Friday’s announcement came as new sanctions were set to go into
effect in the church, which would have made punishments for United
Methodist Church pastors who perform same-sex weddings much more severe:
one year’s suspension without pay for the first wedding and removal
from the clergy for any wedding after that. Instead, leaders from
liberal and conservative wings signed an agreement saying they will
postpone those sanctions and instead vote to split at the worldwide
church’s May general conference. They said the agreement was
brokered by Kenneth Feinberg, the mediation expert who handled the
compensation fund for victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, among other
major negotiations.
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