Methodist bishops: gays welcome

[kweerwolf]

The United Methodist Church's Council of Bishops says membership in the denomination is open to everyone, including gays and lesbians.

"While pastors have the responsibility to discern readiness for membership, homosexuality is not a barrier," council members said in a pastoral letter released yesterday.

<snip>

The letter, unanimously adopted by the 164-member bishop's council, addresses concerns raised by a recent ruling of the church's Judicial Council, the denomination's top court. That ruling says ministers have the power to decide who becomes a member of a local congregation.

In the case, the Judicial Council reinstated the Rev. Ed Johnson who was placed on a yearlong involuntary leave of absence July 1 by the Rev. Charlene Kammerer, bishop of the Virginia Conference. Johnson, then pastor of South Hill United Methodist Church, refused to receive a practicing homosexual into church membership.

http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD/MGArticle/RTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1128767938455

Let's see now ... gays are welcome, but they reinstate a minister who denied membership to a "practicing homosexual." And then they defrock a lesbian minister because gays can't be clergy members. And they take a stand against gay marriage.

Yep, certainly sounds like a welcoming denomination to me. :eyes:

This all makes me proud that I left the Methodist church years ago, even before it became a slightly less bigoted version of organized hate groups like the Southern Baptists.

[TechBear_Seattle]

1. You may NOT, however...

Dare to assume anything resembling a leadership position, and God forbid you should want to be a minister! Just sit down in the back of the church, shut up and keep your place.

[kevinbgoode]

2. and make sure you give them money.