United Methodists give early approval to measures that could pave new path on LGBTQ+ issues

• United Methodist Church General Conference, the denomination's top legislative assembly, is gathering in Charlotte, North Carolina between April 23 - May 3.
• An unexpected early decision on "regionalization" legislation for the denomination could refashion the church’s global structure.
• The UMC General Conference will decide on other high-profile business next week to shape the long-term future of the denomination, including whether to remove anti-LGBTQ+ restrictions.

The United Methodist Church’s top legislative assembly earlier this week passed key measures that could refashion the denomination's global structure - and pave the way for greater regional autonomy on LGBTQ+ issues - just days into a weekslong gathering.

More than 700 delegates from around the world convened in Charlotte, North Carolina, to decide on legislation expected to shape the long-term future of the nation's largest mainline Protestant denomination. A proposal known as “regionalization” is among the highest profile of those decisions - in addition to the possible removal of anti-LGBTQ+ policies.

The UMC lost a quarter of its U.S. churches in recent years due to a splintering over church policy and theology, including dealing with LGBTQ+ rights. The overwhelming approval of key regionalization-related proposals, called petitions, by delegates Thursday is the first major sign of what many United Methodist leaders hope is a new chapter in the denomination’s life.

“Are you willing to move forward in the spirit of hope and embrace a season of reformation? Are you committed to the revitalization of the United Methodist Church?” said New York Bishop the Rev. Thomas Bickerton, outgoing president of the UMC Council of Bishops, in an April 23 address to the conference’s opening plenary session. “We don’t have any time for negative narratives and personal agendas. … Friends, we got work to do.”

UMC conference expected to address church's structure

Guided by the principle of “decolonization,” regionalization seeks to address a power imbalance between United Methodist regional oversight in the U.S. versus that of other countries - mostly throughout Africa, the Philippines and parts of Europe. Delegates approved Thursday five of eight key petitions that comprise the regionalization proposal to the UMC General Conference.

The most critical of those five petitions was a constitutional amendment that effectively created an entirely new system of regional authority worldwide, putting regional bodies in both the U.S. and other countries on equal footing. The measure passed with 78% of delegates voting in favor, exceeding the necessary two-thirds threshold for a constitutional amendment.

That constitutional amendment requires ratification from regional United Methodist bodies, a process expected to take a couple of years.

The Rev. Jonathan Ulanday is part of a team and represents a region that has long supported regionalization, which in essence eliminates a regional hierarchy the Methodist church created in 1939 to racially segregate Black clergy and laity in the U.S. from the white population, according to the UMC General Commission on Archives & History.

“We do agree that the current structure of the United Methodist is colonial,” said Zimbabwean delegate Forbes Matonga during a floor debate Thursday, speaking against regionalization. Matonga opposed regionalization because it divides the African continent into different regional bodies.

“Politically speaking, this is disintegrating the voice of Africa,” Matonga said.

United Methodists in Africa have debated regionalization, with different groups emerging to support the proposal and another supporting the conservative-led movement to leave the UMC or disaffiliate.

Thursday at the UMC General Conference, delegates passed other regionalization-related proposals by approving a consent calendar. Among those was a petition clarifying permission for regional church policy on marriage according to local customs and laws.

Regional bodies to exit UMC next year

Ahead of the Charlotte gathering, centrist and progressive United Methodist leaders and advocacy groups supported regionalization. Meanwhile, traditionalist advocacy groups opposed regionalization partly due to its relationship with other efforts to remove anti-LGBTQ+ restrictions.

Pending delegates’ decisions next week on the remaining regionalization-related petitions and proposals to remove anti-LGBTQ+ restrictions, the U.S. church may be able to move in a more LGBTQ-affirming direction while keeping in place stricter policies on same-sex marriage and the ordination of LGBTQ+ clergy for more conservative parts of the world.

There was one exception to Thursday’s maneuvers aimed at holding the global denomination together: Some regional bodies received permission to exit. Those regional bodies — encompassing Russia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan — have struggled to leave the denomination despite policies barring disaffiliation for churches outside the U.S. In a compromise, 90% of delegates approved a measure granting the bodies autonomy, effective next year.

Russian Bishop the Rev. Eduard Khegay expressed gratitude for his many positive experiences in the UMC in an address to delegates following the vote, repeating “Bolshoe Spasibo,” a Russian phrase expressing gratitude.

Khegay added: “On behalf of our delegation from Eurasia, I want to express gratitude for supporting our autonomous status.”

Liam Adams covers religion for The Tennessean. Reach him at ladams@tennessean.com or on social media @liamsadams.