The plan, if approved at the church's worldwide conference in Minneapolis in May, would divide the third-largest U.S. Christian denomination into two branches: A traditionalist side opposed to gay marriage and the ordination of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender clergy, and a progressive wing that will allow same-sex marriage and LGBT clergy.
![Conservative, liberal Methodists to split over gay marriage](https://media.zenfs.com/en-US/reuters.com/4428c87131110b387234668b9044dbd6)
The United Methodist Church lists more than 13 million members in the
United States and 80 million worldwide.
The U.S.
Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage throughout the nation in 2015, but that decision applies only to civil, not religious, services.