How Episcopalians, Lutherans, Presbyterians and Baptists have dealt with LGBTQ issues
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Un-united Methodists
The church has long delayed an anticipated split over LGBTQ issues — until now. It’s not going to be easy. As some in North Carolina look to disaffiliate from UMC for more conservative theology, others must grapple with their own stance on how to move forward.
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How Episcopalians, Lutherans, Presbyterians and Baptists have dealt with LGBTQ issues
As the United Methodist Church faces division, here’s where other denominations stand on LGBTQ issues.
Episcopalians
The Episcopal Church declared in 1976 that “homosexual persons are children of God who have a full and equal claim with all other persons upon the love, acceptance, and pastoral concern and care of the Church.”
In 1994, the church prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation, which opened the door to ordination for gay clergy. The Episcopal Church elected the Rev. Gene Robinson, its first openly gay bishop, less than a decade later. It saw a number of members leave.
In 2012, the church prohibited discrimination in ordination based on gender identity and expression.
After same-sex marriage was legalized by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2015, the Episcopal Church voted to open the marriage rite to all couples, regardless of gender or sexual orientation.
The Anglican Church in North America formally split from the Episcopal church in 2009, with some denominational leaders citing both sexuality and the ordination of women as points of disagreement.
Lutherans
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, one of three leading Lutheran churches in the U.S., first affirmed the full inclusion of gay and lesbian individuals in the church in 1991.
In 2009, the ELCA voted to permit pastors to bless same-sex marriages and churches to maintain clergy and lay leaders in married, monogamous same-gender relationships.
The Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ was founded in 2001 out of the ELCA and continues to disapprove of same-sex marriage. In 2010, the North American Lutheran Church was established as a new body made up of churches that exited the ELCA over the ordination of gay clergy and marriage.
Presbyterians
The Presbyterian Church (USA) has permitted the ordination of gay clergy since 2011, and in 2014, the denomination voted to allow individual churches to hold same-gender weddings. Though its policies are permissive in this sense, the denomination leaves the choice to accept gay clergy and perform same-sex weddings to individual congregations and pastors.
“Strongly differing convictions about sexuality and faithful sexual relationship are granted equal standing within this denomination,” according to the church’s website. “Permission is granted, but practices are not to be required.”
Churches that left the Presbyterian Church (USA) formed the Evangelical Covenant Order of Presbyterians in 2012 due to differing views on sexuality, theology and bureaucracy, the United Methodist News Service reported.
Baptists
The Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant denomination in the country, sees marriage as the “uniting of one man and one woman,” and homosexuality as a “perversion,” according to statements on its website. The SBC does not ordain women or openly LGBTQ people. The NC Baptists align their beliefs with the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message, which guides the SBC.
The American Baptist Church USA also sees homosexuality as “incompatible with Christian teaching,” according to a 1992 resolution.
The Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and the Alliance of Baptists were both founded in the 1980s out of the SBC as “networks for moderate to progressive Baptist congregations and seminaries,” according to the Human Rights Campaign.
This story was originally published September 2, 2022 at 6:00 AM with the headline "How Episcopalians, Lutherans, Presbyterians and Baptists have dealt with LGBTQ issues."