May 7, 2024
By Rev. Dr. Scott Field
Last Friday (May 3), nearly two weeks after it began, the General Conference came to an end. So did the United Methodist Church itself…at least the UMC as we have known it. Some rejoice at a birth to be celebrated. Others grieve a death to be mourned. How about you?
United Methodist laity may be aware that major changes have been approved but aren’t clear on what that will mean to them in their local church. Some bishops, recognizing that General Conference aftershocks would rattle the “folks back home”, are attempting to get ahead of anticipated reactions with messages of assurance that “nothing will really change.” That is simply, clearly, and unequivocally a misrepresentation of the NewUMC.
I won’t attempt to unpack all of this in one email/posting of the WCA Outlook, but for this week I’d like to point out a few solid sources for information, suggest a way to engage the “new reality”, and invite your partnership in prayer.
So, here we go:
What Happened at the United Methodist General Conference?
The headline issues from the General Conference are the approval of same-sex weddings and marriages in local churches, the regionalization of the denomination so that, as one result, Africans, for example, have no voice in the moral standards of the UMC in the USA, training at all levels of the church in gender fluidity and the intersectional discrimination of whiteness, homophobia, transphobia, and heteronormativity, preparation for local churches to receive gay/lesbian pastors, a re-statement of possible chargeable offenses against clergy that removes the expectation of “celibacy in singleness and fidelity in marriage”, and a closing off of any further congregational disaffiliations in either the USA or internationally.
If you want to get further details on the legislative actions of the UMC General Conference, I’d suggest any of the following for detailed summaries:
- Rev. Dr. Chris Ritter has prepared a helpful and descriptive InfoSheet on the legislative action, available here.
- An overview of legislative action from Tom Lambrecht, VP of both Good News and the WCA.
- For an even-handed video presentation by Joshua Lindsey (Baptist who has a long-running series of denominational videos), click here.
Navigating the NewUMC
Traditionalist, orthodox, Wesleyan, Methodist members of the UMC should prepare for the full, public alignment of their coming annual conference session with the decisions of the General Conference. Listen for your pastor to make a statement indicating his/her support of the NewUMC (or not). Expect your Christian friends in other churches to ask why you are remaining a United Methodist.
This might be a difficult time to find your way forward or not. As several of our African team members onsite at the General Conference put it, “This makes everything very clear so we can make a very clear decision about our future relationship with the United Methodist Church.”
For UM congregations in the USA who were told to “wait and see what happens at the General Conference”, now you know what has happened. One of the things that did not happen, however, was approval of an exit path for those churches that would choose to disaffiliate in response to the decisions of the General Conference. This leaves you with three remaining options if you your congregation no longer wants to be associated with the UMC:
- Determine if paragraph 2549 of The United Methodist Book of Discipline is a pathway your bishop and annual conference trustees will utilize on behalf of congregations wanting to separate from the UMC. This paragraph allows for the closure of a church and the transfer or sale of local church property. A couple of annual conferences have already utilized this paragraph on behalf of local churches. Contact your bishop and chairperson of the Annual Conference Trustees soon to determine if this is an option.
- Become part of an existing Global Methodist congregation in your area.
- Leave to start a new Global Methodist congregation. The Global Methodist Presiding Elder in your area can provide information and guidance.
UM congregations outside of the USA will need some time to determine the next steps. Connecting with the WCA and GMC leader(s) in your area can help. The variety of countries and annual conferences involved will also require a variety of pathways for departure. Our friends in the Mega Manila Conference (Philippines) of the Global Methodist Church offer a word of encouragement and solidarity to us all.
What’s Next?
You can expect the Wesleyan Covenant Association to pivot over the next couple of months in our mission and focus.
For congregations that already have disaffiliated, we are hosting and recording a series of Zoom presentations by our newly developed consultancy team covering everything from congregational health, to financing a new church start, to legal issues with incorporation, to developing a new format and rhythm of worship, to sexuality matters, and missional focus. Look for an email later this week that outlines the dates, topics, and presenters for the consultancy series hosted by our Coordinator of Congregational Resources, Rev. Jan Dillard.
For congregations in the USA that want an in-person or video consultation to gather information and consider options for a faithful and fruitful future, our WCA regional coordinators are available to connect with you. Contact me at sfield@wesleyancovenant.org so we can connect you with someone in your region.
For congregations outside the USA, we expect to expand our efforts for networking, informing, and advocating, in cooperation with the Global Methodist Church. Now that the NewUMC has launched, our planning can become more focused in assisting churches seeking to prayerfully discern their future.
From “If and when” to “Here and now”
The season of “wait and see” is over. The NewUMC has launched. Here and now is the time to make decisions and take action toward a faithful and fruitful future for you and your church community. This is not just a matter of denominational rearrangement. Our world is in desperate need of the saving, transforming gospel of Jesus Christ. The day of mainline protestant denominations is ending. Mainline denominations decline numerically as they grow in cultural and spiritual irrelevance. There is a fading form of religion, but no transformative, Holy Spirit-given, gospel-driven power (see 2 Timothy 3-4).
Focus your praying on the future…and follow the wisdom and guidance the Lord provides.
Yours in the Matchless Name of Jesus Christ, our Redeemer!