By Sam Hodges
Aug. 13, 2019 | DALLAS (UM News) (Original story here; Plan draft here; critique here)
The United Methodist Church’s conflict over homosexuality is irreconcilable and calls for amicable separation into different denominations, according to a 12-person group of centrists, traditionalists and progressives that began meeting in late June.
“We’ve discovered The United Methodist Church can’t live in the same house together peaceably, but we can live next door to one another,” said the Rev. Kent Millard, president of United Theological Seminary and one of the group’s organizers.
Millard and the others have drafted basic provisions of what they’re calling the Indianapolis Plan, named for the city where they gathered in late June for intensive discussions.
The group hopes to get input from across the church so the plan can be revised and written in petition form by the Sept. 18 deadline for the 2020 General Conference.
The Indianapolis Plan envisions a Traditionalist United Methodist Church that would maintain the denomination’s current restrictions on same-sex weddings and ordination of “self-avowed practicing” gay clergy.
A separate Centrist/Progressive United Methodist Church would remove those restrictions, as well as church teaching that the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching.
The names in the plan are placeholders. Each denomination would decide what it would be called and could incorporate “United Methodist” into that name.
The Indianapolis Plan also holds out the possibility of a third denomination, a Progressive United Methodist Church that would practice immediate full inclusion of LGBTQ persons.
Significantly, the plan avoids dissolution, suggesting that “legal continuation” and most general church agencies would remain with the Centrist/Progressive United Methodist Church.
That’s OK with the Rev. Keith Boyette, president of the traditionalist Wesleyan Covenant Association and a member of the Indianapolis Plan group.
“One of them would carry on the legal framework, initially, of The United Methodist Church,” Boyette said. “It was not difficult for me, personally, to say that the centrist/progressive part of the church would do that. They have indicated more of an investment in that framework.”
The drafters of the Indianapolis Plan include pastors and top staff members of churches that belong to the Reconciling Ministries Network, which advocates for full LGBTQ inclusion. Along with Boyette, the Rev. Tom Lambrecht — vice president and general manager of Good News — represents the traditionalist perspective.
Millard and others are more centrist in their views.
Everyone from the group is from the U.S., but Millard said he has been in contact with Bishop John K. Yambasu, who leads the African College of Bishops.
The group members emphasized that they’re representing themselves, not their organizations, in putting forth the Indianapolis Plan. They see it as a work in progress, but all endorse the idea that the denomination needs to re-form into separate denominations.
“Our internal conflict is keeping us from our primary mission to make disciples of Christ for the transformation of the world,” said Lynette Fields, executive director of community transformation at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, an LGBTQ-friendly congregation in Orlando, Florida. “I believe that an amicable separation or a birthing of new expressions will allow each new group to be healthier, more vibrant and mission-focused.”
The United Methodist Church has struggled for decades with how accepting to be of homosexuality. After schism seemed possible at the 2016 General Conference, bishops created a Commission on a Way Forward and called a special General Conference, held this past February in St. Louis.
Delegates there defeated the bishops’ favored One Church Plan and by a 438-384 margin approved the Traditional Plan, which reinforces the church’s restrictions on ordination and same-sex marriage.
The angry rhetoric and general rancor in St. Louis were followed by open resistance to the Traditional Plan, as well as by the departure of some traditionalist churches weary of the conflict.
The special General Conference and its aftermath led to the odd bedfellows’ work on the Indianapolis Plan.
“Throughout the history of the church there have been times when groups of people going different directions was necessary,” Fields said. “I believe we are at that moment in the life of the UMC.”
The Indianapolis Plan’s basic provisions include:
- Central conferences could align with either of the denominations or become autonomous affiliated denominations. Those that don’t decide would automatically be part of the Traditionalist United Methodist Church.
- U.S. annual conferences would decide by majority vote which denomination to join. Those who don’t take a vote would by default be part of the Centrist/Progressive United Methodist Church.
- Local churches disagreeing with their annual conference’s decision could decide by majority vote to align elsewhere, retaining their property, assets and liabilities.
- Clergy would decide on a denomination to join, but by default would go with their annual conference’s decision. Bishops could also choose a denomination.
- Each denomination would develop a new General Conference, as well as its own Book of Discipline, structures, polity and finances.
- Wespath, the United Methodist Committee on Relief, United Methodist Women and the United Methodist Publishing House would be independent 501(c)3 organizations positioned to serve the two or three denominations.
- All other agencies would be part of the Centrist/Progressive United Methodist Church
- The 2020 General Conference would provide funding for central conference ministries through the 2021-2024 quadrennium, and the separated denominations would share the costs.
- A process would be devised for dividing current general church assets, including creation of an arbitration board.
Separation needs to happen quickly, the Indianapolis Plan group says. They see annual conferences beginning to realign in August 2020, with inaugural General Conferences for the different denominations occurring in fall 2021.
The Indianapolis Plan “absolutely” could be approved by General Conference without time-consuming constitutional amendments, said Boyette, who has been a practicing lawyer and served on the Judicial Council, the denomination’s top court.
Though similar in some ways to the recently unveiled Bard-Jones Plan, the Indianapolis Plan goes farther by creating real separation of denominations, Boyette said.
Like Millard, Boyette has been using a certain analogy to explain. He compared Bard-Jones to people living in the same house, but in different rooms.
“What the Indianapolis Plan achieves is essentially saying, ʻOK, we’re going to be in different houses in the same neighborhood, and the neighborhood is the larger Wesleyan family,” Boyette said.
Boyette acknowledged that he’s part of other discussions about the future of The United Methodist Church, but described the Indianapolis Plan as “a fair and equitable and respectful approach to bringing to an end what has become a very damaging conflict.”
The Rev. Darren Cushman-Wood is part of the Indianapolis Plan group and hosted its in-person discussions at Indianapolis’ North United Methodist Church, where he is senior pastor.
“We’re a Reconciling Ministries Network congregation so it was a little surreal that in our parlor was the president of the WCA and the vice president of Good News,” Cushman-Wood said.
But he added that the group’s discussions were honest and prayerful, and in his view will result in legislation worth considering at General Conference 2020, set for May 5-15 in Minneapolis.
“I see the work of our group as simply being a service to the delegates, who are the real decision-makers.”
Thoughts on the plan?
The group behind the Indianapolis Plan welcomes input. Contact the Rev. Kent Millard at
Hodges is a Dallas-based writer for United Methodist News. Contact him at 615-742-5470 or
In a Facebook post, Reconciling Ministries Network indicated that RMN was not involved in the development of this plan:
United Methodist News has shared what is called the "Indianapolis Plan." UMNS' statement says: "The drafters of the Indianapolis Plan include pastors and top staff members of churches that belong to the Reconciling Ministries Network, which advocates for full LGBTQ inclusion." This statement is misleading.
RMN was not contacted for a quote on the article, nor did we know the article was being written. RMN was not engaged in developing the plan, although we did know it was in progress. Pastors of Reconciling churches were engaged but only represented themselves. The RMN ED, Jan Lawrence, was invited to participate after much of the work on the plan was completed and declined the invitation after an initial meeting with centrists and progressives.
There are at least two other plans currently in development, and Jan is engaged in conversation around one of them. The various plans are arising out of the desire of many to interrupt the normal flow of the General Conference so that we can move forward as one or more expressions of Methodism.
This is a draft of the plan. The signatories are at the bottom, here.
DRAFT BASIC PROVISIONS OF AN INDIANAPOLIS PLAN
Drafted: August 8, 2019 (PDF)
The 2019 special General Conference of The United Methodist Church highlighted the depth of the irreconcilable differences present in the UM Church. We seek to envision a new future for the people of the UM Church, offer a different narrative, and avoid further harm to one another, to the UM Church and its members, to the church universal, and to those with whom we strive to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We desire to move away from the vitriol and caustic atmosphere that has too often marked conversation in the UM Church and move into a new season where for the sake of Christ we strive to bless one another, even as we send one another into our respective mission fields to multiply our witness to Christ.
We envision the UM Church birthing new expressions that will share a common heritage from the roots of Methodism, unbound from the conflict that has decimated the UM Church. These new expressions, though separate, will continue the rich heritage of the Methodist movement as currently expressed in the UM Church while being freed to present the best of who they are and their respective witnesses for Christ unhindered by those with whom they have been in conflict. We will send one another to our respectively defined missions and multiply as each expression reaches its mission field. In doing so, we will love one another even in the midst of our sharp disagreements. We will release one another to joyful obedience to Christ’s call on our lives.
1. The 2020 General Conference of the United Methodist Church would birth a Traditionalist United Methodist Church and a Centrist/Progressive United Methodist Church. (Names are placeholders; each new denomination would choose their own name. Both can use “The United Methodist Church” with a modifier to distinguish the two if they so desire.)
2. The United Methodist Church would not be dissolved but would have its legal continuation through the Centrist/Progressive United Methodist Church.
3. The Traditionalist UMC would be a global denomination that would maintain the current stance of the Discipline regarding the practice of homosexuality.
4. The Centrist/Progressive UMC would be a global denomination that would remove the “incompatibility” language, prohibitions against same-sex weddings and the ordination and appointment of self-avowed practicing homosexuals, and the funding restrictions on the promotion of the acceptance of homosexuality for its US-based annual conferences.
5. A Progressive Expression that practices immediate, full inclusion of and ministry with LGBTQ persons could initially be a part of the Centrist/Progressive denomination or could emerge as a separate denomination.
6. Central Conferences could align with any of the new expressions or become autonomous affiliated denominations.
7. Other Expressions may be formed by a group of 50 or more local churches or by an annual conference.
8. All expressions would develop a new General Conference, with its own Book of Discipline, structures, polity, and finances.
9. Annual conferences in the U.S. would decide by majority vote with which expression to align. Annual conferences choosing not to make a decision would become part of the Centrist/Progressive UMC by default.
10. Central conferences would decide by majority vote with which expression to align or to become an autonomous Methodist church. Central conferences choosing not to make a decision would become part of the Traditionalist UMC by default. Annual conferences outside the U.S. could decide by majority vote to align with a different expression than their central conference.
11. Local churches disagreeing with their annual conference’s decision could decide by majority vote of a church conference to align with a different expression. All local church property, assets, and liabilities would continue to belong to that local church.
12. Clergy would decide with which expression to align. By default, they would remain part of their annual conference in whichever expression their annual conference affiliates, unless they request to affiliate with a different expression.
13. Bishops would decide with which expression to align. By default, they would remain part of the Centrist/Progressive UMC, unless choosing to align with a different expression. Service as active bishops in each of the new expressions would depend upon the provisions adopted by that expression.
14. Continuation of clergy and episcopal pensions would be provided for by assigning liability for the unfunded pension liabilities to the new expressions and by receiving payments from withdrawing congregations that choose not to align with created expressions.
15. Annual conferences and local congregations could begin functioning in the new alignment beginning August 1, 2020, on an interim basis. Inaugural General Conference sessions would be held in Fall 2021, with the new expressions becoming fully functional as of January 1, 2022.
16. Wespath, UMCOR, UMW, and the United Methodist Publishing House would be established as independent 501(c)3 organizations with their own self-perpetuating boards of directors and would be positioned to serve any expression that desired to receive services from them.
17. All other agencies would become part of the Centrist/Progressive UMC with mutually agreed upon initial funding, subject to further possible reforms and restructuring by that new expression. Such agencies could also contract to serve other expressions formed in this process.
18. The 2020 General Conference would provide continuing funding for Central Conference ministries during the 2021-24 quadrennium, supported by all expressions.
19. A process and principles for dividing general church assets would be adopted by General Conference, to be implemented by an arbitration board.
20. Mandatory retirement provisions for bishops in the U.S. would be waived until 2022. Jurisdictional conferences would not elect bishops in 2020, reconvening for election of bishops in 2021 or 2022 as part of the Centrist/Progressive UMC. This would allow a proper match of the number of bishops with the need under the new conditions. Retired bishops may be used where needed to lead conferences until new bishops are elected. Bishops in the other expressions would be elected and assigned according to
the provisions of those expressions.
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Here are the United Methodist clergy and laity who have developed and endorsed this proposal realizing that it is not yet complete. Organizational names are provided for identification purposes only and do not imply that these congregations and organizations have endorsed these proposals.
Rev. Dr. Kent Millard, President
United Theological Seminary
Dayton, Ohio
Rev. Darren Cushman-Wood, Senior Pastor
North United Methodist Church
Indianapolis, Indiana
Rev. Keith Boyette, President
Wesleyan Covenant Association
Rev. Dr. Cathy Johns, Senior Pastor
Hyde Park Community United Methodist Church
Cincinnati, Ohio
Rev. Judy Zabel, Senior Pastor
Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Rev. Tom Lambrecht,
Vice President and General Manager
Good News
Lynette Fields, layperson
Florida Annual Conference
Cara Nicklas Attorney
Lay Delegate Oklahoma Annual Conference
Rev. Dr. John E. Stephens, Senior Pastor
Chapelwood United Methodist Church
Houston, Texas
Krystl D. Johnson,
Eastern Pennsylvania Conference
Rev. Dr. Doug Damron, Senior Pastor
Epworth United Methodist Church
Toledo, Ohio
Rev. Dr. Chris Ritter, Directing Pastor
First United Methodist Church
Genesco, Illinois