United Methodist Church leaders will
meet next month in St. Louis, Missouri to discuss LGBT equality.
According to The
Washington Post, U.S colleges affiliated with the Methodist
Church are calling on leaders to be more inclusive of gay and
transgender people.
Nearly 100 university presidents this
week issued a joint statement to that effect. The National
Association of Schools and Colleges of the United Methodist Church
represents 93 schools, including Duke University and Southern
Methodist University.
“Historically, the Church has
witnessed a profound commitment to the sacred worth of all persons
and to social justice, such as the Church’s position on civil
rights, women’s rights, and the rights of different ethnic
communities,” the presidents wrote in their letter.
In 2012, the church voted against
changing language in its Book of Disciple that calls homosexuality
“incompatible with Christian teaching.”
The United Methodist Church is the
largest denomination within the wider Methodist movement. The church
is estimated to have at least 12 million members.