The Church & Homosexuality: Where We Stand
by Matt | August 8th, 2005 |Where some of the Christian Denominations now stand regarding homosexuality, gay clergy and marriage, according to an AP article published on Express Gay News.
ELCA:The top legislative body of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is set to take key votes this week on ordaining gays and blessing same-sex unions. Conflicts over what the Bible says about homosexuality have been tearing at Protestant denominations for years. Here is a description of how the debate is playing out in major American churches:
UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST: The liberal, 1.3 million-member denomination passed a resolution July 4 endorsing same-sex marriage, making it the largest Christian denomination to do so. The church has been ordaining gays for decades.
EPISCOPAL CHURCH: This U.S. branch of Anglicanism sparked a crisis in the global Anglican Communion by confirming its first openly gay bishop, V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire. Controversy over Robinson has battered the 2.3 million-member American church for the past two years and Anglicans worldwide are struggling to find a way to stay together.
AMERICAN BAPTIST CHURCHES USA: Tensions over homosexuality are heating up in the 1.4 million-member denomination; its leader pleaded for unity at a churchwide meeting last month. The denomination bars ordination of partnered gays, but several congregations are ignoring the prohibition. Some conservatives are threatening to leave unless those churches are reined in.
UNITED METHODIST CHURCH: The denomination of 8.2 million members last year upheld its ban on ordaining sexually active gays. Recently, two lesbian ministers who have partners were separately tried by the church on charges they violated that rule. One woman was acquitted; the other’s case is before the highest church court.
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH (U.S.A.): A task force for the denomination of 2.4 million people is scheduled to finish a report this summer on how to overcome severe disagreements on gay relationships. The church currently bans sexually active gays from the clergy ranks.
Matt, 21, is an LGBT activist and youth advocate working mainly within the cities of Greensboro & Winston-Salem and the State of North Carolina. He is the Owner & Editor of InterstateQ.com and has been active in LGBT advocacy work since the age of 14, now currently serving as the Executive Director/Co-founder of Activate! - The North Carolina Advocacy Coalition.
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