The bishops of the United Methodist Church (UMC) have expressed support for a proposal to allow individual pastors to decide on issues related to homosexuality.
In a news release the Council of Bishops recommended the One Church Plan, which aims to remove the prohibitions on same-sex marriage and homosexual clergy from the Book of Discipline, allowing local leaders to make their own decision on the issue.
"With convicted humility, bishops want to be pastors and shepherds of the whole church in order to maximize the presence of a United Methodist witness in as many places in the world as possible and with as much contextual differentiation as possible," Kenneth Carter, the newly installed president of the Council of Bishops, stated in the release.
"The Council's prayerful deliberation reflected the diversity of the global denomination on the matter of homosexuality and many other matters. The Council affirms the strength of this diversity and our commitment to maintain the unity of the church," he continued.
The UMC's Book of Discipline holds that "the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching" and that "self-avowed practicing homosexuals" cannot be allowed to serve in the church.
The release noted that the proposal includes protections for pastors and Conference that have moral and religious objections to same-sex marriage and ordination of homosexual clergy.
The issue of homosexuality has sharply divided the UMC in recent years, resulting in a deadlock during the 2016 General Conference in Portland, Oregon. The stalemate prompted the bishops to launch a 32-member commission to make recommendations to address the issue at the General Conference.
Many of the denomination's smaller jurisdictions have already made their own decisions on the issues of same-sex marriage and homosexual clergy. Last year, Karen Oliveto, a married lesbian woman, was appointed by the Mountain Sky Conference to serve as a bishop, making her the first openly homosexual bishop in the denomination.
Some of UMC's pastors have been openly or secretly celebrating same-sex unions for more than 20 years. A number of clergy who have done so have been defrocked after being tried in church courts, according to Religion News Service.
The One Church Plan is one of three proposals that was introduced by the commission to address the issue.
The other proposals - Traditionalist Plan and the Connectional Conference Plan - will be included in a report that will be submitted to an upcoming special session for the General Conference.
The council announced that it will release the full report revealing more details about the proposals for General Conference Delegates by July 8.
