As AME Church meets for General Conference in the US, retirement plan questions continue
United States RNS When Rev Carieta Cain-Grizzell reached age 75, she had expected to retire after a lifetime as an African Methodist Episcopal Church member who became a pastor of several of its churches. Instead, the Washington, DC, native-turned-Californian is now “on loan” to the United Methodist Church, first pastoring a Fair Oaks congregation and […]
United Methodist Church regrets Ivory Coast’s split from the union as lifting of LGBTQ ban roils Africa
Harare, Zimbabwe AP Leaders of the United Methodist Church expressed regret over last week’s decision by the branch in Ivory Coast to leave the union following the church’s decision to repeal a long-standing ban on LGBTQ+ clergy but pledged to accept it. The developments were the latest in a series of ripple effects in conservative Africa, […]
United Methodist delegates repeal their church’s ban on its clergy celebrating same-sex marriages
Charlotte, North Carolina, US AP United Methodist delegates on Friday repealed their church’s longstanding ban on the celebrations of same-sex marriages or unions by its clergy and in its churches. The action marked the final major reversal of a collection of LGBTQ bans and disapprovals that have been embedded throughout the laws and social teachings […]
In the US, United Methodists vote to remove anti-gay language from their official teachings on societal issues
Charlotte, North Carolina, US AP United Methodist delegates on Thursday removed a 52-year-old declaration from their official social teachings that deemed “the practice of homosexuality…incompatible with Christian teaching” – part of a wider series of historic reversals of the denomination’s longstanding disapproval of LGBTQ activity. The historic vote came as delegates also approved a new […]
United Methodists begin to reverse longstanding anti-LGBTQ policies
Charlotte, North Carolina, US AP United Methodist delegates began making historic changes in their policies on sexuality on Tuesday – voting without debate to reverse a series of anti-LGBTQ policies. The delegates voted to delete mandatory penalties for conducting same-sex marriages and to remove their denomination’s bans on considering LGBTQ candidates for ministry and on […]
United Methodists endorse change that could give regions more say on LGBTQ and other issues
United States AP United Methodist delegates have overwhelmingly endorsed a constitutional amendment seen by advocates as a way of defusing debates over the role of LGBTQ people in the church by giving rule-making autonomy to each region of the international church. Delegates voted 586-164 on Thursday for the “regionalisation” proposal on the third day of their 11-day General […]
Explainer – United Methodists open first top-level conference since breakup over LGBTQ inclusion
United States AP Thousands of United Methodists are gathering in Charlotte, North Carolina, for their big denominational meeting, known as General Conference. It’s a much-anticipated gathering. Typically it is held every four years, but church leaders delayed the 2020 gathering until now due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Rev K Karen, left, of St Paul & St […]
United Methodists: As a landmark gathering approaches, African churches weigh their future.
PETER SMITH, of Associated Press, reports on how African Methodists are responding to the UMC’s dispute over sexuality and theology…
United Methodists: Legislation aims to “decolonise”, give parity to non-US conferences
YONAT SHIMRON, of Religion News Service, reports that a proposed regionalisation plan would undo the dominance and control of the US church and make it on par with United Methodist conferences abroad…
UMC bishops request 2026 General Conference as hundreds more churches disaffiliate
Chicago, US RNS United Methodist bishops have proposed a five-day meeting of the denomination’s global decision-making body, the General Conference, in May, 2026. The announcement comes at the end of the Council of Bishops’ spring meeting last week in Chicago and a weekend that saw hundreds of United Methodist churches in the United States […]