Lutheran ministers who are in same-sex relationships will not be allowed to serve as clergy in United Methodist congregations despite the new full communion agreement between the two denominations.
Bishop Gregory Palmer, president of the United Methodist Council of Bishops, made clear on Wednesday that UMC’s ban on noncelibate gay clergy still stands.
“Our Book of Discipline on that subject did not become null and void when they took that vote,” said Palmer, according to the United Methodist News Service. “It still applies to United Methodist clergy.”
Maybe it’s time to look into becoming UMC …
Well, if you are from the evangelical/protestant strain of ECUSA, you could do a lot worse.
If, on the other hand, you think more along the catholic line, something else will be needed (probably Rome or Orthodoxy). Despite the many fine people in the UMC, they are emphatically a protestant church with Anglican roots.
Franz,
I’m an ELCA pastor …
Brian+, what’s wrong with the Missouri Synod?
Very interesting. ELCA had sneakily tried to tie the Methodists into communion a couple of days before their all gay motion votes. I wondered what UMC would do.
Well it looks like the Methodists are having none of it and have delivered ELCA a prompt firm slap down.
When is a communion not a communion?
Bishop Palmer and the Council of Bishops made absolutely the right decision in accordance with the Book of Dicipline.
Here is a [url=http://www.christianexaminer.com/Articles/Articles Sep09/Art_Sep09_03.html ]San Diego parish[/url] that anticipated the decisions that would be made and are leaving the ELCA. It is joining the Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ.
Brian+, what do you think about the Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ versus the Missouri Synod? The article mentions that there is no reference to America in the Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ and there are churches in Russia, etc.
Robroy,
You asked the same question as you are again asking in #4 here in #4 on this thread:
http://new.kendallharmon.net/wp-content/uploads/index.php/t19/article/25001/#comments
and I answered it there in #5. Didn’t you like my answer, or did you even see it, and if you didn’t, then blame those who put my comments into moderation and then take their sweet time (when they do it at all) to “demoderate” them. I could expand on the answer, but if I did (and this despite the fact that I have been following these matters for over 25 years) it would never appear, as it would involve touching on a forbidden subject. But at least I would urge you to revisit the past post I link above here.