United Methodist Church Drops Asbury Theological Seminary Over Marriage Stance
The United Methodist Church has removed Asbury Theological Seminary from its list of approved schools. The decision follows the seminary's refusal to change its position on traditional marriage.
The United Methodist Church has cut ties with Asbury Theological Seminary, removing the Kentucky school from its official list of approved institutions. The move comes after years of tension over the denomination's shifting stance on same-sex marriage.
Asbury holds to a traditional view of marriage as between a man and a woman. The UMC, after years of internal debate, moved in 2023 to allow same-sex marriages and the ordination of LGBTQ+ clergy. Asbury declined to follow.
The removal means UMC students who attend Asbury may face complications in the ordination process. Some annual conferences may not recognize degrees from unapproved schools.
Asbury president Kevin Brown said the seminary remains committed to its theological convictions. "We respect the UMC's decision," Brown said in a statement. "We will continue to train ministers who hold to historic Christian teaching."
The split reflects a wider fracture in mainline Protestantism. Thousands of UMC congregations have already left the denomination over the same issues, forming the Global Methodist Church. Asbury has deep roots in the Wesleyan-Holiness tradition and has trained ministers for multiple denominations over its 100-year history.
UMC officials said the decision was made to ensure consistency across its approved schools. The denomination did not comment on whether other seminaries with similar positions might face the same outcome.
Students currently enrolled at Asbury are not immediately affected. The change applies to new students entering UMC ordination tracks.
