GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — The United Methodist Church is ending several anti-LGBTQ+ policies, including a longstanding ban on LGBTQ+ clergy.
The decision to lift the ban on LGBTQ+ clergy comes after years of disagreement on the issue, which has caused thousands of congregations to disassociate with the church.
United Methodists repeal longstanding ban on LGBTQ clergy
The Rev. Sue Petro has been ordained since 1996, but in 2014, Petro — who is married to a woman — officially stepped away from the United Methodist Church because of the decades-long ban on LGBTQ+ clergy.
“I’ve known and loved Jesus my whole life. So I never needed the church to affirm my sacred worth as a human being,” Petro said. “At the age of 49, I chose to retire because I was no longer appointable, I had to. And I was outside the church for 7.5 years and honestly had nothing to do with the church.”
Over time, Petro says the church came to a place where she had an opportunity to return. Last year, she was appointed an associate pastor at First United Methodist Church in Grand Rapids.