About Us.. 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. UMF is a stand-alone corporation with the ability to manage funds for any church organization even those that disaffiliate from the United Methodist denomination. The letter will identify dates for the Church Conferences and other pertinent information needed to prepare for the conferences. Prior to the disaffiliation date, a local church shall pay to the Annual Conference any unpaid apportionments for the 12 months immediately prior and an additional 12 months of . Klicken Sie auf Alle ablehnen, wenn Sie nicht mchten, dass wir und unsere Partner Cookies und personenbezogene Daten fr diese zustzlichen Zwecke verwenden. This phenomenon is not unique to the UMC and is happening among other mainline denominations as well. Discipleship Ministries and The Council of Bishops are developing resources to assist congregations in their discernment. We encourage you to read it carefully. More than 100 Florida churches file lawsuit to leave United Methodist How can we help? Our mission at UMF remains the same To help Gods people pay it forward. Approval for disaffiliation by at least a two-thirds majority of a churchs professing members present at the vote. The disaffiliation will be complete by December 31, 2022. Weitere Informationen ber die Verwendung Ihrer personenbezogenen Daten finden Sie in unserer Datenschutzerklrung und unserer Cookie-Richtlinie. When does a disaffiliating congregation officially end its relationship with the UMC and GNJ? Some of the most common reasons include disagreements over theological issues, such as the ordination of gay and lesbian clergy, and concerns about the denominations organizational structure and decision-making processes. 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. Well over 100 churches (out of our 650 congregations) are currently considering disaffiliation from the United Methodist Church. Nearly 700 persons participated in one of the four forums. On what grounds can they reject the request? Definition of Membership Non-professing members may attend the church conference without voice and vote. Alternately, the annual conference may instruct the conference board of trustees how to handle specific cases or classes of cases that may fall under these provisions. Pastors intent on being part of the GMC may wish to be part of this Conference. The United Methodist Churchs top court released six decisions Feb. 9 related to a new provision governing how congregations can leave the denomination with property. The United Methodist Book of Discipline outlines the process congregations may use to leave The United Methodist Church through disaffiliation (2553). One of the main reasons for disaffiliation among United Methodist churches is disagreements over theological issues. And as the Judicial Council decision clarifies, the "comity agreement" referred to in this paragraph is created by the Council of Bishops and affirmed by General Conference. At the very least, advocate that there are voices on the Discernment Team inclined to stay in the United Methodist Church. Is the Term Sheet negotiable? The Guides will assist each congregation in discerning its future, not the desires of the Guide, GNJ or the UMC. Clergy who are appointed to a congregation that disaffiliates, but the clergy person continues with The UMC, the cabinet will work to identify a new appointment and will require financial support from the disaffiliating congregation to maintain salary and benefits until the next appointment. If this is not the case, please explain it better in the FAQ. The Deficiencies of Disaffiliation - United Methodist Insight When all seven steps of disaffiliation are completed and the church makes all required financial payments. There are a number of reasons why churches may choose to disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church. Nearly half of the UMC congregations. The Judicial Council has ruled that paragraph 2548.2 may not be used for 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. Hosted by Cornerstone UMC in Houston on August 14, 2022. Specifically, be a vocal advocate to make sure: Minimum duration times are observed at each phase of the process. A bishop has only one vote on the matter. This article will explore the reasons why Methodist churches are disaffiliating and the factors that contribute to this trend. Insist that having the district superintendent consult with the discernment team as part of their normal responsibilities or attending a presentation of the bishop does not suffice. First United Methodist Church in Washington will disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church. Section 2553 requires disaffiliation to occur on or before December 31, 2023. For example, the denomination has been grappling with the issue of ordaining gay and lesbian clergy for several decades, and some churches have left the denomination over this issue. This disaffiliation process is a journey to find other Wesleyans who hold the same values of scriptural authority and Christocentric theology that we do. This can lead to a sense of isolation and frustration among churches, which can contribute to their decision to disaffiliate. The choice by a local church to disaffiliate with The United Methodist Church under this paragraph must be made in sufficient time for the process for exiting the denomination to be complete prior to December 31, 2023. Guides will be impartial and unbiassed. An address from Reynoldsburg United Methodist Church in Reynoldsburg, OH. Thank you so much to everyone that baked, cleaned, prepared, and shared! We are not encouraging any congregation to do so, either. From what I read, it appears that a church can spend a lot to go through the process only to have the request arbitrarily rejected. Why Are Methodist Churches Disaffiliating - Churchreaders.com It is possible that some of the costs were overlooked or the conference was comfortable drawing from other designated funds/reserves to cover these costs, or possibly increasing Shared Ministry to cover the costs. Please encourage your leaders and congregations to support the General Administration Fund apportionment at 100 percent. And most require that the congregation complete a discernment process, guided by the district superintendent, before a church conference may be scheduled to consider disaffiliation. All court costs and GNJ legal fees related to disaffiliation or suits related to disaffiliation of the church. It will never be the same. https://www.umc.org/en/content/ask-the-umc-what-should-united-methodist-congregations-know-about-disaffiliation. The UMC has been grappling with issues related to human sexuality, particularly the ordination of LGBTQ+ individuals and the blessing of same-sex marriages. The provision permits such disaffiliations through Dec. 31, 2023. Are all congregations expected to go through the disaffiliation discernment process? Carrollton, Texas 75010. Some require repayment in full of grants made to the local church. With the postponement of the 2020 General Conference to 2024 and the announcement by the Wesleyan Covenant Association that it will launch the Global Methodist Church on May 1, 2022, we at Ask The UMC are receiving many more questions about disaffiliation. That's okay! About Whittier United Methodist Church I know the pastor is part of the church council. Any unpaid GNJ billings for the present calendar year, as well as all unpaid billings in previous years. This page was last modified December 28, 2022, Youtube Playlist of "Moving Forward" Lecture Series. It is not about a congregation changing its denominational affiliation. Our goals with this FAQ are to provide clarity and accurate information about the process of disaffiliation for those who may be considering it and to dispel confusion. Your awareness of the contents of the following documents may be critical in being an advocate for a fair process during the Discernment Process and any effort to stay United Methodist: Newly added par. Some experts predict that the denomination may eventually split over theological and organizational differences, while others believe that the United Methodist Church will continue to evolve and adapt in response to the changing needs of its congregations. Has the United Methodist Church changed or abandoned its beliefs that are now outlined in our Articles of Religion, specifically, the resurrection, and the Trinity? Click here to search by department. It's a collection of study-committee members and church leaders who have been in the trenches with us as we navigate this process. While the UMC is facing challenges, it is important to remember that the church is a living organism that is constantly evolving and adapting to the needs of its members and the world around it. We cannot speak to the approach used by other conference Board of Trustees to discern and fully vet these costs, as our Trustees did. Kentucky Conference: Disaffiliation Process and Information These issues have led to a divide within the denomination, with some churches and members advocating for a more progressive stance while others hold to a more traditional interpretation of scripture. We understand that it is possible, however, that we will be reassigned our present bishop due to the present situation in the UMC, in these unusual circumstances. PDF Q&A About the Disaffiliation Process - NGUMC The Trustees took the additional step of receiving feedback from the Connectional Table and reviewing other terms from other annual conferences. A pdf detailing the recent history of the United Methodist Church, its merge and how that informs where we are today. We would prefer open ballot by show of hands to secret written ballot. There are other resources that may we may have that have not yet made it to this page. No entity of The United Methodist Church is asking any congregation to disaffiliate or even consider disaffiliation. Recently, White's Chapel United Methodist Church in Southlake voted to go through with the disaffiliation process. Any unused portion of the administrative fee will be reimbursed to the disaffiliating church by or no later than 10 days after the disaffiliation date. The following is a summary of the financial items in the term sheet. Or is it some percentage of that? St. Andrew United Methodist, a megachurch in Plano, also announced its. While the United Methodist denomination is in a state of change, its important for you to know that your Foundation remains firmly grounded in helping you achieve the dreams God has placed on your heart. The Called Annual Conference in North Alabama for Disaffiliations is December 10, 2022, at 10 am. Rob Renfroe of Good News Magazine explains the current divisions within the United Methodist Church and discusses how Traditionalist Methodists should navigate future decisions. a decision to disaffiliate by a two-thirds majority of the professing members present at a church conference (not charge conference); the payment in full of two years of that congregations apportionment commitment as set by the conference; the payment in full of the congregations pro-rata share of the conferences pension liability, based on a formula approved by the annual conference. NGUMC | Disaffiliation Process and Information In the church, sometimes spiritual discernment is used particularly during deep and challenging decision making. Church Cell: 828-507-7759. Yet, at the end(?) UMF will review your account(s) and tailor the amendment to accommodate the original terms of your agreement. Why arent superintendents leading the disaffiliation and covenanting process? In 2019, the Judicial Councilupheld Paragraph 2553as in line with the denominations constitution. Now that First United Methodist Church has chosen to disaffiliate, they are in the process of joining the Global Methodist Church. If an appointment is identified for the impacted pastor by June 30, 2024, any unused portion from this item will be reimbursed to the disaffiliating congregation by August 1, 2024. Question about A Missional Transitional Support that will be assessed by multiplying the three-year average of the total amount of all cash, bank balances, investments, endowments, and reserves by the percent of the votes against disaffiliation during the Church conference vote.. 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. A The Disaffiliation Plan, found in 2553 of The Book of Discipline, provides a procedure for local churches to disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church for "reasons of conscience" surrounding the denomination's position on human sexuality issues. Print and distribute this side-by-side comparison of the UMC and future GMC which was developed by the Texas Annual Conference Future Discernment Team. The decision to perform the ceremony shall be the right and the responsibility of the pastor. Therefore no one can require a UMC clergy person to perform a marriage ceremony. Together, guides will journey with the congregation through a spiritual discernment process that helps the church conference listen for the Holy Spirits wisdom and insight in making a decision about your relationship with The United Methodist Church. The District Superintendents will be working with the GNJ congregations who are discerning their pathway to future mission and ministry as we emerge from the pandemic. They are designed to ensure your congregations decision process is well-informed, healthy, and in keeping with all of the requirements set forth by the Book of Discipline and your annual conference. Take time to watch and read information about the Conferences NAC3 team, designed to help make space for traditionalists, centrists, and progressives in the continuing United Methodist Church. This paragraph authorizes the presiding bishop and majorities of the district superintendents and the district board of location and building to declare that exigent circumstances exist that require immediate protection of the local churchs property. The effect of that declaration is the immediate transfer of all property and assets of a local church to the control of the conference board of trustees. Proposing that _____ United Methodist Church begin the disaffiliation process from the United Methodist Church, under the terms of 2553 of the current Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church which reads: "Basis - Because of the current deep conflict within The United Methodist Church around issues of human sexuality, a local This process is based upon section 2553 of The Book of Discipline. This was denied and we were told that the guides would represent the UMC. 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. Our staff, Dr. Jim Dean, Pastor and Music Director Kathy Wiggins. Another reason for disaffiliation among United Methodist churches is concerns about the denominations organizational structure and decision-making processes. Dear Disaffiliating United Methodist Congregations Many WCA/GMC leaders are sharing talking points designed to portray the remaining UMC as engaging in theological drift by abandoning Biblical authority, questioning the resurrection of Jesus Christ, forsaking our doctrinal standards, promoting an open canon, and other similar things. While the Trustees, received input, ultimately it was their decision. I would like to know if we as a congregation could decide on voting method at our church conference for disaffiliation. The Global Methodist Church was established earlier this year in response to the United Methodist Church becoming more progressive in their views on allowing LGBTQ+ members of clergy and performing wedding ceremonies for gay couples. The deadline for your church to be on the agenda for this called annual conference is December 1, and all financial payments must be submitted to the Conference Trustees and the treasurer by December 1. With the delay of the 2020 General Church Conference, it is unfortunate that a common set of terms was not developed and that each conference was left to figure this out on their own; hence, the terms across conferences are not comparable. Can they vote when voting on the discernment process? The church court notes that under the Discipline, a local church cannot sever its connectional relationship to The United Methodist Church without the consent of the annual conference. The Judicial Council has construed this provision to mean that the annual conference must ratify any disaffiliation agreement. Why are terms different from conference to conference? What if there are land and/or building deed restrictions on the property? All unfunded pension liabilities as identified by Wespath and apportioned by the GNJ Board of Pension and Benefits. This decline is due to a number of factors, including an aging population and a lack of younger members. Will the Guides represent a particular theology or viewpoint about ministry with and by LGBTQ persons? Disaffiliation is complete only when all payments due are made in full, the annual conference has approved the motion of disaffiliation and the effective date of disaffiliation set by the annual conference is reached. The costs to disaffiliate under par. As an ex officio member of a committee, the pastor may vote on decisions before the body. Since for this brief period of time, the Trust Clause is suspended, payments for the items listed in the Term Sheet are paid to ensure that past, present and future liabilities incurred by the congregation are paid. A formal request does not commit the church to disaffiliation. The Principles for Disaffiliation used by the Arkansas Conference call for a minimum three-month discernment period excerpt from a story by Heather Hahn, assistant news editor, UM News. Our beliefs, as a United Methodist Church. Doing the legwork of someone willing to speak to your congregation may make this offer difficult for your church leadership to decline. As with any legislative motion, an Annual Conference can choose to accept or reject the motion. Still, it is an outcome that can easily be avoided. Disaffiliating from the UMC Only Costs Pennies on the Dollar by Jeremy Smith June 3, 2022 8:33 PM The news has been crowded with claims of piling on costs on disaffiliating churches and chants of "just let us leave!" repeated in Annual Conference chat rooms. The denomination is known for its strong emphasis on social justice and service, and it operates a number of mission programs both in the US and abroad. Churches will need to provide a sealed ballot box with a slot for ballots to be submitted. If all of the above steps are completed by March 31, 2023, the Annual Conference will vote at its May 2023 session. The Council of Bishops has noted that Judicial Council Decision 1379 requires that any motion to disaffiliate must to be approved, reach a two thirds majority of the professing members present and voting at the church conference. The lower thresholds to request a transfer of property named in 2548.2 do not apply as a valid vote to request disaffiliation. My administrative board did not vote to proceed with discernment; there will be no vote to disaffiliate. (919) 836-0029 - Fax (919) 836-0092. Disaffiliating from the UMC Only Costs Pennies on the Dollar - United A vote to disaffiliate is a vote to leave relationships with other people and institutions that have helped congregation members grow in Christ over the years. The church court said the Alabama-West Florida Conference Board of Trustees acted unlawfully by closing sale on the property of a church before the annual conference voters ratified the disaffiliation agreement. 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. Ask The UMC: What should United Methodist congregations know about disaffiliation? This is important, because exactly how the process will work varies by annual conference. Notifications about the meeting are to go to all members as outlined and provided to the church. These provisions require, at a minimum, three things: Annual conferences may add to these requirements, and some have done so. No. Receive Communications and/or Join Our Support Lists! At our first church meeting yesterday, many members expressed concern that the pastor and his leadership were giving only biased information on disaffiliation and joining GMC. Tel. At what point in the process will clergy appointed to the congregation discerning disaffiliation have to express their personal decision regarding disaffiliation? Additionally, the UMC has been criticized for its bureaucratic structure, which can make it difficult for churches to navigate and get the support they need. To bring clarity regarding your UMF account(s), please see below: Yes. Take time to review all that weve done together in the North Alabama Conference. Ive watched your webinar for EPA conference and was surprised to find out that the term sheet may be revised as needed. A vote was taken at the church on Monday evening (Oct. 3). How do you feel about local ghost stories and legends? The trend of disaffiliation among United Methodist churches raises questions about the future of the denomination. At that time, the full members of Bellview UMC who were present at the called church . Any outstanding loans as identified by GNJ Loan Board; CFA or the GNJ Board of Trustees. As a connectional church, United Methodists hold property in common. 2548.2, and, under some circumstances, 2549.3.bmay be sometimes also be involved to address related property issues. The 2019 Special Session of the General Conference of The United Methodist Church adopted a disaffiliation agreement allowing United Methodist churches to leave the denomination through the end of 2023 "for reasons of conscience regarding a change in the requirements and provisions of the Book of Discipline related to the practice of United Methodists Meet to Approve Disaffiliations Additionally, some churches have chosen to disaffiliate and become independent, non-denominational congregations. It permits the annual conference to direct the local church trustees to assign the deeds of church property to the proper legal representatives of a Pan Methodist church or another evangelical denomination. These questions are not designed to delay you. Only congregations that are seriously considering leaving The United Methodist Church (UMC) and GNJ. If two-thirds of those members choose to leave GNJ, the remaining one-third will need to support to establish new or fund existing ministries for these members to join. The following are significant milestones/durations to be aware of: Disaffiliation Discernment Process, Phase 1 (Notification) 1 month minimum, Disaffiliation Discernment Process, Phase 2 (Prayerful Discernment) 3 month minimum, Disaffiliation Discernment Process, Phase 3 (Church Conference) 10 day minimum notification. The annual conference may only consider such a request after the presiding bishop and the majority of the district superintendents and the district board of location and building have given their consent. This paragraph is about transfer of property. There are a variety of ways to make decisions. Your district superintendent will work with your congregation at each step of the discernment process. Our role at Ask The UMC is to provide accurate official information about The United Methodist Church. Disaffiliation - IGRC What is Lent and why does it last forty days? All congregations and ministries of The United Methodist Church hold their property and assets in trust for the denomination, and specifically for the annual conference. The key words in that sentence are "church property," permit, and annual conference. This paragraph was created to give permission to annual conferences to order such transfers of deeds at the request of the local church. Missional Transitional Support the GNJ Trustees recognize that the bank balances, investments, endowments, and reserves in every congregation are the result of faithful tithing by every member of that congregation. All clergy are to complete and submit their clergy profile and requests to the superintendent by the end of the year. The Southeast Jurisdictional Conference is November 2-4, 2022. Is this saying that in the event of disaffiliation the UMC will actually take that % of the churchs money and investments? Advocate for going the extra mile in some of the suggested discernment activities rather than simply meeting the minimum standard. Property of the UMC is held in trust for the United Methodist mission and ministry. PDF Ballot - AWFUMC My understanding is they are to discern whats best for them and have no vote. This will be decision of the Annual Conference. We want to help you advocate for your church to stay United Methodist. Can a congregation disaffiliate under paragraph 2548.2 of The Book of Discipline? 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. Exigent circumstances include, but are not limited to, situations where the property will no longer be used for the purposes of The United Methodist Church or the congregation is no longer in a position to maintain it for the denomination. We requested a presentation by someone who could explain the reasons for staying with UMC. The NAC3 team has been clear that these agreed-upon processes belong to the conference trustees, who are elected by the annual conference and represent diverse points of view. During an annual conference held this week in Athens, 70. Find out more information about events here! Please let us know your specific questions and how we can serve you or your church in regards to your UMF account(s). Use the opportunity to ask for a different perspective to be offered. Check regularly for BREAKING NEWS on the front of the Stay UMC website. The Annual Conference must approve the disaffiliation for the congregation to disaffiliate. That seems very wrong. Ask to be part of the Discernment Team. If a pastor or a sizeable portion of a congregation makes it clear they would like to leave, dont give up and be a cheerleader for others not to give up either. All institutions have people on the extreme ends. Pastors generally do not vote at church council meetings. All six rulings from the United Methodist Judicial Council stem from questions of law raised aboutthe Book of Disciplines new Paragraph 2553 approved by the 2019 Special General Conference in St. Louis. You can find the Discipleship Ministries resources here. Still have questions? No, the timeframe for the administrative board/church council to discern disaffiliation from The United Methodist Church under 2553 has now passed. We are not encouraging any congregation to do so, either. When does the Annual Conference vote to on a congregations disaffiliation? InDecision 1421, the Judicial Council addressed two questions: Whether the sale of property can be completed before the conference votes and whether the conference board of trustees can enter into a nondisclosure agreement with a departing church. Disaffiliation of a congregation is not final until approved by the Annual Conference and the final term sheet fulfilled before December 31, 2023. Your Foundation remains firmly grounded in helping you achieve the dreams God has placed on your heart. Disaffiliation is a limited option which suspends the Trust Clause of the UMC and allows a congregation to disaffiliate and take the property held in trust. What should United Methodist congregations know about disaffiliation? A sound discernment process helps members of the congregation listen to and respect each others views, learn about both the costs and the benefits of either decision, and help reveal whether there is a two-thirds majority of professing members to allow a vote for disaffiliation to prevail.