“We met all the goals that we were aiming for this time,” said Austin Adkinson, pastor of Light of the Hill United Methodist Church in Puyallup, Washington, a gay man and a delegate to the conference. “We didn’t get an affirmation, but for the sake of moving forward as a denomination, we wanted to get this far this time. It was an exciting day for the church, and we can’t wait to live into it.”
The large gay presence at the conference celebrated their accomplishments at a Wednesday evening singalong in the cavernous sanctuary of First United Methodist Church in downtown Charlotte.
They also wasted no time in recognizing the historic shift they made. After eliminating a ban on funding for LGBTQ+ affinity groups or ministries, Ashley Boggan, who heads the church’s archives and history commission, announced that its executive committee has approved the creation of a Center for LGBTQ+ United Methodist Heritage.
“This center,” Boggan said, “will allow us to intentionally seek out, preserve, and tell the stories of those whose voices, ministries, and witness have, for far too long, been cast aside and silenced.”
This article originally appeared here.
