If ratified, one effect of the change is that it could allow for the American church to authorize same-sex marriages within the church.
United Methodist delegates have overwhelmingly endorsed a constitutional amendment seen by advocates as a way of defusing debates over the role of LGBTQ people in the church by giving rule-making autonomy to each region of the international church.Delegates voted 586-164 on Thursday for the 'regionalization' proposal on the third day of their 11-day General Conference, the legislative body of the United Methodist Church, meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Advocates hailed the proposal as a way of decolonizing a church some say is too focused on U.S. issues, though one opponent, a Zimbabwean pastor, said the details of the plan are reminiscent of colonial-era divide-and-conquer strategies.LGBTQ issues weren't central to the debate on Thursday, but they are expected to arise in the coming days at the General Conference. 'We have members who are part of the LGBTQ community and who have loved ones a part of the community,' said Rev.
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