DALLAS (1080 KRLD) - Delegates at the United Methodist Church's General Conference could vote Tuesday on proposals that would allow same sex marriage and LGBT clergy.
The UMC conference in St. Louis includes 864 voting delegates, including 18 general conference delegates from Texas.
The United Methodist Church has more than 12 million members around the world. Membership in the U.S. has dropped from more than 10 million members in 1970 to about 7.7 million in 2010, but worldwide membership has increased as the church has grown in African nations.
Delegates will vote on three proposals. One would keep a current ban on same sex marriage and gay clergy in place. Another would allow both but would include protections for churches or clergy who oppose either. A third option would divide the United Methodist Church into three "value-based" groups, with each group making its own decision.
The United Methodist Church is one of the last Protestant branches to make a decision on gay clergy or same sex marriage.