The western district of the United Methodist church (UMC) elected an openly gay bishop on Friday, despite its ban on same-sex relationships. The Rev Karen Oliveto was elected late in the evening at a meeting in Scottsdale, Arizona, of the church’s western jurisdiction.

In remarks published on the UMC website, Oliveto said: “Today we took a step closer to embody beloved community and while we may be moving there, we are not there yet. We are moving on to perfection.” Continue reading →