The Divisive Debate: The United Methodist Church Grapples with LGBTQ Inclusion

Historic Tensions Over Sexuality May Cause Denomination's Rupture

5-Point Summary

1. Since 1972, the United Methodist Church has banned LGBTQ clergy and same-sex marriage but faced growing demands for inclusion.

2. In 2019, the UMC hardened its stance, causing pushback from progressive congregations and leaders refusing to enforce the rules.

3. Recently, over 20% of UMC churches have left the denomination primarily over LGBTQ rights. More may follow if policies don't change.

4. At the pivotal 2024 UMC General Conference, delegates will again debate rescinding the bans on LGBTQ participation. But based on current forecasts, that seems improbable.

5. If existing prohibitions continue, many analysts think the UMC will keep losing churches and members, becoming a smaller, more conservative Southern denomination. But some hold out hope for an eventual amicable denominational split.

The Gist

The United Methodist Church has been debating questions about LGBTQ people for 50 years. There are rules right now that say LGBTQ people can't be pastors or get married in the church. Some leaders want to change that, but others don't want to. Different congregations feel strongly in opposing directions.

Over 6,000 UMC churches have recently left because they disagreed with these issues. Church leaders will keep talking about it, but they seem stuck. There's a chance this could cause the Methodist denomination to divide into separate liberal and conservative churches in the next few years because people have such firmly held beliefs. A split might allow churches to make their own choices on LGBTQ inclusion in the future.

The Divisive LGBTQ Debate Threatens to Split Methodists