Members of the United Methodist Church repealed a ban on LGBTQ clergy members Wednesday during its first General Conference in five years. The restriction prevented “self-avowed practicing homosexuals” from being ordained or appointed as ministers.
With a vote of 692-51, the United Methodist Church has opened its doors to LGBTQ individuals to join the clergy. Church leaders also voted to repeal a ban on same-sex marriages in the U.S. However, not every church has to embrace the new regulation wholly.
Local leaders will convene at a regional meeting in June to discuss and decide on area-specific regulations.
“Now, hear this, friends. There’s not a single proposal for making people perform a marriage you do not want to perform,” Bob Farr, bishop of the Missouri area, said in March during a preparatory meeting for Missouri conference attendees. “It’s a removal of restrictions barring churches and UM pastors from presiding and hosting same-sex weddings.”
During the 11-day gathering, 12 representatives from each state and several countries have the power to vote on church law, amending the United Methodist Book of Discipline. The pandemic disrupted this process in 2020, postponing the vote until this year. Delegates only have the opportunity to make denomination-wide decisions every four years.
“This is where it all kind of comes to a head,” Farr said. “We do it as a public forum together because we’re a democratic and constitutional church.”
The Rev. Katie Nix, pastor at Grace United Methodist Church in St. Louis, said the repeal is just one step toward a larger change.
“It's not all done yet. Everything in the Methodist Church goes slow,” Nix said. “But the overall tenor of everything is – there's a huge feeling of hope.”
At the 2019 General Conference in St. Louis, delegates voted to uphold anti-LGBTQ restrictions; 53% of voters agreed to uphold the Traditional Plan, which kept same-sex marriages out of United Methodist Churches across the U.S.
“They put in these rules that say if I were to bless a same-sex marriage, first year, I get automatic suspension without pay,” Nix said. “The second time I do it, I'm revoked of my ordination status and my rights.”
Nix said the recent amendment indicates a vast change, though it applies only to U.S. churches. United Methodist churches in other countries can impose completely different rules.
“The way we do things in Missouri might be different than the way the church in Mozambique,” Nix said. “It's allowing us to be a little more contextualized so once we pass that hurdle, then we can get to the next step.”
