United Methodist Church Leaders Threaten Schism Over Homosexuality

A major schism looms over the United Methodist Church (UMC) as the denomination’s international conference grapples with whether or not to allow homosexual clergy and same-sex marriage. Members of the denomination’s Legislative Committee rejected two proposed plans of reform Tuesday, the One Church Plan and the Simple Plan, that would have allowed churches to decide their policies on LGBT issues on an individual basis. The committee has advanced a third proposal, the Traditional Plan, which would strengthen denominational penalties for violating the ban on same-sex marriage and gay clergy. (RELATED: US Mennonite Church Splits Over Homosexuality) More than half of the 864 General Conference delegates voted down the One Church plan. Supporters of the plan lamented that the Legislative Committee did not approve it to be brought up for a vote in Tuesday’s plenary session in St. Louis, but noted that the proposal would still be brought up in a minority report in that session. -- More...