CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — United Methodist delegates made a significant change on Wednesday, repealing their church's longstanding ban on LGBTQ clergy. The decision, which was made without debate, removed a rule that prohibited "self-avowed practicing homosexuals" from being ordained or appointed as ministers.
The delegates voted 692-51 at their General Conference, the first such legislative gathering in five years. This overwhelming margin marks a stark contrast to the decades of controversy that surrounded the issue. Previous General Conferences of the United Methodist Church had consistently reinforced the ban and related penalties amidst debates and protests. However, many conservatives who had previously supported the ban have left the denomination in recent years, leading this General Conference to move in a decidedly progressive direction.
Applause erupted in parts of the convention hall after the vote, and a group of observers from LGBTQ advocacy groups embraced, some in tears. "Thanks be to God," said one.
The change does not mandate or explicitly affirm LGBTQ clergy, but it signifies that the church no longer prohibits them. The impact of this change is likely to be felt primarily in U.S. churches, as United Methodist bodies in other countries, such as in Africa, have the authority to impose their own rules for their regions. The measure takes effect immediately upon the conclusion of the General Conference, scheduled for Friday.
The overwhelming consensus on this issue was so clear that it was included in a "consent calendar," a package of typically non-controversial measures that are bundled into a single vote to save time.
Another approved measure forbids district superintendents — regional administrators — from penalizing clergy for either performing a same-sex wedding or for choosing not to perform one. It also prohibits superintendents from forbidding or requiring a church from hosting a same-sex wedding.
This measure further dismantles the various LGBTQ bans that have been embedded in various parts of the official church law and policy. Delegates had begun taking steps to dismantle such policies on Tuesday.
Delegates are also expected to vote soon on whether to replace their existing official Social Principles with a new document that no longer considers the "practice of homosexuality ... incompatible with Christian teaching" and that defines marriage as between "two people of faith" rather than between a man and a woman.
These changes are historic for a denomination that has debated LGBTQ issues for more than half a century at its General Conferences, which typically convene every four years. On Tuesday, delegates voted to remove mandatory penalties for conducting same-sex marriages and to lift their denomination's bans on considering LGBTQ candidates for ministry and on funding for gay-friendly ministries.
However, these changes come amid the departure of one-quarter of the U.S. churches within the UMC. They could also lead to the departure of some international churches, particularly in Africa, where more conservative sexual values prevail and where same-sex activity is criminalized in some countries.
Last week, the conference endorsed a regionalization plan that would essentially grant the churches of the United States the same autonomy as other regions of the global church. This change, which still requires local ratification, could create a scenario where LGBTQ clergy and same-sex marriage are allowed in the United States but not in other regions.
Between 2019 and 2023, more than 7,600 mostly conservative congregations in the United States disaffiliated, reflecting dismay over the denomination's failure to enforce its bans on same-sex marriage and LGBTQ ordination.
Last week, the conference also approved the departure of a small group of conservative churches in the former Soviet Union.
Until recently, the denomination had been the third-largest in the United States, with a presence in almost every county. However, its U.S. membership of 5.4 million in 2022 is expected to decline once the 2023 departures are accounted for.
The denomination also has 4.6 million members in other countries, mainly in Africa, though earlier estimates were higher.