UK Methodists begin consultation on conducting same-sex ‘marriages’
The Methodist Church in the UK is undertaking a consultation of its members about whether the church should become the first Christian denomination in Britain to offer church “weddings” to same-sex couples. Members of the approximately 5,000 Methodist congregations across Britain have been given until February 10, 2014 to express their views on same-sex "marriage," when the results of the consultation will be assessed by the Methodist Conference, the church’s policy-making body. The church could become the first Christian denomination in Britain to offer church “weddings” to same-sex couples. The Methodist Church currently defines marriage as a “gift of God” that is “a lifelong union in body, mind and spirit of one man and one woman.” However, the Methodist Conference has stated that this definition is now "at odds" with the terms of the UK's Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act, which comes into force next year. In July the Methodist Conference set