Not familiar with what’s happening in the UMC in regards to human sexuality? The following information will help to address some of the questions you may have. Please understand this is not meant to be a comprehensive resource. We encourage you to follow the links provided for further reading.
What Is This All About?
In the United Methodist Church, the Book of Discipline is the source “outlining the law, doctrine, administration, organizational work and procedures of The United Methodist Church” (see https://www.umc.org/en/content/glossary-book-of-discipline-the).
The following passages from the Book of Discipline are those that pertain to the issue of human sexuality:
¶161G: “The United Methodist Church does not condone the practice of homosexuality and considers this practice incompatible with Christian teaching. We affirm that God’s grace is available to all. We will seek to live together in Christian community, welcoming, forgiving, and loving one another, as Christ has loved and accepted us. We implore families and churches not to reject or condemn lesbian and gay members and friends. We commit ourselves to be in ministry for and with all persons.”
¶304.3: “While persons set apart by the Church for ordained ministry are subject to all the frailties of the human condition and the pressures of society, they are required to maintain the highest standards of holy living in the world. The practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching. Therefore self-avowed practicing homosexuals are not to be certified as candidates, ordained as ministers, or appointed to serve in The United Methodist Church.”
¶161C: “We affirm the sanctity of the marriage covenant that is expressed in love, mutual support, personal commitment, and shared fidelity between a man and a woman… We support laws in civil society that define marriage as the union of one man and one woman.”
¶341.6: “Ceremonies that celebrate homosexual unions shall not be conducted by our ministers and shall not be conducted in our churches.”
¶2702.1A&B: “[A] clergy member… may be tried when charged… with one or more of the following offenses (a) immorality including but not limited to, not being celibate in singleness or not faithful in a heterosexual marriage, (b) practices declared by the United Methodist church to be incompatible with Christian teachings, including but not limited to: being a self-avowed practicing homosexual or conducting ceremonies which celebrate homosexual unions; or performing same-sex wedding ceremonies…”
These paragraphs have been debated within the General Conference* for decades, but more heavily within the past few years.
* General Conference is the “body that… set[s] official policy and speaks for the denomination.” An equal number of clergy and non-clergy (lay) representatives are elected on behalf of all the conferences around the world. It typically occurs every four years (“quadrennium”). Learn more at umc.org/en/who-we-are/structure/general-conference.
Read more:
Human Sexuality Backgrounder umc.org/en/content/human-sexuality-backgrounder
The full version of the most recent Book of Discipline (2016) is available online at cokesbury.com/book-of-discipline-book-of-resolutions-free-versions
Is the United Methodist Church splitting up?
In short, no. There are no current proposals that would lead to The United Methodist Church as a denomination splitting up.
However, some churches are currently in a season of discernment of whether to remain a part of the UMC or to disaffiliate from the denomination.
In the past decade, multiple proposals were made for scenarios that would allow all current United Methodist Churches to remain part of the United Methodist Church, regardless of the differing theological stances between local churches in regards to the issue of human sexuality. These proposals were to be explored and voted upon in the 2020 General Conference. However, when the 2020 General Conference was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic (originally to 2022, now to 2024), some local churches – those on both sides of the theological spectrum (see umnews.org/en/news/churches-across-theological-spectrum-exiting) – felt they could no longer wait for decisions to be made on a denominational level.
During a special session of General Conference in 2019, churches within the United Methodist Church were given the option to disaffiliate from the UMC. A new conservative-leaning Methodist denomination, the Global Methodist Church, was formed (independently of the UMC) in May 2022.
Because of these developments, some churches have disaffiliated or are in the process of disaffiliating.
Read more:
Disaffiliation Discernment FAQ (by our conference, the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church): epaumc.org/disaffiliation-discernment/faq/
A primer for UMC congregations on disaffiliation: umc.org/en/content/ask-the-umc-what-should-united-methodist-congregations-know-about-disaffiliation)
Book of Discipline: ¶2553. Disaffiliation over Human Sexuality: umc.org/en/content/book-of-discipline-2553-disaffiliation-over-human-sexuality
“Ask the UMC: Is the UMC Really…?” umc.org/en/content/ask-the-umc-is-the-umc-really-part-2
What’s next?
The next General Conference is scheduled for 2024. While the topics of discussion (items for consideration and proposals) for General Conference won’t be published until early 2024, and while we can’t predict what the outcome of any votes taken at that gathering will be, it’s certain that the topic of human sexuality and the stance of the UMC will be a central topic.
