United Methodist Church

In Kansas and nationally, debates over transgender rights and inclusion are playing out in faith communities. For Pastor Charles McKinzie, in Winfield, the duty to welcome gender-diverse congregants has a theological and personal basis.

On May 1, delegates at the United Methodist Church’s General Conference voted to repeal a ban on LGBTQ clergy that stood for four decades.

In June of this year, 96 Kansas congregations left the United Methodist Church over mainly LGBTQ issues.

The departure of the churches in Kansas and Nebraska comes as UMC congregations around the country are debating the UMC position “that all people are of sacred worth and are equally valuable in the sight of God.”

Religious institutions generally avoid taking a stance during election cycles, but the anti-abortion amendment in Kansas' August primary offers a rare chance for churches to make their positions known. Plus, a drought in Kansas is devastating this year's wheat harvest, even as prices are at a historic high.

Religious institutions normally avoid advocating during election cycles to protect their charitable status under federal law. But the Kansas constitutional amendment on abortion provides a rare opportunity for them to get actively involved.