c. 1996 Religion News Service

(RNS)-Still divided over homosexuality but unified in seeking stronger ties with other religious bodies, the United Methodist Church’s General Conference drew to a close Friday after a series of decisions that could reshape the nation’s second-largest Protestant denomination.

The subject of the role of homosexuals in the church dominated much of the most visible aspects of the 10-day policy-making meeting in Denver, which was scheduled to end this evening (April 26).

But the nearly 1,000 delegates also acted on a host of other topics, ranging from the doctrine of baptism and the ordained ministry to the future structure of the 8.6 million-member denomination.

Homosexuality has been a fiercely contested issue at every quadrennial meeting of the church since 1972, when delegates adopted a resolution asserting that homosexuality is”incompatible with Christian teaching,”a stance that has effectively barred practicing homosexuals from ordination.

This year was no different, nor was the outcome. But the dynamics of the debate may be shifting.

Although delegates solidly rejected-by a 577-378 vote-any softening of the”incompatibility clause”in the church’s Book of Discipline (law book), for the first time, a significant group of the church’s Council of Bishops publicly called on the denomination to change its view.”We believe it is time to break the silence and state where we are on this issue that is hurting and silencing countless faithful Christians,”the group of 15 bishops said.

The 15 included 11 active and four retired bishops. There are 50 active U.S. bishops and 17 active overseas bishops who participate in the U.S. bishops council. In addition, there are 63 retired bishops.

While saying they would continue to enforce the church’s edict barring gay ordinations, the dissenting bishops said their”personal convictions”were at odds with the church’s teaching.

The statement created enough of a stir among the delegates and 3,000 visitors at the meeting that the full Council of Bishops felt compelled to issue a response, reaffirming the church’s traditional view.

While the homosexuality issue revealed the fissures in the denomination, other actions-especially on ecumenical issues-demonstrated a remarkable unity.

By a strong 661-228 vote, the delegates adopted a proposal that the church enter into a”covenant communion”with eight other Protestant denominations in the Consultation on Church Union (COCU).

The unity proposal, which stops short of full merger, allows for the exchange of ministers among COCU denominations and reception of Holy Communion in one another’s churches.

The delegates also approved plans to seek a merger with the three largest black Methodist denominations. If those groups-the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church and the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church-also act favorably over the next several years, the merger could create the most racially integrated denomination in the nation.

On internal church matters, the delegates also put an end to a 30-year debate over the ordained ministry by adopting a proposal establishing two separate offices of ordained ministry-a deacon, who pledges to serve God and the church through”word and service,”and an elder, who serves through”service, word, sacrament and orders.” Most local congregations will still be led by ordained elders (pastors) who will bear the title”the Rev.”and are the only people authorized to administer the sacraments.

Deacons will serve in such capacities as music directors or education directors but cannot administer the sacraments.

Delegates also agreed to study ways of restructuring the church to give local congregations more decision-making power.

In addition, they adopted a statement updating the church’s view on baptism and declaring all who have been baptized-including infants and people with mental retardation-to be full members of the church.”The sacrament (of baptism) is primarily a gift of divine grace,”the statement says.””Neither parents nor infants are the chief actors; baptism is an act of God in and through the church.” In other action, delegates:

-Heard Hillary Rodham Clinton urge them to take their faith into a sometimes hostile world and commit themselves to working for improving the lot of children.

-Adopted a $1.7 million plan for strengthening black congregations in the denomination.

-Rejected a plan to move the denomination’s national Board of Global Ministries offices from New York City to Reston, Va.

-Apologized for the deaths of more than 200 Indians caused by a Methodist lay preacher, Col. John Chivington, who led the 1st Colorado Cavalry in an attack on a Cheyenne village on the banks of Sand Creek, near Denver, in 1864.

-Agreed to study rather than enact a proposal to create three separate Korean-American missionary conferences (non-geographic jurisdictions similar to a diocese or synod). The separate conferences are being sought by some Korean-speaking Methodists but are opposed by the Korean-American clergywomen’s association on the grounds that it would perpetuate ethnic separatism.

MJP END ANDERSON