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. |
Chinese, Thai tourist numbers surgeTourism sees big boom ahead of May Day holidayBeijing confirms recovering tourism during New Year holidayMainland ready to provide aid to quakeMessi scores in return as Miami held by ColoradoChina's ecological environment improves steadily in Q1Harbin war museum sees soaring visitsAttack on a police checkpoint in Russia's North Caucasus leaves 2 police, 5 gunmen deadThis congresswoman was born and raised in Ukraine. She just voted against aid for her homelandNicole Kidman's kids she shares with ex