CHEYENNE (AP) - Wyoming Methodists who attended a two-week national meeting say the church will not split over homosexuality.

The General Council meeting in Pittsburgh ended Friday. One participant, the Rev. Jon Laughlin of Grace United Methodist Church in Cheyenne, said the religion is one of the world's most democratic institutions and will not be divided by differences of opinion.

He predicted the church will not encounter the same rift as the Episcopal Church after last year's confirmation of an openly gay bishop in New Hampshire.

Many of the 1,000 delegates to the Methodist meeting feared the church would embark on a liberal path on issues like sexuality. But the delegates instead aimed the church's 8.3 million members on a conservative course.

"It's been the conservative voice straight down the line," said the Rev. Janet Forbes, of the First United Methodist Church, who attended as a regional representative.

Forbes said the discussion of homosexuality was not nearly as inflammatory as she expected. The view that homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teachings essentially remained the same, she said.

An attempt to recognize that the church disagrees on the subject was defeated. "The hurtful part for the conference was that with a vote of 55 percent to 45 percent, there was refusal to recognize that people of good faith disagree on the issue," she said.

"Just a recognition that people disagree failed, and that was hard."

Forbes said she is disappointed the church did not acknowledge the variety of opinions about of homosexuality.

"In my congregation, they thought that it was appropriate to admit that we differ in opinion," she said.

The Rev. Delbert Hansen of Faith United Methodist Church said this year's conference reassured him of the church's legislative system.

"It's been a productive session, but are there hurt feelings? Yes. Are there people who are upset? Yes. But no one is celebrating the destruction of another point of view," he said.

Hansen said the division of voting power between lay members and clergy will ensure that the church will stay intact despite controversial issues. "I've been in love with the Methodist church for 57 years, and it's frustrating at times. But it's so well-designed, it can't get screwed up," he said.

"The church isn't going to divide and die, because it's more than the brick and mortar. It's about the connection of people and God."