Articles about developments of alternatives for the future of The United Methodist Church: discussions of options, other expressions of the Methodist or Wesleyan Way, new alignments, petitions and resolutions approved in annual conferences, etc.
In an effort to provide accurate information about the disaffiliations happening in the United Methodist Church, here is a series of questions being answered by "Ask The UMC," a "ministry of United Methodist Communications."
As churches weigh exiting the denomination, bishops are trying to set the record straight on misinformation being spread about The United Methodist Church’s future.
They also are working toward building a church where traditionalists, centrists and progressives will all feel at home.
by News and Staff Reports, September 7, 2022, from UM-Insight, Cynthia Astle, Editor, republished by permission (see below). See also this analysis from David Livingston of Great Plains Conference who names six statements from a Texas church which "are, at best deceptive."
An old saying about falsehoods and truth has been credited to many famous men, but renowned London preacher Charles Haddon Spurgeon popularized a version in one of his sermons: "A lie will go 'round the world while truth is pulling its boots on."
Counteracting lies about The United Methodist Church has been the challenge of United Methodist conference communicators over Summer 2022. As the fall church season begins, many annual conference publications have shared resources to debunk some of the most outlandish claims being made about the UMC's future. While not a formal organized effort at countering misinformation, communicators have shared with one another compilations that provide a clearer picture about the misstatements coloring discussions on disaffiliation in many annual conferences.
In stunning development, United Methodist African bishops repudiate separatist group
Cynthia Astle, writing in Baptist News | September 10, 2022
Separatist forces suffered a major blow to their political strategy Sept. 8 when a majority of African bishops repudiated a special interest group and its traditionalist sponsor for “working to destroy our United Methodist Church.”
The “Statement from Africa Colleges of Bishops” was issued via the UMC’s Council of Bishops after a four-day meeting at United Methodist-founded Africa University in Mutare, Zimbabwe. Signers to the statement included all United Methodist bishops in Africa except Bishop John Wesley Yohanna, leader of Nigerian United Methodists. Yohanna is currently under church review because of charges against his administration, including allegations he has worked to take his region into the newly formed traditionalist Global Methodist Church. Read the whole story here.
Africa Voice of Unity release statement supporting the African Bishops statement. Image of letter here.
