Lesiglation for General Conference

Rev. Adam Hamilton is a progressive pastor in the United Methodist Church and the head of a megachurch in Leawood, Kansas. In the 2012 General Conference he was the one who introduced the legislation to remove the phrase "homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching" from the denomination's Book of Discpline. In his personal blog he has some thoughts as the denomination prepares for another General Conference in 2016. He starts with his assumptions:

The more complicated the change, the less likely it will pass.
The more places in the Discipline that must be changed, the less likely it will pass.
The more radical the change, the less likely that it will pass.

His recommendation:
* Allow pastors determine whether they will or will not officiate at same-sex weddings.
* Each Annual Conference (denomination district) already determines who it will ordain. Allow each conference to also decide whether to ordain gay and lesbian pastors.

The Connectional Table is a United Methodist group of clergy and lay people from around the world and serves as a "church council" to the denomination. The group has been discussing what sort of legislation to prepare for the next General Conference. Though each General Conference since 1972 has dealt with homosexuality the issue will be especially urgent in 2016 because of marriage equality in so many (and soon perhaps all) states and so many countries. Pastors are being asked to officiate.

Earlier this month the Connectional Table approved legislation to send to General Conference. The vote was 26 to 10. The legislation is close to what Adam Hamilton suggests:
* Pastors will decide whether to officiate at same-sex weddings.
* Each Annual Conference will decide whether to ordain gay and lesbian clergy.
* The Book of Discipline will define marriage as a covenant "expressed in love, mutual support, personal commitment, and shared fidelity between two people who are married to each other." It will add that such marriage "is traditionally between one man and one woman."
* It will revise the "incompatibility" phrase to say "historically..."
* It will continue the ban on using church funds "to promote the acceptance of homosexuality."

This makes me think of a phrase Dan Savage has used: Less evil. But still evil. Yes, this is a lot better than what we have now and has a much better chance of passing than some other proposals. But to not be evil it would call to remove the "incompatibility" phrase, rather than label it as the historic position. It would also remove the ban on using church funds for promoting the acceptance of homosexuality.

There were, of course, observers as the vote was taken. The Good News group, quite conservative and anti-gay, said the move will bring conflict – a dispute at the General Conference level is being brought to the local church level. We can tell how they're trying to sound like they aren't anti-gay.

The Love Prevails group is the pro-gay side. Their spokesperson was Rev. Amy DeLong, who has been through a trial for being lesbian with a partner and officiating at a same-sex wedding. She said, "Saying that there is a third way on issues on oppression and discrimination is saying there is some level of my discrimination you all are comfortable with."