Jesus Approves of Shacking-Up? Methodist Resolution Affirms Cohabitation
After representatives of British Methodists voted last week at the General Conference to redefine biblical marriage and allow for same-sex marriage, they also voted to approve of something that is not-marriage at all, while pretending that it is.
Amendment of Standing Orders – Resolution 10/94
“The Methodist Church believes that marriage
is a gift of God and that it is God’s intention that a marriage should beis given by God to be a particular channel of God’s grace, and that it is in accord with God’s purposes when a marriage is a lifelong union in body, mind and spirit ofone man and one womantwo people who freely enter it. Within the Methodist Church this is understood in two ways: that marriage can only be between a man and a woman; that marriage can be between any two people. The Methodist Church affirms both understandings and makes provision in its Standing Orders for them.”
Not only did 85% of British Methodists give full approval to same-sex marriage, but they also voted to approve of cohabitation and sleeping together before marriage, explaining in their resolution:
“The Church recognizes that the love of God is present within the love of human beings who are drawn to each other, and who enter freely into some form of life-enhancing committed relationship with each other, whether that be through informal cohabitation or a more formal commitment entered into publicly.”
To be clear; they are not referring to two people of the opposite sex merely living together as celibate roommates, but rather entering into a sexual relationship, in what is commonly called “shaking up.” Nowhere in that statement is anything less than an affirmation. There is nothing there to offer a discouraging word about it, nor anything condemning two people living together and hooking up as sinful.
In fact, for years British Methodists have been pushing this in their resolutions, seeking to include cohabitation to be definitional of marriage itself, given that unmarried couples living together has become so culturally common with the country, with the British Office of National Statistics noting:
“Over two-thirds of people aged 16 to 29 years who were living in a couple were cohabiting.” and that “the number of cohabiting couple families continues to grow faster than married couple and lone-parent families, with an increase of 25.8% over the decade 2008 to 2018.
Thankfully, British Methodism, like all progressive Jesus-hating denominations, is cruising for a bruising by the Lord and is thankfully dying at an exceedingly quick clip. There are only 164,000 members left, down from 600,000 just 30 years ago. 20% of Methodist congregations are under 30 people, and the last church plant was nearly 7 years ago. 70% of congregants are of retirement age, and most of the losses will come from natural death, as well as the remnant who will not stand for this LGBTQ nonsense and will leave, with it being the last straw.
h/t Juicy Ecumenism
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And the UMC just keeps swirling the drain.
Sorry. Didn’t realize this was in the UK, but it will be here soon.
The Methodists jumped the theological rails LONG ago.
The term is “shacking up” – not “shaking up”.