Methodist disaffiliation

[Death from Above]

One of my good friends is a Methodist minister.

Recently we met and prayed over the split that is looming and potential disaffiliation.

Wondering if there are any Methodist here whose church is looking at disaffiliation and their opinions on it? I understand that you have until end of 2023?

[RiverRat1]

I've seen a couple change their names..Just assumed they left the United group.

And IMO they all should if what I heard is correct. But I'm not close to whats going on.

What exactly did they change?

[rolylane6]

One of my good friends is a Methodist minister.



Recently we met and prayed over the split that is looming and potential disaffiliation.



Wondering if there are any Methodist here whose church is looking at disaffiliation and their opinions on it? I understand that you have until end of 2023?

It's very sad to see this. I have no affiliation but from what I've read of the UMC's position on accepting gay relationships and marriages, I believe dissafiliation is the right course for the churches that wish to follow Jesus. While sinners are to be recieved in the church as a means of finding salvation, I believe allowing the sin to enter, and to be performed and entertained in the church is not.
I will pray for your friend to seek and find wisdom from God.

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[rut-ro]

My inlaws church had a vote. 85% chose to separate.

[rtp]

A couple of my close friends simply left their small Methodist church because of all the going’s on. They are now attending a nondenominational church.


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[Ryan C]

We voted to disaffiliate late last year. We joined the Global Methodist denomination. They held their opening conference in Lubbock this passed weekend. What little of it I watched, I'm excited about. Our preacher came back excited about the new direction as well.

Our vote was much closer than I anticipated. They United Methodist required a 2/3 majority to leave. I believe our vote was about 70%. We are a small town congregation in what I thought was still a conservative area. We have had a few families leave the church because of it.

The main issue for me is the United Methodist allowing gay preachers and bishops, not just gay marriages in the church. It's a shame that the movement in that direction couldn't go start their own denomination and leave ours alone. So goes this world though, I guess.

Out of about 200 churches in our conference, 147 or so have left and they expect more to leave once they vote.

What an ugly mess.

[Dale Moser]

The church where I grew up, where mom and dad still go, just voted themselves out. The UMC has been a thorn in their side since I was going to church there 20 years ago. The UMC essentially owned the building/structure of the church, and held that over their heads at every turn. All the switching and shuffling of pastors never set right with me, even as a kid.

I hadn’t heard anything about the gay stuff, but I’m sure that played a part as well. I can only imagine my dad showing up to church, and there’s a queer pastor… Lol.


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[RiverRat1]

So what does UMC believe about being gay?
If they allow gay pastor, bishops, and perform gay weddings does that mean they think it's no longer a sin?

[rolylane6]

It's a shame that the movement in that direction couldn't go start their own denomination and leave ours alone.

They took the rainbow with little to no resistance, I guess they figured, why stop there?

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[jerp]

The LGBT issues are a significant cause of the schism but there is more to it. Many longtime congregations are sick of what in the business world we would call bureaucratic incompetence with church hierarchy (District Superintendents, regional Bishops, etc). Many just want to get out from under that old structure and are using this window as a way out. There is also a considerable percentage of clergy that are way too theologically liberal for many Methodists. Much of what is preached from the pulpit would be unrecognizable by the founder of Methodism, John Wesley.

[jerp]

So what does UMC believe about being gay?
If they allow gay pastor, bishops, and perform gay weddings does that mean they think it's no longer a sin?

The “Book of Discipline” says not allowed However the only reason that has not changed is the large and growing number of Methodist congregations abroad most notably in Africa when the vote is taken at conference. The majority of US congregations would be all in

[camoclad]

They had a communism problem before the gay stuff. As Jerp said above, long way from Wesley. Change can be good for a church if it's pointed back to the bible.

[RiverRat1]

So they don't believe in the Bible?

[Graysonhogs]

Methodist disaffiliation

So what does UMC believe about being gay?
If they allow gay pastor, bishops, and perform gay weddings does that mean they think it's no longer a sin?

Probably use the “everyone is a sinner” workaround. I am just not big on organized religion. Internal politics, agendas, power trips. Humans have a way to selfishly f stuff up. I know there are good churches out there and many parading around as such.


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[jerp]

So they don't believe in the Bible?

There are congregations who are quite conservative theologically but they are in the minority. The liberal trend has been going on for a long time. I’ve had pastors tell of taking classes from seminary professors that don’t believe in basic tenets of Christianity like the virgin birth or the divinity of Jesus. Some really big congregations have left - Grace Fellowship in Katy for example was nominally Methodist before they left a few years ago