US United Methodist Church nominates 3 openly homosexual candidates for Bishop
Two U.S. jurisdictions will consider three openly gay candidates for bishop next month.
The Rev. Karen Oliveto, the Rev. Frank Wulf and the Rev. David Meredith have been nominated for election at the meetings of the denomination’s Western and North Central jurisdictions July 13-16, according to the Reconciling Ministries Network.
It’s not the first time an openly gay candidate has been nominated — Wulf has been nominated before, according to Reconciling Ministries Executive Director Matt Berryman — but there’s “no question” there is momentum this time after last month’s United Methodist Church General Conference in Portland, Ore.
“I feel like there’s a kind of a groundswell of movement,” Berryman said.
“Many, many annual conferences are refusing to comply with the Book of Discipline, openly ordaining LGBT people, passing resolutions that affirm the image of God in transgender people and really building on the pivot that was implemented at General Conference.”
According to the denomination’s Book of Discipline, “The practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching.”
According to the Bible Romans 1:26-27 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. 27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.
In the U.S., United Methodist bishops are elected by the denomination’s five jurisdictional conferences. Like its worldwide General Conference, those jurisdictional conferences meet every four years.
In the U.S., United Methodist bishops are elected by the denomination’s five jurisdictional conferences. Like its worldwide General Conference, those jurisdictional conferences meet every four years.
1 Timothy 1:9-11 We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers,for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine
Any elder in “full connection” is eligible, according to the denomination’s website. Candidates can nominate themselves, and many are nominated or endorsed by their annual conferences or other groups ahead of the jurisdictional conference, though they also can be nominated from the floor, according to the Rev. Paul White, secretary of the North Central Jurisdiction.
Meredith is one of 17 nominees for bishop in North Central, which will elect four bishops at its upcoming conference. Six people have been nominated in Western, which will elect one, according to M. Barclay, director of communications for Reconciling Ministries. Altogether, 54 candidates are vying for 15 spots, Barclay said.
The election follows the decision by the 2016 General Conference to pass on all proposals related to human sexuality. Instead, the denomination will create a commission to discuss the conflict over sexuality that could lead to a special session of the conference in 2018 or 2019.
The church has been in no rush to put together that commission, according to reports from the United Methodist News Service.
Any elder in “full connection” is eligible, according to the denomination’s website. Candidates can nominate themselves, and many are nominated or endorsed by their annual conferences or other groups ahead of the jurisdictional conference, though they also can be nominated from the floor, according to the Rev. Paul White, secretary of the North Central Jurisdiction.
Meredith is one of 17 nominees for bishop in North Central, which will elect four bishops at its upcoming conference. Six people have been nominated in Western, which will elect one, according to M. Barclay, director of communications for Reconciling Ministries. Altogether, 54 candidates are vying for 15 spots, Barclay said.
The election follows the decision by the 2016 General Conference to pass on all proposals related to human sexuality. Instead, the denomination will create a commission to discuss the conflict over sexuality that could lead to a special session of the conference in 2018 or 2019.
The church has been in no rush to put together that commission, according to reports from the United Methodist News Service.
