A commission of The United Methodist Church has established a resource center, focusing on the experiences and perspectives of LGBT-identified Methodists.
The official launch of the Center for LGBTQ+ United Methodist Heritage, organized by the UMC General Commission on Archives & History (GCAH), was celebrated at Drew University in Madison, New Jersey. This initiative is dedicated to chronicling the history of LGBT individuals within the denomination.
The archival heritage of the UMC and its predecessors has been located at Drew University since 1982, managed by the GCAH and the UMC.
GCAH General Secretary Ashley Boggan shared with The Christian Post that the concept of the center had been a long-term goal, though previously constrained by UMC regulations. Historically, the UMC Book of Discipline prevented church entities from financially supporting “any gay caucus or group, or otherwise use such funds to promote the acceptance of homosexuality.”
This regulation was repealed earlier this year during the UMC General Conference, alongside removing bans on same-sex union blessings and the ordination of noncelibate homosexuals.
According to Boggan, the center's establishment followed Timothy C. Smith's request for GCAH’s Executive Committee to “support establishing a Center that would intentionally collect, preserve, promote and protect the stories of LGBTQ+ United Methodists.” The committee gave unanimous support, and “within 24 hours of the funding ban being lifted, we announced the establishment of the Center at a press conference,” Boggan stated.
Currently, the Center does not occupy a physical space but functions as a “record group” within the GCAH facilities at Drew University. Plans are underway to produce online courses and furnish additional materials highlighting the narratives of historical LGBT UMC members.
Drew University spokesperson Stuart Dezenhall clarified to The Christian Post that the UMC Archives and History Center, though situated on Drew’s premises, operates independently under the GCAH, with Drew having no oversight over its centers or exhibits.
The creation of the center has drawn criticism from some quarters. Davison Drumm of the Institute for Religion and Democracy contended that the project leans towards progressive LGBT activism.
Drumm argued, “[The] new LGBTQ center clearly approves of homosexual relations with no semblance of neutrality,” also noting that GCAH receives partial funding from church apportionments. He highlighted that even dissenting local churches find their apportionments used to support the center’s mission, regardless of their stance on gay marriage.
In response, Boggan defended the center's mission, asserting it was “not propaganda” but a fulfillment of the GCAH’s mandate to preserve the denomination’s history. “The conversations about LGBTQ+ persons had drastic effects on the ministries and mission of the UMC over the last 50 years,” she said.
The center is chaired by Karen Oliveto, who became the first UMC bishop in a same-sex marriage in 2016, despite the denomination’s prohibitions at the time. Although The United Methodist Judicial Council ruled her election invalid in 2017, she remained in her position because the regional body she led did not pursue her removal. Oliveto retired from her position in September.
