Articles advocating (or explaining) the splitting up of The United Methodist Church or remaining connected, including articles about of the very personal decisions of individuals, LGBTQ or allies, whether to stay or leave for more welcoming churches or denominations.
by Cynthia B. Astle
July 22, 2019
Used by permission of UM-Insight
After a wave of refusals and denunciations of the Traditional Plan during annual conference season coupled with the withholding of "fair-share" funding for church-wide ministries, United Methodists are now discussing what was once the elephant in the parlor: whether the denomination should divide or dissolve.
On the Wesleyan Covenant Association’s website, the Rev. Joseph F. DiPaolo of Eastern Pennsylvania Conference writes in a July 19 post, “Minneapolis Calmly Considered,” that the denomination may be facing a “Gamaliel moment,” referring to the wise elder chronicled in Acts 5 who counseled Jewish leaders not to persecute new Christians.
What's next for the UMC? This is a question that many are asking as the General Conference of 2020 has been postponed a third time to 2024.
There are some who are anxious to leave the UMC over the disagreement about "homosexuality," and there are some who are anxious to stay and get beyond the fight of over 50 years over how to relate to and do ministry with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, A-sexual, and other identifications related to the diversity of human sexuality. Some are wanting to leave for what is being called the Global Methodist Church; some are leaving for the new Liberation Methodist Connexion, an inclusive and social-justice focused denomination; some have already left for other Wesleyan-related denominations such as Free Methodist and Nazarene.
From UMNews:
- What's Next? What Happens When A New Denomination Launches? by Heather Hahn, April 28, 2022
- What should United Methodist congregations know about disaffiliation?
- Church court: Conferences can’t exit unilaterally By Heather Hahn, May 10, 2022
From the United Methodist Association of Retired Clergy (UMARC):
- Resources for understanding the differences between the UMC and the GMC
- A glossary of terms
- Key paragraphs for disaffiliation
What is the best way to prepare for the future of the United Methodist Church?
First would be to watch these webinars:
"'To Stay or Not To Stay, That Is the Question' Facing United Methodists." It was sponsored by the United Methodist Association of Retired Clergy and Friends. It occurred Tuesday evening April 5, with two more to follow. More information and registration is here. This first webinar can be viewed here.
The next two webinars were May 17, and June 22. May 17 the topic was "Look Before You Leap: Examining the Choices Between the UMC and the GMC." Recording is here. The June topic was "Gladly Choosing To BeUMC." Recording is here.