UMC removes Asbury Seminary from approved schools over sexuality dispute

By Ryan Foley, Christian Post Reporter Friday, June 26, 2026

An 80-year relationship between Asbury Theological Seminary and the United Methodist Church has come to an end after the denomination removed the Evangelical institution from its list of approved seminaries over disagreements about same-sex marriage and LGBT clergy.

Asbury Theological Seminary said in a statement provided to The Christian Post that the United Methodist Church's University Senate voted to remove the Wilmore, Kentucky-based school from its list of approved theological institutions for students preparing for ordained ministry in the denomination.

“We understand the Senate’s governing role within the United Methodist Church and acknowledge its decision. However, this outcome reflects a determination made by the UMC rather than a shared resolution,” said Asbury President David Watson. 

He added: “We engaged fully and faithfully in the process and honored every request from the Senate in a timely manner. We were forthcoming with the requested documents and information. Throughout the process, we were honest and clear about our doctrinal and ethical standards, even when those differed from the recently amended Social Principles of the UMC. Their final decision to delist us was unilateral. While we had hoped for a different outcome, our focus remains steadfast on our unchanging calling.” 

The decision follows the UMC's landmark 2024 votes removing longstanding restrictions on same-sex marriage and the ordination of LGBT clergy.

Watson said the seminary's biblical convictions regarding marriage and sexuality ultimately conflicted with the denomination's revised standards.

“The Senate’s requirements, particularly those related to the UMC’s 2024 Social Principles concerning ‘Human Sexuality’ and ‘Marriage,’ are not aligned with Asbury Theological Seminary’s institutional ethos and the historic witness of the Christian faith,” Watson stated. 

“We affirm marriage as sanctioned by God, which joins one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union for life, as delineated in Scripture, and provides the sole context for sexual intimacy, helping to ensure the blessings of that relationship as God intended,” Watson continued. “Our theological commitments, including our commitment to Scripture, remain unchanged. As an independent, multi-denominational seminary in the Wesleyan tradition, we have remained steadfast for more than a century in the unchanging truth of orthodox Christianity.”

The seminary emphasized that the decision won't immediately affect UMC students.

According to Asbury, students affiliated with the UMC who begin coursework by the fall 2026 semester will be grandfathered into the denomination's ordination process.

The school also stressed that the decision doesn't affect its accreditation through the Association of Theological Schools or the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. It will also remain an approved seminary for the Global Methodist Church and several other denominations. 

Founded in 1923, Asbury serves students from more than 75 denominations and traces its relationship with Methodism to 1946, when a predecessor of the UMC first authorized the seminary to educate candidates for ordination. The UMC has recognized Asbury as an approved school for ordination candidates since 1981.