Eight current and former bishops of the United Methodist Church have signed a statement supporting an end to the “current form of unity” for the denomination due to its yearslong debate on LGBT issues.
Over the past several years, the UMC has had divisive debate over whether to keep its current stance, as laid out in the Book of Discipline, defining homosexuality as “incompatible with Christian teaching.”
This position includes a ban on the ordination of noncelibate homosexuals and a refusal to allow clergy to officiate same-sex marriages.
Although proposals to remove the language fail every four years at General Conference, opponents of the stance continue to increasingly resist the Book of Discipline rules on homosexuality....
