Thirty-three retired United Methodist bishops have released a statement calling on The United Methodist Church to remove its ban on gay clergy, according to the United Methodist News Service.
Nearly 40 percent of the denomination's 85 retired bishops have signed the statement, released Jan. 31. Most signers live and serve in the U.S. The United Methodist Church is the third largest religious denomination in the U.S. with close to 11 million members.
Retired Bishops Sharon Z. Rader and Donald A. Ott said they felt led to circulate the statement to their fellow retirees after studying Advent texts that emphasized the need of people not to be afraid.
Retired Bishop Neil L. Irons, the executive secretary of the Council of Bishops, said this is the first time in his memory when this many retired bishops have released a public statement such as this.
The news service reports neither the Council of Bishops nor the council's executive committee has discussed the statement. Bishop Larry M. Goodpaster, the president of the Council of Bishops, is in the Holy Land and could not immediately respond.
