United Women in Faith will be there. Cherry picking perspectives offered as generalized representatives of what Methodists think, presented in a forum which seeks to bolster the episcopal and institutional leadership that has brought the UMC to this now current point of splintering has the unconvincing ring of a politician seeking to smooth talk voters into supporting a failed political party. Clergy and Laity Write Rebuttals to Disaffiliation Propaganda, A North Carolina clergywoman and a Missouri laywoman independently have published rebuttals to disaffiliation propaganda in their respective local churches. Regional units also can require additional payments as well as lengthy periods of discernment prior to conference votes on departures. The Rev. 6. We have also made the appeal that this not become about misinformation and false witness," he added. Among other things, the lawsuit alleges that Florida Bishop Ken Carter has failed in his fiduciary responsibilities because he hasnt pursued action against a St. Petersburg pastor who officiated at a same-sex wedding in defiance of United Methodist law. These claims are blatantly untrue and seek only to sow seeds of fear. In 2019, after a special session of the United Methodist General Conference, a new paragraph was added to The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church allowing local churches to leave The United Methodist Church, or disaffiliate, and keep their church building. Bishops have distributed information about their conferences' disaffiliation process while battling misinformation about the UMC's future. All of these kinds of proposals have come before General Conferences in the past. Each church has a financial payout to disaffiliate based on appointment giving for 2 years and the projected pension liability for previous pastors of each church. 323 days ago. In early August, Insight learned that issues around liability insurance are playing a previously unspecified role in the lawsuit brought by 106 churches seeking to leave the UMC without paying required financial obligations to the conference, according to a statementby the Rev. Finally, I have heard that some within the North Texas Conference believe that violations or disregard forThe Book of Disciplineare rampant and that accountability is lax. Going to extend the life of Paragraph 2553 at the next General Conference? 12/28/2022 Dear North Georgia United Methodists, As we approach the window set by the appointive cabinet to receive disaffiliation requests using Book of Discipline paragraph 2553, it has become clear that there is a need for a pause in this process for our conference. At Ask The UMC, we have been answering an increasing number of questions from congregations wondering about the future of The United Methodist Church and whether they should consider disaffiliating from it. (Photo by Joshua Hoehne on Unsplash ). Bishops also have issued responses to the rumors. When Rob Renfro (leader of the Good News movement and father of the GMC, on staff at Woodlands UMC in Houston) wanted to deconstruct the United Methodist Church, he and others who agreed with his fundamentalist ideology carefully constructed lies about our UMC theology, our core beliefs (in things like the reality of the Resurrection, Trinity, Divinity of Jesus, Virgin Birth) and falsely described how United Methodists were going to abandon morality, excuse sin, intentionally misinterpret scripture and install unqualified and sexually promiscuous gay and trans pastors in UMC pulpits!! With the disaffiliation deadline looming, the new denomination is rushing to encourage United Methodist congregations to leave The United Methodist Church. UMC Disaffiliation This page provides UMC updates and Pastor Heather updates on the topic of "Disaffiliation" within the UMC. Bishops in both the North Texas and Western North Carolina conferences have issued statements to their clergy and laity refuting rumors about the UMC's future being spread by dissident forces. At Ask The UMC, we have been answering an increasing number of questions from congregations wondering about the future of The United Methodist Church and whether they should consider disaffiliating from it. This slide show provides an excellent summary of core UMC beliefs, how the Church is organized, a description of who we are as United Methodists how we live the Gospel, make disciples, and invite all people to belonging and inclusion. Dr. Dye posted about her pamphlet on Facebook and was overwhelmed by requests for copies. The United Methodist Church was founded only in 1968 as the coming together of many Methodist and Evangelical United Brethren denominations that had their own splits and mergers. Ask The UMC continues to answer questions, address misperceptions, and counter misinformation about The United Methodist Church and the process of disaffiliation from it. About to change its statement on abortion from life-centered to pro-choice? It has nothing to do with local congregations disaffiliating from the denomination. "The information about disaffiliation and all submitted questions and answers related to disaffiliation can be found on the EPA websitesDisaffiliation Discernment page.". Disaffiliation. My shock turned to sorrow. I have some thoughts that I hope are helpful. They 'are not intended for discussions. While the number includes all churches that have disaffiliated from the UMC since 2019, more than 1,800 came in 2022 and more than 4,000 in 2023. People are smart enough to see through the misinformation and the disinformation and gather facts for themselves and make an informed decision and lean not on their own understanding and allow the Holy Spirit to lead the way, and to publicly malign and assign evil motives to fellow brothers and sisters in Christ who are following the Way, the Truth and the Life and going where the Spirit leads is not Kingdom behavior. To reproduce this content elsewhere, please email Insight for permission. This is a time to leave no opportunity gap ignored as we keep the main thing of disciple-making and multiplication before us. As with the culture of misinformation that has infected American politics, rumors about the United Methodist Church and its future can only be countered by those willing to take the time to investigate and verify facts. Allowing annual conferences and their boards of trustees to set their own terms for disaffiliation over and above those set forth in Paragraph 2553? The Rev. Know, too, that United Women in Faith is and remains the official womens organization of The United Methodist Church. "I also had it double-checked and triple-checked by people in the conference to make sure that it was correct.". The Northwest Texas Conference plans to use some of its reserves to help disaffiliating congregations. We explain why Paragraph 2553 does not apply in central conferences and describe extended or supplemental disaffiliation policies in six US conferences. 141 days ago. It simply means we will be free to be more inviting, loving, and non-judgmental in regard to all people, regardless of their sexual status. Our differences can only be addressed through honest dialogue, not message suppression and misinformation.". Are there controversial statements? God is still at work in The United Methodist Church. You may even have an opportunity to become part of a collective, like Lighthouse Congregations, until you find your new church home. Both amounts are determined by the annual conference in which the church is located. Because we in the UMC arent going to love Jesus anymore? Is The UMC really? This process has fallen under closer scrutiny and criticism. Allowing congregations to re-vote if their church conference vote to request disaffiliation failed to reach the mandatory two-thirds majority? The former First United Methodist Church, now known as First Methodist, has completed its disaffiliation process, according to its pastor, the Rev. "In hindsight, it seems you considered this a done deal around 2021, the last time the church included the UMC's mission statement at the start of its weekly newsletter. The Florida lawsuit prompted an article by Cary McMullen, columnist for the Lakeland Ledger, in which the writer criticized the UMCs dispute as sinking into the mire. The Florida Conference has its headquarters in Lakeland, Fla. In a sense, the United Methodist Church has only itself to blame for the paralysis that led to the lawsuit, McMullen wrote. 237 days ago. "This division is leading to a sad reality: many people will be left out in the cold. What is the Church's position on homosexuality? Jeremy Rebman. "The Florida Conference has insurance, but the policies for commercial general and other liabilities have a deductible of $1,000,000 per claim. Like the women who faced such challenges before us, its our turn to make change an opportunity to reach and uplift even more women while we take care of one another in the transition. Remaining UMC; Disaffiliation Process and Information; Clergy Appointment List; Conference . 9. By a difference of only 54 votes, General Conference supported the Traditional Plan, which reinforced the instruction that the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching and strengthened enforcement of church restrictions related to homosexuality. She also highlighted secrecy in the church's process. What that means is that courts in deference states will adopt the decision made by the highest church body involved in the matter in this case the property decisions made by the annual conference. UMC Deserts, like food deserts, are places where people live but do not have access to what they need for healthy living. The Judicial Council decision makes clear what has always been the case about this paragraph. "In the minds of leadership, disaffiliation was a foregone conclusion," Audra wrote. An example: the Peninsula-Delaware Conference approved only 5 churches for disaffiliation at its June 2022 session. We have completed our disaffiliation. The North Georgia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church chose to "pause" the process of disaffiliation from the denomination at the end of 2022. In addition, while other conferences have acknowledged, lamented and tried to counter misinformation, North Georgia is the only conference publicly alleging defamation of leaders and the denomination. Allowing congregations that exit the denomination to continue to offer the same pension and health benefits programs to their clergy and staff? Bethel UMC A United Methodist megachurch based in Georgia has filed a complaint against regional church leadership as part of its effort to leave the denomination for multiple reasons. This is ironic because the WCA and its followers successfully advocated for the insertion of that paragraph at the 2019 Special Session of General Conference. It is enough to make Baby Jesus cry. The UMC is in the place it's in today not because its people have bought into the lies of leaders like Rob Renfroe. We address matters related to the Boy Scout settlement, variations in disaffiliation policies from conference to conference, and what retired clergy need to do if the congregation in which they are active disaffiliates. She continued: "Currently, some pastors defy the Discipline by refusing to baptize infants, defy the Disciplinary covenant that pastors go where they are sent or withhold apportionment giving. Ask The UMC helps answer general questions about disaffiliation and misinformation about the church's official positions. In April 2021, the church voted to begin a profess of disaffiliation from the UMC. COVID-19 safety restrictions ultimately postponed the 2020 General Conference to 2024past the disaffiliation time limitand traditionalists decided to move forward with their new denomination in May 2022. Forcing or going to force congregations that do not want a self-avowed practicing homosexual as a pastor or deacon to accept one? Misinformation is false information and often is the result of gossip, hearsay, or simply inaccuracya misunderstanding of the facts. Going to require its clergy and clergy candidates to agree to offer same-sex weddings as a condition of candidacy, status, or appointment? We are in a time of change. In his Aug. 9 email, Bishop Schol outlined the process that Eastern Pennsylvania has set up for congregations that want to leave the UMC. Anyone with access to the Internet knows that in the UMC today, there are two gay bishops, at least one trans candidate for ministry and countless clergy that are on record supporting the defying of the UMC's BOD stance on homosexual behavior as a sin based on scripture. "If you want to remain United Methodist but have not felt you have allies, I encourage you to reach out to your ConferenceSuperintendent. These delegates bring a great variety of reason, tradition, experience, and understanding of Scripture to these decision-making spaces, and United Methodists strive for diversity and unity, not conformity. Churches also must pay 110% of their unfunded liabilities for clergy pensions. The Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference of the UMC, the regional authority for Middle and West Tennessee churches, has lost 222 congregations to disaffiliation and more are expected. The 2019 General Conference that introduced disaffiliation into the United Methodist law book was an attempt by the global decision-making body to address the churchs longtime and ongoing disagreement over homosexuality. On 10/2/2022, Pastor Heather addressed Disaffiliation during worship, and she sent a follow-up email to the congregation on 10/3/2022 (below). 144 days ago. Ordaining drag queens and supporting worship of a Queer God? The proselytizing is at full steam, and misinformation continues to spread. Differences started at Methodism's beginning, "Differences of opinions started at the beginning of American Methodism," Dr. Dye wrote. If your church is leaving and you wish to remain United Methodist, you can transfer your membership to another United Methodist church. The movement began in Florida, where 106 congregations (about 20% of Florida Conference churches) initiated legal action in May. Bishop John Schol issued an extensive letter Aug. 9 outlining the disaffiliation process for Eastern Pennsylvania Conference churches. Most churches had been waiting for the General Conference to pass the Protocol or some other plan to amicably divide or reorganize the denomination. Therefore, in the absence of insurance protection from the disaffiliated church, the first $1,000,000 of cost associated with a claim attributable to adisaffiliatedchurch would be incurred by theFlorida Conferenceand its continuing churches through their insurance payments. September 22, 2022. You can trust that they are unchanging. The reason for the substitution was that the disaffiliation proposal before the body at the time as part of the Traditional Plan legislation had already been declared unconstitutional and on several points illegal by the Judicial Council. The provisions of the new disaffiliation paragraph expire Dec. 31, 2023, which explains some of the current urgency. 2023 Baptist News Global. UM Members who want to stay UM will be invited to move their membership to the conference. Don't be afraid and don't be scared by your enemies because the Lord your God is the one who marches with you. 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A forum for discerning God's future for The United Methodist Church, hosted by St. Stephen UMC, Mesquite, TX. "This is a violation of the 9th Commandment. ". Do we have to choose between The UMC and the GMC? As Heather Hahn of UM News reported recently, these exit dues vary from conference to conference. Ending United Methodist Church memberships of those whose local church disaffiliates? This is the first in a series of articles to address misperceptions and misinformation about the future of The United Methodist Church and the process of disaffiliating from it. United Methodist Communications is an agency of The United Methodist Church, 2023 allow congregations to disaffiliate under Paragraph 2548.2, declared unconstitutional and on several points illegal, Judicial Council subsequently affirmed its constitutionality. It would more appropriately be called dis-information. Subsequently, a move by the conference to ease the financial burden of disaffiliation was posted as a photo on Facebook (see photo below). When a vote fails Bishops from two of the five U.S. jurisdictions responded to inquiries about what has happened in their regions when disaffiliation votes fail. And your theory is that Rob Renfroe is behind this 30-40 year campaign to make it all up and destroy the UMC because he doesn't like civil rights, womens rights, environmental stewardship, and advocacy for the poor, and he wants to "implode the entire mainline church institutionally", and that this whole thing was "literally manufactured and then co-opted by people of ill will", is worse than mis-information, worse than dis-information. There are no proposals before the next General Conference to do so, nor have there ever been such proposals. The process of disaffiliation requires a gathering of members to vote, and all the youth in your church who have gone through confirmation have a voice and vote in that meeting. Within the email are two linked documents. The crux of the matter isn't to bolster institutional survival; it's to reveal the lies being told about the UMC by dissident forces and about the duplicitous political tactics of church leaders who seek to wrest power from the UMC. ", That "some within the North Texas Conference believe the Cabinet and I are 'refusing to uphold The Book of Discipline,' picking and choosing whether to pursue chargeable offenses. Sign up to receive email updates about our work and how you can support us. We May Not Have the Same Responsibility, But We Each Have an Opportunity to Work Towards Racial Justice, Milwaukees Juneteenth Organizers Promote Celebration as an Event for Everyone. We are ready to assist congregations to listen for Gods voice. While language about homosexuality may be removed from the Book of Discipline, that does not mean that our churches will be overrun or taken over by our gay sisters and brothers. info@uwfaith.org. (UM Insight Screenshot). What is the Church's position on homosexuality? ", "The more I learned about the leadership's stated reasons for disaffiliation, the more my hesitation turned to shock. So there has certainly been misinformation circulated among the members of our churches across the country, but the presence of disinformation has been the more destructive element. Rebman, now affiliated with the Global Methodist Church, in an email. We respond to more of your questions about The United Methodist Church, disaffiliation, and the effects of disaffiliation including property retention and legal counsel. And some churches on the list have names shared by other churches in EPA. In that article, Bishop Gary Mueller assesses Methodist division, he quotes the bishop: "There are parts of the church in which traditional Trinitarian thinking is beginning to morph into Unitarian thought. These Concepts Undermine the UMC. More than 2,000 U.S. churches have split off from the United Methodist Church since 2019 . She titled the brochure: "Who Are We & The UMC: What Does It Mean to Disaffiliate and How Do United Methodists Make Decisions? A restriction that backfired Paragraph 2553, the section governing disaffiliation, was adopted by a special 2019 General Conference at which a slim majority of delegates tightened the UMC's bans on same-sex marriage and ordaining LGBTQ clergy. I. Audra also described what she saw as duplicity on the part of her church's leadership. This legislation, called Reconciliation and Grace Through Separation, or the Protocol, was more palatable to many traditionalists than the disaffiliation paragraph passed in 2019, so, though the disaffiliation paragraph was in effect, many churches decided to wait to leave until the next General Conference in hopes the Protocol would pass. When the Supreme Court began to wobble on some of bedrock decisions and rulings about gay marriage, the timing was right to use that spirit of fear to divide the church. Let me tell you how things really are." But now, many more are pushing forward. "If we do not tell our story, others will construct a story about us, in this instance a false witness about the UMC," Bishop Carter wrote. He contends churches can use one of four approaches: The last option may be riskiest for the Florida churches, according to Lloyd J. Lunceford, editor of The Guide to Church Property Law, interviewed by Hahn. I think what happened in our UMC is a step beyond misinformation. Let's not forget the fact that there are multiple openly gay bishops, and the thousands of clergy and congregations, as well as all of the US Jurisdictions, whose official position is to outright ignore the Book of Discipline until it can be changed. No. The Wesleyan Covenant Association (WCA), an independent advocacy group, in collaboration with the National Center for Life and Liberty (NCLL, an unrelated nonprofit legal ministry) has encouraged churches in several conferences (Florida, Western North Carolina, Eastern Pennsylvania, with similar group actions expected to proceed in the Western Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Peninsula-Delaware conferences) to file or threaten to join NCLL-led lawsuits against their conferences unless the conferences immediately cease to require the onerous conditions of Paragraph 2553 and instead allow congregations to disaffiliate under Paragraph 2548.2. The Oklahoma United Methodist Conference is arguing the First United Methodist Church of Oklahoma City's lawsuit should be thrown out because the court has no jurisdiction over church . The next United Methodist General Conference will take place April 23 to May 4, 2024, in Charlotte, North Carolina. You dare to believe in a bright futureand do the work to make it happen. And so a lower court in Florida would be bound to defer and rule in favor of the UMC.. What should United Methodist congregations know about disaffiliation? In an email sent Wednesday (Dec. 28), the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church announced a "pause" on . In her email to Insight, Dr. Dye had strong words about the current state of the UMC: "This disaffiliation drama is depleting and discouraging beyond description. You, as a faith leader, can be a great resource for your congregation and Methodist siblings in this time in our church, lending your ear, faith, and knowledge and offering clarity, conversation, and comfort. Presiding over the disaffiliation of more than a third of the congregations from the United Methodist Church's Western Pennsylvania Conference was personal. Paragraph 2553 remains the only paragraph in the Discipline authorizing a process for a local church to disaffiliate while retaining its property and assets. Instead, the conference's process is grounded in the Discipline's Paragraph 2549, which is typically used when a local church is closed because it no longer serves the purpose for which . Some of this misinformation is being shared in local churches. Annual conferences, not bishops or the General Conference, decide how churches exit the denomination based on a section of the Book of Discipline, the collection of church doctrine and policies. What is the Church's position on homosexuality? A forum for discerning God's future for The United Methodist Church, hosted by St. Stephen UMC, Mesquite, TX. Recruiting and vetting ministers on their own. Each church would need to develop a doctrinal statement of beliefs to know and share the basic Christian beliefs of the church. The General Conference is the only body that can change them. The insurance terminates, however, for a disaffiliating church. "The United Methodist Church website . "The Bishop, Cabinet, Church Development, and our Coordinating Council will ensure that we invest in communities wherethrough no fault of their ownUnited Methodists have been forced to become spiritual refugees. "This division is leading to a sad reality: many people will be left out in the cold.". To reproduce this content elsewhere, please email the editor for permission. In other developments, many hundreds, probably thousands, of congregations are lining up around the US to find ways to exit the UMC. Rev. Teaching things in its seminaries that are contrary to the doctrinal standards of The United Methodist Church? has become the mantra for liberals in this day and time. When you make a gift through United Women in Faith, you can be confident it will be used to make the greatest impact where it matters most. Among dozens of social media posts regarding United Methodist disaffiliation, a reader forwarded to Insight this screenshot of a post by Rob Renfroe, president of the Good News conservative caucus. She writes, "Disinformation is lying intentionallyliterally making things up to further a cause or an agenda." Alicja Nowakowska Getty Images/iStockphoto. The United Methodist Church makes decisions together through elected delegates from around the world coming together to conference and vote. Photo illustration by Kathleen Barry, United Methodist Communications. 'Ordinary' United Methodists PushBack Against Misinformation. Permitting 10% of the professing members of a local church to sidestep conference requirements that a request for a called charge conference to vote on disaffiliation come from a church council or other leadership body of a local church? Mr. Lockwood also interviewed Arkansas Bishop Gary E. Mueller about the disaffiliation wave across U.S. United Methodism. All such proposals have been defeated in the past. "At the founding Conference, the Christmas Conference of 1784, Southern Methodists said they would not live up to Mr. Wesley's firm stand that no Methodist could own a slave. Pursue litigation, as in the Florida case. These two terms have become the signature buzz words of the leftist-liberal agenda. We are human, and it happens. He reviewed the actions of the 2022 session of annual conference, which was Indiana's first "in-person" gathering since the coronavirus pandemic struck in 2020. He wont let you down, and he wont abandon you.' ", That "there will not be a place for traditionalists in The United Methodist Church moving forward and that their only option is to depart the denomination. Paragraph 2553 was adopted by the special called General Conference of 2019. Failing to punish those who violate the Discipline? The policies of The United Methodist Church are set by its General Conference. Click here to download the full text of Audras letter with comments from Bishop Karen Oliveto. United Methodist Communications. A unit of United Methodist Communications called Ask the UMC has begun a series of articles titled Is The United Methodist Church really? to refute many of the false rumors. "They came from all across the US Oregon, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Ohio, Pennsylvania and multiple requests from every conference in the Southeastern Jurisdiction (which is the jurisdiction that will benefit most from the history lessons!). Saying that Paragraph 2553 does not apply in the central conferences? There had to be a catalyst. When a church disaffiliates, they are not being allowed to retain the past coverage they already paid for.
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