Hundreds of United Methodists have begun looking over some 1,500 petitions that have been proposed by those seeking change in church policies and structures, among other things, during the church's quadrennial gathering.
Much of the media spotlight, however, has fallen on two submitted petitions aimed at changing the United Methodist Church's current position on homosexuality. The church body holds that the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching.
One petition would state that homosexuality is a subject about which Christians disagree and the other would define marriage as the union of two loving adults.
To support gay and transgender church members, young Methodists from the Mosaic Youth Network are holding a 24-hour "drumming and rally", which began Friday at noon, outside the Fort Worth Conference Center in Texas, where the United Methodist General Conference is taking place. Recent General Conferences have seen protests by gay-rights advocates, some of whom were arrested for disrupting proceedings.
Debates on whether gay Christians can be ordained as clergy have gone on for decades in the denomination and most recently, controversy has erupted over transgendered people.
The Rev Drew Phoenix, pastor of St John's United Methodist Church in Baltimore, sparked debate when the transgender minister was allowed last year to remain pastor of the church. Phoenix, who previously led the church as the Rev Ann Gordon, underwent surgery and hormone therapy to become male.
The ruling was made by the United Methodist Church's highest council, affirming a 2006 decision to reappoint Phoenix as pastor. The court agreed that while the denomination bars self-avowed practising gay clergy from ordination and does not support gay unions, the United Methodist Book of Discipline says nothing about gender change.
