Rev. Jennifer S. Leath hopes to help her denomination avoid the schisms that ruptured many mainline Protestant denominations as they dismantled LBGTQ+ bans.
‘As a trans person myself, I know that I’m just as much an image of God as a cisgender, heterosexual person of whatever color, race and creed,’ said the Rev. M.E. Eccles, a trans Episcopal priest.
The Episcopal Church, UCC, PCUSA, and ELCA have all ordained transgender priests, pastors, and bishops in recent years, and traditions such as the Metropolitan Community Church have spent decades advocating for LGBTQ+ people.
At the religious right's annual gathering, leaders scolded the Republican National Committee for dropping its longstanding abortion plank, but also turned to rallying conservative Christians to other culture war causes.
Protests broke out on Sunday at the New Georgia United Methodist Church in Monrovia over the suspension of an outspoken critic of same-sex marriage. The protests spread to other churches in the capital, prompting riot police to intervene.
Messner gained lasting affection for stepping out of the strict evangelical, anti-gay doctrine of the time to show compassion and empathy toward a gay minister living with HIV and AIDS.
In “Another Gospel: Christian Nationalism and the Crisis of Evangelical Identity,” Joel Looper communicates an insider’s perspective on how a false gospel has colonized American evangelicalism.
At its 2024 synod in June, the Christian Reformed Church instructed LGBTQ-affirming congregations to repent and comply with the denomination’s beliefs on sexuality. Some are now choosing to leave.
In addition to discrimination concerns and church-state issues, opponents worry school vouchers take money from public schools, which serve most students, and benefit higher-income families who already use private schools.
The new denomination, with 4,715 congregations, will meet to adopt a constitution and iron out its governance structure.