Liberalism Takes Over Christian Denomination – Everything Changed In An Instant

The worldwide United Methodist Church is now having a general conference to vote on church concerns and policy, as it regularly does every four years. Nevertheless, in contrast to previous conferences, the delegates this year have shown a willingness to update the church’s human sexuality policy.

The conference for this year is in progress in Charlotte, North Carolina. Even though the conference is only a few days away, delegates have already accepted policies that will significantly affect the church.

Regionalization is one of the most important policies. The proposal would grant the area more authority to create and implement laws, particularly those pertaining to LGBTQ problems. According to NPR, the regionalization proposal received 78% of the vote from delegates. However, local annual conferences still need to accept it. They anticipate taking it up within the next year.

In many regions of the world, including Africa and the former Soviet Union, there are still a lot of United Methodist congregations that firmly believe that marriage is a holy bond between a man and a woman. Nonetheless, a significant number of American churches have taken a bold stand against prohibitions on homosexual clergy and marriage.

“I am happy that a new chapter in the history of the global church is starting, one in which we can start to listen to each other in fresh ways and have our voices truly heard,” stated Rev. Deanna Stickley-Minor, the executive director of mission engagement.

Even more jubilant was Ohio Bishop Tracy Smith Malone, who rejoiced that the decision “decenters the U.S.” and “dismantles colonialism.” “I had to control myself,” she remarked following the regionalization proposal’s approval vote. “This is God’s vision; we get to be the laborers in the vineyard.”

LGBTQ activists gained even greater optimism after another vote. According to the AP, the United Methodist General Conference delegates chose to overturn laws and regulations that support heterosexual clergy and conventional marriage by a stunning 667–54 margin. They also agreed to stop sponsoring the LGBT ministry. Church officials may soon consider openly homosexual individuals for positions on church boards or for ordination.

Delegates will also vote later this week on whether to amend church policy and legislation to permit same-sex marriages and homosexual clergy. The lead pastor of Pittsburgh’s First United Methodist Church, Rev. Tracy Cox, is upbeat.

Earlier this month, she declared, “If God calls you to be an ordained elder or deacon, no church or institution should act in that manner.” “And when it comes to marriage, we need to be able to help someone who is in love raise a family or become a family in the community where they will be serving.”

These votes show that United Methodist congregations’ opinions on marriage and sexuality have significantly changed. Delegates upheld traditional marriage just four years prior, when they decided to punish clergy who officiated same-sex marriages.

However, in the years that followed, a great number of congregations disassociated themselves, horrified at the progressive course the church seemed to be taking, especially in the United States, where United Methodists were once among the biggest denominations. Then, it is possible that the same effort to split off in favor of a more conservative denomination helped their more liberal counterparts. Progressive initiatives have passed handily in the 2024 conference in the absence of conservative views and votes from conservative delegates.

The church’s website, as of Tuesday afternoon, continues to list conventional marriage and family as one of its tenets. The website affirms the sanctity of the marital bond, which manifests in love, mutual support, personal commitment, and shared faithfulness between a man and a woman.

Furthermore, it declares that the only way to acknowledge sexual interactions is through the covenant of monogamous, heterosexual marriage and labels homosexuality as “incompatible with Christian teaching.”