Traditional Plan
United Methodist leaders propose plan to split church over LGBTQ ordination, marriage
By Emily McFarlan Miller — January 3, 2020
(RNS) — Bishops and representatives of a number of United Methodist groups have announced a proposed agreement to split the United Methodist Church.
UMC’s Western Jurisdiction announces ‘safe harbor’ for LGBTQ clergy
By Emily McFarlan Miller — November 6, 2019
(RNS) — The Safe Harbor Declaration comes months before new restrictions strengthening the United Methodist Church’s ban on the ordination and marriage of its LGBTQ members are set to take effect on Jan. 1.
Dissent from Traditional Plan dominates United Methodists’ top court meeting
By Emily McFarlan Miller — November 2, 2019
CHICAGO (RNS) — Many of the requests before the Judicial Council this past week had to do with actions recently passed by various regional annual conferences across the country dissenting to the Traditional Plan approved in February.
Adam Hamilton on ‘Methodists in the middle’ and what’s next for the denomination
By Emily McFarlan Miller — June 4, 2019
(RNS) — As the United Methodist Church has spent decades wrestling over the inclusion of its LGBTQ members, the Rev. Adam Hamilton, pastor of the largest United Methodist church in the United States, has emerged, as one local radio station put it, as 'the Pied Piper for Methodists in the middle.'
Why United Methodists are watching the results of a denominational court meeting
By Emily McFarlan Miller — April 23, 2019
CHICAGO (RNS) — What might United Methodists' top court decide this week about the Traditional Plan, and what would that mean for the second-largest Protestant denomination in the United States?
What to do about ordination? A gay divinity school student ponders her future
By Yonat Shimron — April 23, 2019
DURHAM (RNS) — Dozens of LGBTQ United Methodist seminary students will graduate next month from the 13 schools affiliated with the denomination. Like Spencer Cullom, who is a lesbian, they face an uncertain future.
The ’Splainer: What happened at the United Methodist General Conference?
By Emily McFarlan Miller — March 7, 2019
(RNS) — What does the Traditional Plan actually do, and what happens now? Let us ’Splain …
Grieving, but not leaving, the United Methodist Church
By James C. Howell — March 1, 2019
(RNS) — A general conference isn’t the church, the way a restaurant chain’s board of directors meeting isn’t a family enjoying dinner.
‘In this to the end’: LGBT United Methodists express hurt, hope after vote
By Emily McFarlan Miller — February 28, 2019
ST. LOUIS (RNS) — After a wrenching three days of deliberations and spending $3.7 million to organize a special conference of its global church, the UMC has only marginally more more clarity on its future than when the meeting began.
Kenyan United Methodists oppose allowing LGBT clergy, pray for church unity worldwide
By Tonny Onyulo — February 18, 2019
NAIROBI, Kenya (RNS) — United Methodist bishops in Africa want to keep the denomination's ban of LGBT clergy in place. But they also want the United Methodist Church to stay together no matter what happens at the upcoming General Conference in St. Louis. Delegates at that meeting will discuss possible changes to the denomination's rules.
United Methodist court filings detail proposals for averting schism on sexuality
By Emily McFarlan Miller — July 18, 2018
(RNS) — Court documents are giving United Methodists the first peek at proposed plans to avoid a split in the second-largest Protestant denomination in the United States.
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