16-person committee of bishops and other official submitted to the General Conference a schism proposal, titled “Protocol of Reconciliation and Grace through Separation,” for the creation of a new separated "traditional Methodist" denomination, a text that needed to be approved by the scheduled conference in May; the traditionalist connexion is the Global Methodist Church.
[150][151][152][153][154] On May 2, the General Conference voted to approve more petitions, which amended the UMC Social Principles to remove language stating that "the practice of homosexuality ... is incompatible with Christian teaching"; revises the language on marriage to state that it is "a sacred lifelong covenant that brings two people of faith [adult man and woman of consenting age or two adult persons of consenting age] into union with one another and into deeper relationship with God and the religious community;” states opposition to both child marriage and polygamy; and affirms support for consent in sexual relations.
[165] In November 2022, the Evangelisch-methodistische Kirche (Protestant Methodist Church) in Germany allowed blessing ceremonies for same-sex marriages.
