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GOD IN LOVE UNITES US, AN UPDATE
Many of you will be aware that the Methodist Connexion formed a group of people to come up with a report on same sex marriage, divorce and cohabitation. This group worked on these issues for some years. The report was called ‘God in Love Unites Us’. The report was released in 2019. Local church leaders were asked to present this report to their church members.
An open invitation was given for a meeting on 28th January 2020 for my churches to come along and hear the content of this report, and a further date, 10th March 2020, was arranged for a study on the report.
The report then went to district synods to be voted on, especially the aspect of same sex marriage, and whether this should be allowed to be performed in Methodist churches. 29 out of 30 district synods voted to allow same sex marriage in Methodist churches.
This result and the report then went to the Methodist Conference, where again sex same marriage was supported. This was reported in the national newspapers at the time.
The decision to allow same sex marriages in individual churches was then devolved to each individual church council as per The Constitutional Practice and Discipline of the Methodist Church. This was discussed at the Circuit Meeting and then devolved to local church councils.
Leigh Wesley Methodist Church held an extraordinary church council on Sunday 30th January 2022 where the set procedure was followed and the vote taken.
The Methodist church said there needed to be a strong consensus to achieve a result. This was deemed to be 75% by the church council members. The result of our vote was: 92% for, 8% against.
As a result, Wesley Methodist church has applied and been granted a wedding licence for same sex marriages.
This has been a long, and thorough process, which has been surrounded by much thought and prayer.
God has brought together people of diverse origins and opinions in this church and we honour that diversity. We believe that our theological diversity is a witness of Christian unity in a world where difference more usually brings division, and we pray for one another.
Some of you may have concerns about this outcome, and should any of you wish to talk this through with me, I am more than happy to do so.
Every blessing,
Rev Steve Mayo