By margins of approximately 2 to 1, the 992 delegates said the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching, and no self-avowed practicing homosexual can be ordained as clergy or given a pastoral appointment. Debate on the two questions took approximately 90 often-agonizing minutes. At one point delegates and some visitors stood in the aisles of the Cleveland Convention Center in protest of the actions. The question has troubled the church for 30 years. The exclusion of gay persons from the ordained clergy was 645 to 306.
Minority reports on both issues failed by somewhat larger margins.
After the votes, Bishop Dan Solomon, Baton Rouge, La., who was presiding, met with some of the demonstrators and announced they had reached agreement to continue the protests in an orderly fashion, standing in the aisles or kneeling at the altar. Solomon bowed his head and then implored the group to return to their earlier positions of kneeling or standing in the aisles. One of the group said the church has broken the covenant with them and they felt their actions were justified. A 15-minute recess was called, later extended to 25 minutes. It is believed to be the first time people have been removed from the floor of General Conference by police.