This plan was brought up to replace the proposed “One Church Plan,” which would have allowed each individual church to decide whether or not to allow gay marriage and gay pastors. Usually occurring every four years, the last meeting quickly became volatile for introducing what has been referred to as the “Traditional Plan,” which placed bans on same-sex marriage and openly-gay ministries within the church. The vote occurred during a special emergency session of the United Methodist Church General Conference, which had last convened in 2016. We wanted the people on the street, who won’t even get into our door, to know that they are welcome here.” “It’s not just enough to be a welcoming church when people walk in the door. “We needed people to know that we were not to be feared,” Pastor Querns said in an interview.
The vote by the General Conference has created great controversy since it occurred, and the church, led by Pastor Reverend Matthew Querns, wanted to make it plain for all to see that it would be a safe, welcoming space for all who wished to attend. On February 27, the Yorktown United Methodist Church decided to raise a rainbow flag. On February 26, a Special Session of the United Methodist Church General Conference narrowly voted to maintain and strengthen its ban of the performance of same-sex marriage ceremonies and the ordination of ‘self-avowed practicing’ homosexuals within the church.
