Why Do Gay Christians Choose to be United Methodists?

an article by Dr. David Palmer, senior pastor, United Methodist Church of Kent Since the official stance of the United Methodist Church is that “the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching,” you might think that gay Christians would not choose to be a part of the church. Yet there are a great many LGBT Christians who are active in United Methodist congregations. Here are some of the reasons why: 1) The United Methodist Church is a wonderful place to grow in a relationship with Christ! Our focus is on Christ, and we pay little attention to the sexual orientation of people in the congregation. This is keeping with the spirit of Jesus, who in all his teaching said absolutely nothing about homosexuality.

2) The United Methodist Church welcomes all! Our church motto is “open hearts, open minds, open doors.” In the local church we treat all people as people who are to be warmly received and loved. People of diverse backgrounds, including people of different sexual orientations, find a warm welcome.

3) The United Methodist Church is a prime place to have an impact on the national conversation about human sexuality. As the third largest denomination in America (behind the Catholics and Southern Baptists), the United Methodist Church stands at the very center of American society and includes people of all different perspectives. At the same time, the church has an ethos of encouraging conversation and mutual respect among people with divergent views. This puts the United Methodist Church in an important position within our highly polarized society. When it comes to discussions about the relationship between Christian faith and the practice of homosexuality, in many churches “the case is closed”—on one side or the other. But the United Methodist Church is in flux and is seeking to be a church where everyone can move forward together in our understanding of Christian faith and sexuality. Gay Christians are making a major impact on that conversation as they participate in the life of the church.

4) The United Methodist Church is place to make a difference in the world! What we all seek in the church is to become a part of something much larger than ourselves and to make a positive impact on this earth. The United Methodist Church, with its size and worldwide scope, its tradition of putting faith into action, and its extensive mission outreach, enables people to make a real difference in their own community and far beyond. The church puts its emphasis where God puts the emphasis—on the call to reach out to hurting and needy people, and to share the love of Christ with everyone.