At the grassroots, schism is unpopular. A June poll, commissioned by a UMC agency, indicates that rank and file UMC members are opposed to a church schism over homosexuality. “We found that regardless of a person’s position on homosexuality, members felt strongly that the church could offer a positive and different voice to the broader conversation occurring in society today,” said John Deuterman, president of Corporate Research, which conducted the survey for the UMC Communications agency.<\/p>\n
“They overwhelmingly reject the idea that the disagreements over this issue were justification for splitting the church.”<\/p>\n
Nothing definitive is likely to occur before 2016. That’s the year the UMC will convene in Portland, Oregon, its next General Convention\u201d\u201dthe legislative body of the global church with authority to speak for the entire denomination.<\/p>\n