By Michael Gryboski, The Christian Post.
The Rev. Thomas Lambrecht of Good News addresses the Connectional Table in Nashville, Tenn. Standing to his left is the Rev. Walter B. Fenton, also with Good News. (PHOTO: UMNS)
A United Methodist body approved proposed legislation that would, among other things, allow clergy to perform gay marriage ceremonies and local conferences to ordain non-celibate homosexuals.
The Connectional Table voted 26 to 10 in favor of proposed legislation that would allow clergy to perform gay weddings without concern of facing church discipline or to be “openly self-avowed practicing homosexuals.”
While the proposal was passed by the Connectional Table, the General Conference, the denomination’s top lawmaking assembly, will determine if it becomes official policy when it meets next year in Oregon.
“If this legislation passes, clergy would not risk church trials or the loss of their credentials for officiating at same-gender weddings or, in some conferences, coming out as openly gay,” reported the United Methodist News.
“At the same time, the proposal notes that the denomination ‘historically has not condoned the practice of homosexuality and has considered the practice incompatible with Christian teaching.’ It also retains the denomination’s ban on using church funds ‘to promote the acceptance of homosexuality.'”
The Christian Post reached out to the Connectional Table, but due to scheduled meetings a representative could not return comment by press time.
John Lomperis, director of the United Methodist program at The Institute on Religion and Democracy, told The Christian Post that the Connectional Table proposal was a bad idea.
9 Comments. Leave new
Not positive on this, but I saw somewhere that 3 of 47 eligible voting delegates at the apostate dis-connection event (6.3 percent) were from the continent of Africa. I don’t know the exact numbers, but God fearing Africans represent a very large percentage of the United Methodist Church.
Guess they’re in a race with the PCUSA to become most POLITICALLY CORRECT; and demonstrate apostasy.
From the article:
“At the same time, the proposal notes that the denomination historically has not condoned the practice of homosexuality and has considered the practice incompatible with Christian teaching.’ It also retains the denomination’s ban on using church funds ‘to promote the acceptance of homosexuality.’”
This is where some will be in for an awakening.
The liberal branch of the UMC is based mostly in the USA. The fastest growing congregations are based in Africa.
The African bishops are firmly against same sex marriage or practices. I seriously doubt that this legislation will make it past the proposal stage.
I’d like to see those votes broken down by nation represented.
‘The Methodist Reporter’ site, along with other United Methodist sites, have more info on this. Judging from the comments, Methodist faithful are worried, if not angry.
According to United Methodist sites, this Connectional Table stated they decided the issue based on three factors: a. “centrality of our mission; b. our claim to unity for the sake of mission, c. our identity as Christians and United Methodists.” In other words, they ignored Holy Scripture, which is the Word of God, which IS GOD.
Where is the Body of Christ going? We have seen what happens when we go against the Word of God.
“These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.
Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.”