TUCSON, Ariz. -- The United States' second largest protestant church voted Tuesday to reject a change that would give LGBTQ members equal opportunity within the church.
The United Methodist Church has 12.6 million members worldwide, and 7 million members in the United States.
The "One Church" plan would have allowed lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender members of the church to be members of clergy. That plan would also allow local and regional bodies the power to decide their own stances on same-sex marriage.
At the 2019 General Conference, a meeting which included members of the church from across the globe, the United Methodist Church passed the "Traditional" plan. That plan keeps LGBTQ Methodists out of clergy positions and does not recognize same-sex marriages.
The vote yesterday would have allowed local churches and regional bodies decide on same-sex policies for themselves; something that is very important to St. Francis in the Foothills in Tucson.
St. Francis in the Foothills is an Open and Affirming church, meaning they fully include LGBTQ members in their ministry.
They held a prayer vigil at the church on Wednesday to pray for LGBTQ members of their congregation and discuss what the UMC's decision means for their church.
Regionally, Methodist churches fall under the Desert Southwest Conference led by Bishop Robert T. Hoshibata, who is a proponent of the "One Church" plan.
After Tuesday's vote he wrote this statement on Facebook:
Members of the United Methodist Church in favor of the "Traditional" plan argued allowing each church to voice their own views on LGBTQ issues would create confusion for new members.
ABC News reports the "Traditional" plan passed the delegation by a vote of 438-384. 43% of those votes came from overseas. The majority from Africa.
Several pastors over the past few years have been "defiant" against the church by performing same-sex marriages, and in some cases even coming out as homosexual themselves.
In addition to remaining anti-LGBTQ, the "Traditional" plan aims to beef up punishments for Methodist Clergy members who defy the church in those ways.
Another major conference is schedules for the UMC next year, and this issue could come up for a vote again at that time.
In recent years Presbyterian and Episcopal churches have adopted pro-LGBTQ policies.
