United Methodists From Around the World Unite in St. Louis for Fight Over Sexuality
St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Jesse Bogan reports on a special session of the General Conference of the United Methodist Church, being held in St. Louis, which is focusing on homosexuality, a topic that is dividing congregants. Bogan writes, “The uproar boils down to this line in the denomination’s Book of Discipline: ‘The practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching.’ Officially, United Methodist pastors aren’t supposed to preside over same-sex marriages and, although gay and lesbian clergy can be ordained, they must be celibate.” The John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics Director Marie Griffith said, “They are trying to hold everyone together, and ultimately some difficult choices are going to have to be made, because the issues are too important on all sides.”