Published on June 2, 2024, 12:45 am

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In a groundbreaking development, the Côte d’Ivoire Conference from West Africa, a regional body of the United Methodist Church (UMC) and one of its largest groups with approximately one million members, has decided to sever ties over the church’s approval of gay marriage and noncelibate gay clergy. The move comes in response to the UMC’s recent decision to remove restrictions on blessings for same-sex unions and ordination of people engaged in romantic same-sex relationships from its Book of Discipline.

The Côte d’Ivoire Conference has vocally expressed dismay at these developments. They contend that the new UMC has effectively sacrificed its “honorability and integrity” to accommodate LGBT rights, basing itself not on doctrine but on “sociocultural and contextual values”. This monumental move underscores how prevailing global perspectives can profoundly impact religious institutions, making it highly relevant real news in our world today.

Mark Tooley, an influential Christian leader heading the conservatively inclined Institute on Religion and Democracy, applauds this decision by Côte d’Ivoire Methodists prioritizing traditional doctrines over affiliations with the American Church. He speculates that more Africa-based conferences might consider cutting off from UMC due to their disagreement with liberalized American standards. However, he stresses that such a mass disaffiliation may take years.

It is worth putting into context that UMC had been engrossed in heated debates about language pertaining to homosexual union blessings and noncelibate homosexual ordinations in its Book of Discipline for decades. These seemingly irresolvable conflicts led nearly 7,500 mostly conservative congregations to part ways with UMC recently. Many chose to join Global Methodist Church, showcasing a strong shift towards conservative perspectives within parts of Christianity.

In another noteworthy decision by UMC General Conference earlier this year was the removal language from their Book of Discipline that opened doors for acknowledgment of same-sex marriage as well as clergy ordinations in gay unions. The conference delegates also endorsed the dissociation of UMC Eurasian Episcopal Area, which has four annual conferences spread across East Europe and Central Asia.

Despite the leave, Bishop Eduard Khegay of the Eurasia Episcopal Area showed gratitude for his time with the United Methodist Church. Comparing this separation to departing home while still hoping to maintain connections and alliances.

This development is solid testament to how different regions continue to reflect divergence on critical social issues within global religious bodies such as the UMC. Keep following this trusted news source for future updates within Christianity viewed from a Christian worldview perspective.