same sex marriage

Bishop Dyck disputes ‘disunity’ charge

January 15, 2013 Posted by Sam Hodges, Managing Editor 6 Comments

Bishop Sally Dyck’s recent statement endorsing same-sex marriage has drawn praise and criticism within the United Methodist Church, which officially holds that homosexual conduct is “incompatible with Christian teaching.” In an interview, she rejected claims by some that her stand will promote disunity in the denomination. “Find me a United Methodist who believes and accepts everything in the Book of Discipline,” she said, referring to the UMC law book. “Even (conservative unofficial UMC caucus) Good News respectfully noted that I hadn’t disobeyed the Book of Discipline. I was just publicly disagreeing [...]

Bishop Sally Dyck endorses same-sex marriage proposal in Illinois

January 10, 2013 Posted by Sam Hodges, Managing Editor 17 Comments

Bishop Sally Dyck of the UMC’s Northern Illinois Conference announced her support Jan. 10 for legislation to allow same-sex marriage in Illinois. “While the United Methodist Church holds that the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching,” she wrote to conference members, “it also holds the teaching and a long tradition (albeit a struggle every inch of the way) of civil rights. Marriage equality is a civil rights issue; it provides for all what is afforded to some.” Bishop Dyck noted that she’s not able to perform such a ceremony, or allow clergy [...]

Conferences react to UMC stance on gay issues

August 9, 2012 Posted by Kathy L. Gilbert, UMNS Leave a Comment

More than 500 members of the 2012 Iowa Annual Conference signed a “Do No Harm” covenant expressing the concern that the actions of the 2012 United Methodist General Conference were contrary to John Wesley’s first General Rule, “Do No Harm.” UMNS PHOTO COURTESY OF IOWA CONFERENCE

Rejecting the denomination’s stance on gay rights and same-sex marriage were important issues for at least 15 United Methodist Annual this summer. United Methodists from Washington and the northern panhandle of Idaho approved legislation supporting the Marriage Equality Act. The law was signed by the governor in February and would have made Washington the seventh state to allow same-sex marriage. The law was set to go into effect June 7 but Referendum 74, an anti-gay marriage measure, got enough signatures to put the initiative on the November ballot and put [...]