East Angolan Bishop Gaspar João Domingos

Angolan Bishop Urges UMC to Stand Firm on Homosexuality

on February 8, 2016

Despite resistance from liberal activists, the United Methodist Church has officially maintained a biblical stance on homosexuality and marriage since 1972. LGBTQ advocates have agitated regularly at General Conference for the UMC to liberalize on marriage by ordaining LGBTQ clergy and performing gay weddings.

But thanks to steadfast, orthodox stance of faithful Methodists, these efforts have been stopped. African bishops are among the leaders who have stood firm. Fortunately, Methodist congregations in Africa are growing, meaning these faithful voices are becoming increasingly important in the UMC. There are more than 450,000 members in Africa Central Conference, more than 2.2 million members in the Congo Central Conference, and more than 1.5 million members in the West Africa Central Conference, according to the World Methodist Council.

Gaspar João Domingos
Angolan Bishop Gaspar João Domingos

In September 2015, 14 bishops and representatives from the African Central Conferences signed a statement affirming sexual relationships “within the covenant bond of a faithful monogamous, heterosexual marriage, and not within same-sex unions or polygamy.” Among the signers of this statement was Angolan Bishop Gaspar João Domingos, who presides over the Annual Conference of West Angola.

Domingos has spoken out again in defense of biblical marriage, this time at a seminary event. Agência Angola Press (ANGOP) reported Domingos’s comments on February 3, translated here in full from French:

 

Angola: Methodist Church condemns gay marriage

Luanda – The United Methodist Church condemns marriage between persons of the same sex, taking into account the doctrinal principles, the bishop Gaspar João Domingos said Wednesday in Luanda.

The bishop, who was speaking at a theological seminary update, admitted that the church was continuously pressured to take a stand on homosexual conduct, which is not in conformity with the Sacred Scripture.

“There is a group that considers marriage as a short-term contract and who want to legitimize homosexual practice, and does not care to protect the newborn and the mother,” he said.

Moreover, added the bishop, the United Methodist Church denies the abuse of the principle of tolerance that sets aside the authority of Jesus Christ and the teaching on sexuality.

Bishop Gaspar said that since 1972, the Methodist Church has affirmed that homosexuals were “people of true consecration in need of ministry and church orientation to overcome their difficulties.”

According to the religious leader, the moral normative rules of biblical texts cannot be applied outside its cultural context.

  1. Comment by Eternity Matters on February 8, 2016 at 4:59 pm

    Good for him! Remember when the racist “Christian” Left tried to get the African Methodists excluded from voting on such things? They didn’t think they were “progressive” enough to know the truth.

  2. Comment by David Goudie on February 9, 2016 at 10:03 am

    They ‘the left’ are still trying to separate the African vote, again by having the US be a separate ‘Central Conference’ which has it’s own specific Book of Discipline… petition submitted by the standing rules committee, if passed to be in affect in 2020.

  3. Comment by Eternity Matters on February 10, 2016 at 8:11 am

    That figures. One of the many reasons I’m glad I left the UMC.

  4. Comment by Joyce on February 23, 2019 at 11:05 pm

    I have been a member of United Methodist church in WV for about 6 yrs. When I was first attending my family and friends said don’t go there they have gay pastors. At that time I couldn’t find out if there were gay pastors or not. I grew up Presbyterian. I decided it wasn’t true and ended up joining the Methodist Church. If I had only known the direction of the church back then I wouldn’t have. My husband who grew up Catholic says what’s the problem? Why are they wasting time, energy, money when all they have to do is open their Bibles and read and decide on that?? They are suppose to be a Christian church aren’t they?–don’t they want to follow the Bible or at least consult it instead of arguing? There is clear instruction in both the OT and NT (I found several in NT condemning unrepentant homosexuals). I Corinthians 6: 9-11, Romans 13: 12-14, I Corinthians 5: 9-13, Matthew 5:29, and many more. Looking at NIV version. I found these on my own. No scriptures mentioned about this issue from our leaders. Why isn’t the General Conference discussing what the Bible says instead of opinions of the Bishops nd others etc?? Is this a church or a liberal political movement? I left one conservative church because it was like a Republican rally every Sunday. I came home after church depressed–no love, joy, or fruits of spirit there! just hate. And now I’m in a church that seems to care more about their liberal agenda than pleasing or obeying God. I don’t want politics and personal opinion deciding or interfering with my spiritual walk and weakening our churches spiritual leaders!!

  5. Comment by Skipper on February 18, 2016 at 10:46 am

    Sexual perversion and immorality are not the way to please God. We are called to be different. Why be the same as the world when you can follow Christ who loves you?

  6. Comment by Skipper on February 26, 2016 at 9:46 am

    Oh, and thanks to leaders who are not afraid to stand up and be counted for Christ. Stand up and be counted everyone!

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