User:Pbritti/sandbox/Global Methodist Church

The Global Methodist Church is a proposed Protestant denomination based in the United States founded on conservative Methodist precepts. At the United Methodist Church's 2019 General Conference, church leaders supported a plan that would prohibit same-sex marriages within their church, leading to discussion of potential schisms between conservatives and liberals within the denomination. The United Methodist Church is expected to vote on a proposal, "Protocol of Reconciliation and Grace Through Separation", in 2022 to formalize the separation. If formally erected, the Global Methodist Church is anticipated to be among the largest conservative Christian denominations in the United States.

History
In 2016, at the United Methodist Church's General Conference in Portland, Oregon, delegates voted 428 to 405 to delay conversation on homosexuality and proposed a review of ecclesiastical restrictions. Despite the UMC prohibiting the ordination of "'self-avowed practicing' gay clergy," over 100 American and 1 Filipino of the clergy in attendance of the General Conference came out as gay.

Two major plans regarding the UMC's position on homosexuality were suggested at the 2019 General Conference in St. Louis, Missouri: the Traditional Plan, which opposed church support of gay marriage, and the One Church Plan, which supported broader loosening of restrictions. Supporters of the Traditional Plan, citing the Book of Discipline, succeeded in passing their proposal with a delegate vote of 438 to 384. Prior to the April vote, discussion of possible schisms over gay issues had grown following a February special session that recommended the Traditional Plan.

Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, plans to discuss formalized schism–including that of the Global Methodist Church–were delayed until 2022.