North Texas Methodists are reacting to the news of the United Methodist Church lifting its longstanding ban on LGBTQ clergy on Wednesday, a rule that forbid “se...
The denomination has spent decades disagreeing on human sexuality, and, in the past few years, thousands of congregations have voted to split off.
The Rev. Jane Graner delivers her weekly sermon during services at Trinity United Methodist Church in Duncanville on Sunday, April 14, 2024.“We passed it by an overwhelming majority,” said Jessica Vittorio, a lay delegate representing the North Texas Conference. “In the moment the vote was taken, it seemed anticlimactic.” Shortly after the vote, she said, people were crying, hugging one another and singing the hymn “Draw the Circle Wide.
The change doesn’t mandate or even explicitly affirm LGBTQ clergy, but it means the church no longer forbids them. It’s possible that the change will mainly apply to U.S. churches, since United Methodist bodies in other countries, such as in Africa, have the right to impose the rules for their own regions. The measure takes effect immediately upon the conclusion of General Conference, scheduled for Friday.
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