CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — United Methodist delegates are heading into the homestretch of their first legislative gathering in five years — one that appears on track to make historic changes in lifting their church’s longstanding bans on same-sex marriage and the ordination of LGBTQ clergy. After a day off on Sunday, delegates to the General Conference of the United Methodist Church resumed their work Monday and will be meeting all this week before wrapping up their 11-day session on Friday They’ve already begun making historic changes: On Thursday, delegates overwhelmingly endorsed a policy shift that would restructure the worldwide denomination into regional conferences and give the U.S. region, for the first time, the same right as international bodies to modify church rules to fit local situations. That measure — subject to local ratification votes — is seen as a way the U.S. churches could have LGBTQ ordination and same-sex marriage while the more conservative overseas areas, particularly the large and fast-growing churches of Africa, could maintain those bans. |
Solomon Islands PM Sogavare commands largest bloc in Parliament after election — Radio Free AsiaThe slang that makes you seem old: 'LOL, LMAO, YOLO, and BRB' make you seem dated and oldBrian Tobin, former president of the International Tennis Federation, dies at age 93Buxton, Kirilloff help Twins rally past White Sox 6Taylor Swift's new track imgonnagetyouback sparks comparisons to Olivia Rodrigo songTunisia recovers the bodies of 19 migrants who attempted to cross the Mediterranean to EuropeMigrants indicted in Texas over alleged border breach after judge dismissed chargesNikola Jokic's brother appears to PUNCH a fan in the face after Nuggets' comeback win over LakersTOWIE's Elliott Wright poses with his rarelyGarland speaks with victims' families as new exhibit highlights the faces of gun violence