Proponents of historic Christian orthodoxy are no longer welcome in the purportedly big tent of the United Methodist Church. That is the message sent by the removal of Asbury Theological Seminary from the UMC’s list of schools approved to train United Methodist clergy, observers of Methodism say.
A UMC news release said the decision came after Asbury affirmed its belief in traditional marriage and objected to the UMC’s 2024 elimination of church teachings against homosexuality.
Asbury’s delisting was an attempt “to ensure that United Methodist candidates for ministry are formed in settings clearly aligned with United Methodist teachings, theology, leadership and values,” according to the release…