Observers are watching the 12+ million member denomination carefully as it decides whether to go the way of apostate denominations or even splinter along liberal/conservative lines, but yesterday the United Methodist Church General Conference voted 425 to 268 to sever relationships with pro-choice organizations, particularly the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice. In so doing, the UMC has upheld the denomination's official pro-life position.
In an encouraging press release statement, the elected representative of the General Conference had this to say:
There is nothing moderate or nuanced about RCRC, which has consistently lobbied to defend grisly ‘partial-birth’ abortions, even after our Social Principles included a statement ‘call[ing] for the end of this late-term practice’.
In contrast to the United Methodist Church, RCRC dismisses the value of unborn human life. RCRC even promotes rituals to bless all the work of elective abortion clinics, describing aborting unborn children as always ‘holy work.’
This is a necessary and good step towards affirming that the unborn are persons of sacred worth. This also shows the UMC moving away from other liberal, declining, ‘mainline’ denominations to embrace a new faithful, global identity.
Now we watch with bated breath to see how the UMC handles the growing schism within its ranks over LGBT issues.
This post first appeared on UNSEALED - World News | Christian News | Prophecy, please read the originial post: here
