United Methodists

“New breakaway denomination moves up its launch as the United Methodist Church announces it’ll be two more years before voting on a split over LGBT stances.” - C.Today

Also at RNS

“the Commission on the General Conference said Friday (Nov. 19), it hasn’t ruled out postponing the usually quadrennial meeting of the denomination’s global decision-making body yet again.” - RNS

“It seems a little strange, but (pet ministry) is mission, it’s evangelism, it’s education, it’s hunger relief, it’s pastoral care. All those things are part of the church.” - RNS

“A regional governing body for a Protestant denomination has seized the assets of a large congregation in Georgia in a dispute over who should be the senior pastor.” - RNS

“The United Methodist Church has once again postponed its quadrennial meeting due to the COVID-19 pandemic, delaying further a widely anticipated vote by delegates from across the globe on a proposal to split the denomination over the inclusion of LGBTQ members.” - BPNews

“ ‘The timeline of the Holy Spirt is driving our decision to launch LMX at this moment, and we are responding to that call,’ the Rev. Althea Spencer-Miller said during a presentation Sunday evening following the denomination’s first online worship service.” - RNS

“The stakes are high. The coming General Conference faces multiple proposals to resolve longtime debate over homosexuality by splitting the denomination along theological lines.” - C.Leaders

“At the United Methodist Church, money’s tight, factions are readying exits, and social justice takes priority in witness. However, the denomination’s ‘traditionalists’ — so named for their support for the accuracy and authority of the Bible, especially regarding LGBT marriage and clergy — are growing in number and telling others how Jesus saves.” - CPost

“This month, the United Methodist Church (UMC) was scheduled to hold its quadrennial General Conference in Minneapolis, with a debate about homosexuality causing a potential schism. But the 10-day meeting and the much-anticipated vote have been bumped to August 29, 2021, still in Minneapolis.” - CL

“Many U.S. United Methodist leaders see the delay as a blessing, allowing more time and cooler heads to consider a split. But some have also expressed concern over continuing harm to many in the denomination eager to move on after decades of debate over the role of LGBTQ Christians in the church.” - RNS