AME church denomination keeps stance on Biblical marriage

The African Methodist Episcopal Church last week maintained its position against same-sex marriage, the denomination said in a statement Thursday. More than 15,000 delegates and observers gathered in Columbus, Ohio, for the AME’s 52nd General Conference. The week-long conferences are held once every four years, according to the denomination. Both U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris sent video messages to the convention. In 2019, the denomination numbered about 7,000 congregations and at least 2.5 million members, according to a report from the University of Southern California’s Cecil Murray Center for Community Engagement.

How did the denomination get to this juncture? The denomination’s rule against same-sex marriage dates back to a 2004 vote. The denomination in 2021 established what it called a Sexual Ethics Discernment Committee. During the conference, the committee made a recommendation that would allow gay marriage, but delegates voted 896 to 722 to delete the recommendation, according to the denomination’s official news organ. Afterward, delegates voted 1042 to 507 to authorize the committee to continue its work and bring another report to the 2028 General Conference, according to The Christian Recorder.

Did the conference address any other motions? Following a lawsuit over alleged mishandling of the denomination’s retirement fund for its employees, the denomination promised to increase transparency and financial controls for its various departments. The denomination last month reached a settlement agreement with a coalition of former employees and clergy members who sued the church over the loss of their retirement savings. Both the church and retirees are still pursuing claims against companies they allege were associated with the mishandling of its retirement fund.

Dig deeper: Listen to Paul Butler and Harrison Watters’ report on The World and Everything in It about a fire that destroyed a historic black church in Dallas.