Britain's Methodist Church votes overwhelmingly to legalize same-sex marriage

[Mad Deadly Worldwide Communist Gangster Computer God]

The Methodist Church has become the largest religious denomination in Britain to permit same-sex marriages.

A vote to change the definition of marriage at the Methodist Conference on Wednesday overwhelmingly passed by 254 in favour with 46 against.

Freedom of conscience clauses mean ministers will not be forced to conduct such weddings if they oppose the move.

Same-sex marriage is not allowed in the Church of England or the Roman Catholic Church.

However it is welcomed in the Scottish Episcopal Church, the United Reformed Church and the Quakers in Britain.

The Methodist Church is Britain's fourth largest Christian denomination with about 164,000 members across more than 4,000 churches.

[...]

The proposals were initially passed by the Methodist Conference in 2019 before being sent to local synods for consultation.

All but one of the 30 local synods have since voted in favour of the change. Wednesday's confirmatory vote was due to take place at the 2020 conference but that was cancelled because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The changes mean the Methodist Church now holds two parallel definitions of marriage - one position says "marriage can only be between a man and a woman" and the other that "marriage can be between any two people".

Church officials hope the dual definition will persuade conservative churches not to leave and protect ministers from discrimination claims if they refuse to marry gay couples.

BBC News

Nice way to end Pride!

Also a decision that's much kinder to the dissenters than the primates were at the international conference.

[Kingpoleon]

Hopefully the UMC dodges its split in the light of the example of its mother church.

[Samof94]

The Methodist Church has become the largest religious denomination in Britain to permit same-sex marriages.

A vote to change the definition of marriage at the Methodist Conference on Wednesday overwhelmingly passed by 254 in favour with 46 against.

Freedom of conscience clauses mean ministers will not be forced to conduct such weddings if they oppose the move.

Same-sex marriage is not allowed in the Church of England or the Roman Catholic Church.

However it is welcomed in the Scottish Episcopal Church, the United Reformed Church and the Quakers in Britain.

The Methodist Church is Britain's fourth largest Christian denomination with about 164,000 members across more than 4,000 churches.

[...]

The proposals were initially passed by the Methodist Conference in 2019 before being sent to local synods for consultation.

All but one of the 30 local synods have since voted in favour of the change. Wednesday's confirmatory vote was due to take place at the 2020 conference but that was cancelled because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The changes mean the Methodist Church now holds two parallel definitions of marriage - one position says "marriage can only be between a man and a woman" and the other that "marriage can be between any two people".

Church officials hope the dual definition will persuade conservative churches not to leave and protect ministers from discrimination claims if they refuse to marry gay couples.

BBC News

Nice way to end Pride!

Also a decision that's much kinder to the dissenters than the primates were at the international conference.

That is really impressive

[afleitch]

It's a definition that makes conservatives look petty if they walk (which some will) similar to the position taken by the Church of Scotland on gay ministers.

Indeed, a similar measure will be before the Kirk next year and looks promising.

[Utah Neolib]

Great!