As an evangelical denomination of believers who embrace the historic Christian understanding of Scripture, the Evangelical Methodist Church holds that sexuality is a gift from God and basic to human identity as well as a matter of behavioral expression. We hold that the full behavioral expression of sexuality is to take place within the context of a marriage covenant between a man and a woman and that individuals remain celibate outside of the bond of marriage. Therefore, we seek to cultivate a community in which sexuality is embraced as God-given and good and where biblical standards of sexual behavior are upheld.
Biblical Foundation
Foundational principles from the Bible on human sexual relationships are as follows:
(1) Humans, being created in the image of God, are inherently relational beings (Genesis 1:26).
(2) The inherent relational nature of humankind is expressed in a variety of contexts including family, marriage, work, and for Christians, the Body of Christ (Hebrews 10:24-25; 1 Corinthians 12:14).
(3) Humans were created as gendered beings. They were expressly blessed by God to be fruitful and multiply and to exercise dominion over the earth (Genesis 1:26-28).
(4) Heterosexuality is God’s design for sexually intimate relationships. Sexual union between a man and a woman is only to take place within the marriage covenant (Genesis 2:18, 21-24; Hebrews 13:4).
(5) Jesus reaffirms the marital covenant as existing between a man and a woman (Matthew 19:4-9).
(6) The New Testament teaches that followers of Christ are to remain celibate outside the bond of marriage. In sexual union, both body and soul are deeply impacted. A person who engages in sexual unions outside the bond of marriage sins against his or her own body, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:13, 18-20).
(7) The sexual union between a husband and wife has been designed by God to bring them together as “one flesh,” creating a solid foundation on which to build a family (Genesis 2:18-24; Ephesians 5:31).
(8) In Scripture, several sexual behaviors are expressly forbidden, which include but not limited to: fornication, adultery, incest, unnatural sexual intercourse, and homosexual acts (Exodus 20:14; Leviticus 18:7-23; 20:10-21; Matthew 5:27-28; Romans 1:20-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9; Galatians 5:19; Ephesians 4:17-19; Colossians 3:5).
It is the intention of the Evangelical Methodist Church that the conversations regarding human sexuality take place in “biblical and theological contexts.” The primary source and authority for the church in dealing with these questions is the inspired and revealed truth of God’s nature and character as witnessed to in the Holy Scripture. The Word of God – interpreted through the lenses of Christian orthodox tradition, reason, and personal experience – occupies the privileged position as the final authority for the faith and practice of the people of God in all aspects of our lives, including our sexuality.
The Evangelical Methodist Church further intends that our conversations regarding human sexuality take place in “pastoral contexts.” It is imperative that the body of Christ commit to loving unconditionally. God so unconditionally loved the world that He sent His one and only Son, not to condemn but to save. Although sin and brokenness in the areas of sexuality are deeply personal and therefore often difficult conversations, it still remains just one aspect of our all-encompassing human sinfulness. Loveless judgmentalism and ungracious reactions do little to enable Christ’s body to grant grace and to show forth God’s unconditional love. As the complexities of local contexts for doing ministry increase, the need for the church to grant not only wisdom but also grace to those who are attempting to show love, accountability, grace, and transformation to those caught in the bondage of sin will also increase.
The Evangelical Methodist Church is committed to a biblical understanding of our God-given sexuality as reflected in this statement. Any deviation from a biblical standard of sexual behavior is sin and therefore is an opportunity for repentance, grace, and redemption, so that as a community we might honor one another and glorify God.
(The 31st General Conference of the Evangelical Methodist Church meeting in Indianapolis, IN, in March 2014 passed the above resolution. —The 32nd General Conference of the Evangelical Methodist Church meeting in Indianapolis, IN, in April 2018 passed the above expansion to the resolution.)