April 26 – May 7, 2004
David Lawrence Convention Center
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Media Placement Desk
PRESS ROOM
Contact: Shirley Whipple Struchen
Bryan Hooper
Nancye Willis
 

May 4, 2004

Contact: Nancye Willis
(412) 325-6081
(615) 268-8754

 

United Methodists Retain Church’s Homosexuality Stance

PITTSBURGH — Delegates to the United Methodist Church’s top legislative body voted May 4 to retain the denomination’s statement that homosexual practice is incompatible with Christian teaching, slightly altering the current language in the Social Principles.

The revised sentence now reads, “The United Methodist Church does not condone the practice of homosexuality and considers this practice incompatible with Christian teaching.” Also added was a clause saying United Methodists “will seek to live together in Christian community.”

Delegates to the church’s 2004 General Conference approved in a 579-376 vote a minority report that omitted the phrase: “We recognize that Christians disagree on the compatibility of homosexual practice with Christian teaching,” which appeared in the original motion.

The Rev. Eddie Fox of Nashville, Tenn., who spoke in the assembly in favor of the change, said in a subsequent press conference that the church was in “desperate” need of a clear, authoritative, declaratory statement made with compassion.

The Rev. James Preston of Rockford, Ill., said the adopted statement was not a message of compassion but one that “clearly said that gays and lesbians are not welcome in the church.” He said the church had not spoken the truth about itself and had failed to use a “healing option.”

When asked if the approved statement was a response to the recent acquittal of the Rev. Karen Dammann, a lesbian pastor, Fox replied that the delegates’ decision “is a response to all that has happened in society, in all churches, including that trial.”

The Rev. Margaret Mallory of Perrysburg, Ohio, reminded delegates that the church is of two minds on the issue. “We do not become ‘less than’ because we admit that we disagree. In fact, we become ‘more than’ because we tell the truth and we live the truth.”

Fox said the decision is a statement that is “important to the ministry we do and focuses on the call to spread the gospel.”