We are back with the news from the quadrennial General Conference of the United Methodists. Amidst a backdrop of longstanding controversy, significant strides have been made toward inclusivity within the denomination. During a morning session yesterday, a set of regulations was dissolved as part of the packet comprising 106 agenda items, all without any debate on the floor at the Charlotte, North Carolina world conference. These motions may culminate in the official removal of some or all of the LGBTQ+ restrictions by the United Methodist Church, the nation’s second-largest Protestant group. The conference draws to a close on Friday. These limitations have been central to a significant schism within the United Methodist Church that has resulted in the departure of approximately 7,600 traditionalist churches throughout the United States between 2019 and 2023. Yesterday other significant changes occured, including the removal of a ban preventing bishops from ordaining LGBTQ+ candidates for ministry and the elimination of mandatory minimum penalties for clergy conducting same-sex weddings. These measures were initially put forth in 2019 by the General Conference under the Traditional Plan, which reinforced strict policies on homosexuality. Another longstanding ban concerning funding for LGBTQ affinity groups or ministries was also abolished during the proceedings. The conference might consider many such discriminatory bans before its conclusion. They might include a ban on ordaining gay clergy and eliminating a passage from the Book of Discipline that considers homosexuality “incompatible with Christian teaching.”
