GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — It was a cause for celebration for those in the LGBTQ+ Community and devout Christians.
"We've been through some challenges as there has been some schism in the church over the past few years, but now we are coming together and creating a new sense of purpose that is driving us forward as a ministry and a denomination," said Reverend Brad Bartelmay.
Previously, church government had been strict on letting those in same-sex relationships to be part of the churches clergy.
A vote on Wednesday changed that, while also allowing more involvement in the LGBTQ Community.
It was made at the UMC's first Global General Conference in 5 years, bringing together church leaders and delegates from across the globe in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Rev. Bartelmay is a former pastor at Holland First United Methodist Church and reserve delegate at the conference. He was in the room when the vote passed.
"Many of us have been working for the full inclusion of all people in the life of the church for many, many years," said Rev. Bartelmay. "And so it was a time to celebrate for those of us who have done the work in the past and for the next generation to get excited about the vision of ministry they have for the future."
Between 2019 and 2023, around a quarter of the United Methodist Churches in the United States left the denomination over the issue, and more than a hundred left in Michigan.
"In one sense, this is the end of a journey," said Rev. Bartelmay. "In another sense, it's the beginning of a new journey, a really exciting journey of reaching out to all people."
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