Hunter
06/14/22
The University of Iowa’s Wesley Center is planning to drop its affiliation with the United Methodist Church after nearly 110 years.
The Gazette reports that the Center cited a misalignment between the center’s commitment to LGBTQ students and the denomination’s stance on LGBTQ issues that have resulted in what they say are “direct attacks from the church body that once supported the organization.”
The United Methodist Church reaffirmed its stance on LGBTQ in its 2019 meeting of General Conference. The newspaper cites a statement form Phoebe Sexton, chair of the Wesley Center’s Board of Directors, who said they are, quote, “intentionally rebelling against a system intent on dehumanizing the trans and queer community.”
Breaking the relationship with the Church would allow the student ministry to serve LGBTQ students without the UMC’s ongoing issues with queer pastors and parishioners.
The Center has recently secured nonprofit status on its own, allowing it to seek grants to fund their mission.
Sources have told KCJJ that Wesley Center officials have yet to file the official paperwork needed to break away from the church.