August 27, 2024
By Rev. Dr. Scott Field
The Wesleyan Covenant Association is governed by a Global Council which meets monthly and the annual meeting of the Global Legislative Assembly (GLA). The Assembly is composed of delegates from the various regional chapters of the WCA throughout Africa, the Philippines, Europe, and the US. Last week the GLA held its annual meeting via Zoom under the leadership of Elizabeth Chryst, Chairperson of the WCA Council.
Since its inception in 2016, the WCA has been a network of resources and relationships for orthodox, traditionalist, evangelical Wesleyan Methodists largely within the United Methodist Church. WCA Task Forces developed many of the formative understandings and documents that will be considered by delegates to the Global Methodist Church (GMC) Convening Conference in Costa Rica in September. (You can review the original seven seminal task force reports and recommendations here.)
The launch and rapid growth of the Global Methodist Church in fulfills the mission of the WCA in ways no one could quite imagine at our first gathering in Chicago in 2016. Over 1800 people attended that meeting. The WCA grew to 51 regional chapters and has provided information, assistance, and resources for many of the 7,600+ UM congregations in the USA that have disaffiliated as well as “on the ground” coordinators in other countries and regions. The WCA was instrumental in supporting the “Traditional Plan” adopted by the Special Session of the UM General Conference in 2019, the development of the Protocol of Reconciliation and Grace Through Separation, and, along with our friends from Good News, fielded a team of observers and advocates at the recent UM General Conference in Charlotte, NC.
With great enthusiasm, most of the WCA regional chapters have moved on to assisting the development of the GMC provisional annual conferences. Many of the WCA-related churches have moved to the GMC or have planted new congregations in the GMC. As a result, the number of regional WCA chapters has declined from 51 to 11. Beyond the 11 regional (annual conference-level) chapters, there are five coordinators in US geographical areas roughly equivalent to the UMC’s five jurisdictions. Last year, with my election as WCA President, the small WCA staff transitioned from full-time to part-time plus several important administrative support contractors.
You might think, then, that the next step would be for the WCA to turn out the lights, lock the doors, and dissolve the corporation. Well, not quite. The GLA last week took further actions to address the mission still to be completed.
Here are some highlights from last week’s WCA Global Legislative Assembly:
Mission Statement Focused
The original mission statement of the WCA has gone through several revisions in the rapidly changing landscape of denominational division. Last week the mission statement was further focused, simplified, and approved as follows:
The primary mission of the Wesleyan Covenant Association is to act as advocate and ally on behalf of churches globally that seek pathways out of the United Methodist Church and into the Global Methodist Church.
Africa 
AfricaNOW is a short-term, laser-focused initiative of the Wesleyan Covenant Association to provide financial support to African Methodists for information development and distribution, advocacy, and networking opportunities. Momentum continues to build there for separation from the UMC. African Methodists are rising up in response to recent decisions by the United Methodist Church which refute biblical standards by affirming same-sex marriage, as well as LGBTQIA+ pastors and bishops. Launched at the end of July, the generous gifts of donors to our AfricaNOW campaign have allowed us to provide financial resources for WCA partners in 15 African nations and 22 UMC annual conferences.
Since the inception of the campaign the number of opportunities in Africa for “Awareness Gatherings” has grown and, at least to this point, our resources have been adequate to assist as requested by our African WCA coordinators. The initiatives in some annual conferences and countries in Africa to allow United Methodists to vote for their preferred future are significantly conflicted. The UMC is using legal and extra-legal actions to suppress, divert, and delay opportunities for African United Methodists to choose their future now that the UMC General Conference has changed its longstanding commitment to heterosexual marriage and traditional ordination standards. For most African United Methodists these recent decisions by the UMC represent an abandonment of Scriptural authority and a denial of Christian morality.
The GLA had extended discussion, brought especially by African delegates, on the need for continuing support in their efforts to separate from the UMC. If you have not done so already, I invite you to prayerfully consider making a gift to AfricaNOW using the DONATE button below. We want to assist the growing need among our orthodox, traditionalist partners in Africa during this time of transition.
Philippines
Though there are already two GMC Provisional Annual Conferences in the Philippines, ongoing litigation seeking release of local church properties from the UMC has strengthened the partnership between traditionalist Filipino Methodists and the WCA. The WCA has recently sent significant financial resources to our Filipino partners in pursuit of our common goal: seeking pathways out of the UMC and into the GMC. We expect this partnership to have long-term impact for the gospel and are honored to assist. Again, financial gifts to the WCA from within the USA are providing direct and immediate assistance to our partners in the Philippines.
“Stuck” Congregations in the USA 
The WCA Global Legislative Assembly reaffirmed our support for congregations in the USA still seeking an exit pathway from the UMC. In a few UM Annual Conferences, the Board of Trustees and bishop have publicly released an option for separation. In other Annual Conferences the option for separation has been clearly and specifically denied. In still others, litigation continues between congregations and their annual conference. And for two annual conferences, any consideration for exit awaits the decisions of the UM Judicial Council as it considers the applicability of UM Book of Discipline 2549, recently amended at the UM General Conference, to provide local congregations with the option to initiate a separation from the UMC.
Despite the paucity of options for congregations seeking to leave the UMC after the dramatic decisions of the UM General Conference, the WCA network of present and previous activists continues to respond to the frequent requests we receive for information, advice, and resources. The recently completed WCA online landing page of video presentations is specifically designed to assist congregations discerning, separating, or, as need may be, planting new churches within the Global Methodist denomination. We continue to serve as a resource for congregational leaders who, on a church-by-church basis, seek information, advice, and networking while prayerfully considering their options for a faithful and fruitful future.
Passing the Baton
For those of us who have spent decades seeking reform and renewal within the UMC through various caucus and advocacy groups, the development of the Wesleyan Covenant Association, the launch, rapid growth, and joy of the Global Methodist Church, and now the rising African Wave of renewal through separation, we find ourselves in an unexpected and amazing time. As the Scripture says, “This is the Lord’s doing; it is wonderful in our eyes” (Psalm 118:23).
The baton in this reform/renewal relay is now being passed to the GMC. Hallelujah! In a final affirmation, the Global Legislative Assembly authorized the smaller WCA Global Council to conclude all necessary legal, financial, administrative and corporate actions as required to achieve final dissolution of the Wesleyan Covenant Association corporation.
The timing for this “final corporate dissolution” remains uncertain. There is still work to do.
The WCA, through the AfricaNOW campaign, will continue to provide resources to our coordinators in Africa for the ongoing awareness and information gatherings in a growing number of places, annual conferences, and countries. The WCA is also committed to support and assist congregations in the USA through the paragraph 2549 “closure and departure” exit path. Beyond that, our website will maintain resources for local church information to assist them in their prayerful discernment of the best pathway to a faithful and fruitful future.
Most importantly, the WCA’s Global Legislative Assembly last week was firm in our commitment: We will not “drop the baton” until we finish our leg of the relay and successfully hand off the future to the GMC.
If you would like to assist the AfricaNOW effort, click here
Thank you, in the Matchless Name of Jesus Christ, our Redeemer!