Saturday, November 05, 2005
Will Methodists exclude gays from church membership?
Like other mainline denominations, the United Methodist Church, the country's third-largest denomination, has been struggling with the role of gay men and lesbians in the pews and in the pulpit. The church has traditionally welcomed gay people, though it does not ordain "self-avowed practicing homosexuals."
On Monday, the Church's Judicial Council, its equivalent of the Supreme Court, ruled that the Rev. Edward Johnson had rightfully used his pastoral discretion in refusing to accept an openly gay man as a member of his church in South Hill, Va. In response to the ruling, the Council of Bishops published a letter on Thursday to "the people of the United Methodist Church" stating that "homosexuality is not a barrier" to membership. Read more ...
