The United Methodist Churchs guidebook, called the Book of Discipline, states any congregation who chooses to disaffiliate will take ownership of the church property. Discipleship Ministries and The Council of Bishops are developing resources to assist congregations in their discernment. We requested a presentation by someone who could explain the reasons for staying with UMC. Clearly there is a substantial costs associated with the disaffiliation process. The Annual Conference will be presented a motion detailing the names of the churches that have completed the discernment process, voted to disaffiliate, and have accepted the final term sheet for disaffiliation as presented by GNJs Board of Trustees. The newly added paragraph 2553 of the Book of Discipline says The decision to disaffiliate from The United Methodist Church must be approved by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the professing members of the local church present at the church conference. A church conference is the entire membership of your church. The Oklahoma Conference Board of Trustees has approved a disaffiliation process for local churches. This provision about property transfer is not about a vote for the congregation to disaffiliate or join another denomination. The Global Methodist Churchs Convening General Conference to be held between May 1, 2023 and November 1, 2023 based on this announcement. Days after the Global Methodist Church launched in May, the Wesleyan Covenant Association's Florida chapter announced 107 churches were disaffiliating from the United Methodist Church and. The disaffiliation plan offers a limited way to release congregations fromThe United Methodist Churchs centuries-old trust clause, which states that church property is held in trust for the benefit of the entire denomination. Beard hosted four online forums to provide information to congregations and pastors of the Illinois Great Rivers Conference about the process of disaffiliation from The United Methodist Church. The Woodlands United Methodist and Faithbridge, two large traditional churches near Houston, both voted Aug. 7 for disaffiliation, while a third large church, Wildwood, adopted a resolution to stay in the denomination. Therefore, congregants who choose to remain United Methodist Church members will either decide to join another UMC church or start their own. Are all congregations expected to go through the disaffiliation discernment process? My administrative board did not vote to proceed with discernment; there will be no vote to disaffiliate. My understanding is they are to discern whats best for them and have no vote. UMF will prepare this amendment for you. The provision permits such disaffiliations through Dec. 31, 2023. You can find the Discipleship Ministries resources here. Our role at Ask The UMC is to provide accurate official information about The United Methodist Church. Pastors and congregation leaders should start with a conversation with their District Superintendent who can help find the best option to accomplish the congregation's goal. The principle used was that any congregation that sought to leave the denomination would pay for what is required by paragraph 2553 and any additional costs that the conference would incur because of the congregation leaving. Watch a select portion of Tom Berlins Celebrate UMC presentation where he refutes such claims directly. Will the Guides represent a particular theology or viewpoint about ministry with and by LGBTQ persons? Some conferences require a full three years of apportionment payments. Ask your questions and check out more FAQS. The South Georgia Conference has done so as a means to allow more time for disaffiliations to take place after the December 31, 2023 expiration date of the provisions of 2553. And here's a few of many reasons why: + Some of your members will vote to stay in the UMC. This is a matter of fairness, not punitive in nature. If you are the pastor and you are just beginning to explore these questions, contact your superintendent to ask for guidance about how to explore well and for detailed information about how the process of disaffiliation works in your annual conference. Passed during the same legislative assembly the church law allows congregations to exit with property for reasons of conscience related to homosexuality if they meetcertain requirements. Were all standing on the shoulders of those who came before us, and others will soon be standing on our shoulders. Well over 100 churches (out of our 650 congregations) are currently considering disaffiliation from the United Methodist Church. At what point in the process will clergy appointed to the congregation discerning disaffiliation have to express their personal decision regarding disaffiliation? For those laity and pastors in churches who wish to stay United Methodist and find themselves among those churches where disaffiliation is a live possibility, it can be a demoralizing experience. The Southeast Jurisdictional Conference is November 2-4, 2022. 2201 E Hebron Pkwy. For more information see, https://www.umc.org/en/content/articles-of-religion, https://www.umnews.org/en/news/bishop-urges-end-to-falsehoods-pivot-to-future. It clears up some myths about the post-separation UMC and highlights some important differences laity need to be aware of. It is more accurate to say that the United Methodist denomination left us a long time ago, and we are now finding our way to other, like-minded believers. A bishop has only one vote on the matter. The reasons for this trend include disagreements over theological issues and concerns about the denominations organizational structure and decision-making processes. While we do not know how other conferences will cover these costs, the GNJ Board of Trustees determined their fiscal responsibility was to avoid/minimize drawing from GNJ Designated Funds which are designed to fund GNJs Mission and priorities and to avoid/minimize increasing Shared Ministry Apportionments for congregations who elect to stay with GNJ. Research and resources compiled by other United Methodist churches. Our mission at UMF remains the same To help Gods people pay it forward. When does a disaffiliating congregation officially end its relationship with the UMC and GNJ? Three paragraphs in the current Book of Discipline may be used to complete a disaffiliation in which the congregation may retain much or all of its property and assets. It creates a right for congregations to request such transfer of property, and then only where local laws require the congregation's involvement in the transfer. However, the bishop and cabinet have published detailed guidelines required by our North Alabama Conference to ensure that your church takes a thoughtful, prayerful, and balanced approach to the consequential decision to disaffiliate from the UMC. https://www.umc.org/en/content/ask-the-umc-what-should-united-methodist-congregations-know-about-disaffiliation. The provision permits such disaffiliations through Dec. 31, 2023. Please provide details on the process that the two guides will follow as they assist us in the discernment process. This paragraph is about transfer of property. If you are not the pastor or other designated contact person, you will want to talk with your pastor or designated contact person about any questions or concerns about the process. Rob Renfroe of Good News Magazine explains the current divisions within the United Methodist Church and discusses how Traditionalist Methodists should navigate future decisions. How can we help? How Many Churches Were Damaged On The Bohol 2013 Earthquake, https://www.umnews.org/en/news/over-100-churches-have-disaffiliated-from-umc-in-recent-years, How To Become A Deacon In The Catholic Church. If a congregation votes to disaffiliate from the UMC and GNJ, in order to move to the next stage, it will need to enter into a covenant with the Cabinet and the Connectional Table about ministries that may continue to be done jointly. Will there be opportunity for the congregation to ask them questions and address any concerns prior to the church vote? 2553, Money needed to remove Cross and Flame logo, Future liability for potential Boy Scout lawsuits, Opportunity costs involved in using funds to disaffiliate rather than do ministry, Potential loss of income from congregation members who do not plan to follow local church into disaffiliation, Funding ministry and administrative efforts previously funded through United Methodist connectional giving. Church Cell: 828-507-7759. These items are included by action of the General Conference and items added by the Board of Trustees with input from the Cabinet, Treasurer and Chancellor. Your church likely has a rich history in its connection to the United Methodist Church. The UMC Disaffiliation Requirements Timeline The Future with the Global Methodist Church To Contact StayUMC THE PROCESS In January of 2021, the Administrative Board established a leadership team to explore our relationship with our denomination. Still, it is an outcome that can easily be avoided. Clergy persons who continue with The UMC and are appointed to a congregation that continues as a UMC congregation will their maintain membership in The UMC as a clergy person and participate in the appointment process as in the past. Making Disciples of Jesus Christ for the Transformation of the World, United Methodist Church of Greater New Jersey, Pathways for Fruitful and Healthy Ministry, https://www.umc.org/en/content/ask-the-umc-who-has-voice-and-vote-in-a-local-church, ResourceUMC | Judicial Council Decision Number 1449, https://www.umc.org/en/content/articles-of-religion, https://www.umnews.org/en/news/bishop-urges-end-to-falsehoods-pivot-to-future, https://www.umc.org/en/content/ask-the-umc-what-should-united-methodist-congregations-know-about-disaffiliation, 2021 United Methodists of Greater New Jersey, Click here for FAQs in Spanish (updated version coming soon). Following the worship service on Sunday, February 5,First Methodist Carrollton voted173 to 1 in favor of joining the Global Methodist [], Church family, Sunday was great! In other denominations, such votes have resulted in people leaving the church. The Brief and Bumpy History of Disaffiliation In addition to the Way Forward Plans, multiple stand-alone disaffiliation plans came to General Conference 2019. The mission of the church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. This disaffiliation process is a journey to find other Wesleyans who hold the same values of scriptural authority and Christocentric theology that we do. Theological differences, declining membership, and a lack of clarity in the UMCs mission and purpose are all contributing to this trend. You can learn more about the NAC3 team and plan here: https://www.umcna.org/postdetail/16513389 and watch their video below: We have documented many of our concerns with disaffiliation and joining the Global Methodist Church on our What are the Big Concerns page of our website. excerpt from a story by Heather Hahn, assistant news editor, UM News. The term sheet is reviewed by the Disaffiliating Congregations Church Conference via special session that votes by two-thirds to accept the terms of the established Disaffiliation Agreement. (919) 836-0029 - Fax (919) 836-0092. Please encourage your leaders and congregations to support the General Administration Fund apportionment at 100 percent. We will likely receive a new presiding bishop on January 1, 2023. These questions have made it clear that there is a lot of confusion and misinformation in the church about this topic. In this circumstance, the congregation may request that the conference board of trustees establish terms to obtain its former property and some of its assets. Nearly half of the UMC congregations. This trend has been particularly pronounced among churches in the southern and midwestern regions of the United States. But do the numbers match the rhetoric? And in a situation where the congregation has acted in ways that are not compliant with the Discipline and the guidance of the district superintendent, the conference board of trustees may not offer the congregation any terms to obtain its former property or assets. An address from Reynoldsburg United Methodist Church in Reynoldsburg, OH. Waiting to disaffiliate could either provide better terms or prevent the possibility of an exit altogether. All institutions have people on the extreme ends. UMF remains your trusted partner in ministry. What is a professing member? These questions are not designed to delay you. The disaffiliation plan offers a limited way to release congregations from The United Methodist Church's centuries-old trust clause, which states that church property is held in trust for the benefit of the entire denomination. Section 2553 requires disaffiliation to occur on or before December 31, 2023. The language of 2548 permits either a vote of the charge conference or of a church conference to request transfer of property to a church of another denomination. Another factor contributing to the disaffiliation of Methodist churches is the decline in membership. Sunday Worship: Services at 10:30 a.m. Receive Communications and/or Join Our Support Lists! A vote was taken at the church on Monday evening (Oct. 3). No. Paragraph 2553 of the Book of Discipline , the denomination's law and policy book, identifies and charges the Conference Trustees with oversight of terms and conditions for churches wishing to disaffiliate over matters of conscience . Reposted here, with gratitude, for further learning and insight. Annual conferences cannot create comity agreements with other denominations. Establishment of terms and conditions between the exiting local church and the conference board of trustees.
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