Twelve top pastors from the United Methodist Church have quit their jobs because they disagree with the church's new position on gay people. They announced this at a news event in Harare today. Reverend Forbes Matonga, speaking for the group, said they left because they believe the church changed core Christian beliefs. He claimed the church has started to treat something they consider wrong as if it were right.
These pastors walked away after church leaders in America voted last year to change their official rules. The vote passed by a big margin - 523 people said yes and 161 said no. The church took out words that called being gay wrong according to Christian teaching. They also decided gay people could become pastors. The team from Zimbabwe fought against these changes but lost.
Matonga worries about what will happen to families. He thinks churches should stick to traditional views about marriage between men and women. He believes changing these rules messes with basic parts of how society works. He argues that without traditional families raising kids, we might see problems down the road.
He doesn't see this shift as progress for the church. Instead, he views it as moving backward and possibly causing harm for many years to come. Matonga feels these changes threaten what he considers normal family life, which he believes keeps communities stable and helps raise successful children.
These pastors walked away after church leaders in America voted last year to change their official rules. The vote passed by a big margin - 523 people said yes and 161 said no. The church took out words that called being gay wrong according to Christian teaching. They also decided gay people could become pastors. The team from Zimbabwe fought against these changes but lost.
Matonga worries about what will happen to families. He thinks churches should stick to traditional views about marriage between men and women. He believes changing these rules messes with basic parts of how society works. He argues that without traditional families raising kids, we might see problems down the road.
He doesn't see this shift as progress for the church. Instead, he views it as moving backward and possibly causing harm for many years to come. Matonga feels these changes threaten what he considers normal family life, which he believes keeps communities stable and helps raise successful children.
