BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (WMBD) — A local church is celebrating the end of United Methodist Church‘s ban on having LGBTQ+ members serve as clergy.

United Methodist delegates repealed their church’s ban on LGBTQ clergy on Wednesday. This removed a rule forbidding them from being ordained or appointed as ministers. It’s an issue that split the church in half for more than 50 years.

The lead pastor at Hope United Methodist Church in Bloomington said they are overjoyed for the inclusivity brought by the lift of the ban.

“We can now celebrate everyone who’s called to the ministry, all of our LGBTQ+ people called to ministry. We can now celebrate weddings of all people within our church community. And we are thrilled about this,” said Lead Pastor Jennie Edwards Bertrand.

The vote to repeal the ban was 692 to 51 at their general conference in Charlotte, N.C.