(CP) – Approved by its leadership, the Norwegian Methodist Church recently published a statement apologizing for the denomination’s “attitudes and actions” that may have hurt the LGBT community.
“The Methodist Church in Norway admits and apologizes for the condemning attitudes and actions that have inflicted insults, harm, and suffering on LGBT+ people instead of dignity,” says the denomination on its website, according to Evangelical Focus. “This is contrary to the gospel of God’s unconditional grace and love.
Every human being is created in the image of God and loved by God.” Speaking to Methodist Church’s magazine Brobyggeren, the head of the denomination’s board, Audun Westad, sought to explain: “We have not been able to offer the security people should be able to expect. Therefore, it is necessary that we as a church just take a stand on this and sincerely apologize and forgive.”
The decision to issue an apology was made at the denomination’s annual conference in 2019, according to the Focus. Asked if any person from the LGBT community had been involved in formulating the apology, Westad said, “Yes, it has been an important part of it for us that everyone is involved in the process. We can not only talk about people but must talk with the people involved.” READ MORE
