Using such a process will help your congregation make its decisions with due care for each other and your future together. They did not respond by press time. However, the bishop and cabinet have published detailed guidelines required by our North Alabama Conference to ensure that your church takes a thoughtful, prayerful, and balanced approach to the consequential decision to disaffiliate from the UMC. United Methodist Foundation of North Carolina. It took about an hour and a half for congregants to vote. May the Term Sheet payments be paid over several years? The disaffiliation plan offers a limited way to release congregations from The United Methodist Church's centuries-old trust clause, which states that church property is held in trust for the benefit of the entire denomination. This was denied and we were told that the guides would represent the UMC. If a congregation votes to disaffiliate from the UMC and GNJ, in order to move to the next stage, it will need to enter into a covenant with the Cabinet and the Connectional Table about ministries that may continue to be done jointly. Whether your congregation is beginning to explore possibilities of disaffiliating or seems ready to take a vote, the first and most important step is for your pastor to contact your district superintendent. Theprojectedterm sheet will be provided in the first disaffiliation discernment Special Called Church Conference session with the assigned Guide. We would prefer open ballot by show of hands to secret written ballot. 2553, Money needed to remove Cross and Flame logo, Future liability for potential Boy Scout lawsuits, Opportunity costs involved in using funds to disaffiliate rather than do ministry, Potential loss of income from congregation members who do not plan to follow local church into disaffiliation, Funding ministry and administrative efforts previously funded through United Methodist connectional giving. 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. Thepastor parish relations committeeis the personnel committee that works with the pastor and other staff. 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. Wespath has also posted an informative FAQ about the impact of disaffiliation on continued ability to participate in the UMC's pension programs. The financial payments of the Term Sheet must be fully paid by December 31, 2023, for a congregation to disaffiliate. 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. Holy conversation that listens to understand, responds with grace and respect for God and one another and recognizes that we are in conversation with one another and with God. Successful Guides will be those whose theology or viewpoints are not detected by congregations in the discernment and decision process. For example, disaffiliation may lead to a decline in membership and financial contributions. This is permitted by the General Conference and paragraph 2553. (2021). Spend time asking others in your church about milestones, shared moments of mission, and more that have been part of their legacy. A $3,500 administrative fee to defray the cost of the discernment and disaffiliation guides that will be used by the GNJ cabinet and the board of trustees to facilitate the process. It is likely we will receive word regarding who will serve as our next bishop. A commitment has been made by this team to honor and respect differing theological convictions of congregations and pastors in the continuing United Methodist Church, including in the appointment process. Our special called church conference was held on January 23, 2023. Now that First United Methodist Church has chosen to disaffiliate, they are in the process of joining the Global Methodist Church. *possible* specially called Annual Conference has been announced, https://www.umcna.org/postdetail/16513389, https://cdn.cokesbury.com/images/community/cokesburyportals/2016boderrata.pdf, https://www.umcna.org/files/tables/content/16410823/fields/files/6761ca70658d4a5990ad3f6a68531f76/faq-2022.pdf, https://www.stayumc.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/CalltoPrayerandDiscernmentFINAL.pdf. Well over 100 churches (out of our 650 congregations) are currently considering disaffiliation from the United Methodist Church. 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. This can lead to a sense of isolation and frustration among churches, which can contribute to their decision to disaffiliate. If so, will they be offered an age-appropriate presentation about whats happening? This process is based upon section 2553 of The Book of Discipline. What is the Connectional Covenant? In that ruling, the church courtalso spelled outthat any disaffiliation must include: The new Judicial Council rulings cover decisions of law that bishops made during the 2020 and 2021 annual conference seasons. UMF remains your trusted partner in ministry. Please read the guidelines thoroughly and make sure shortcuts are not being taken. At what point in the process will clergy appointed to the congregation discerning disaffiliation have to express their personal decision regarding disaffiliation? This will be decision of the Annual Conference. Please let us know your specific questions and how we can serve you or your church in regards to your UMF account(s). The disaffiliation will be complete by December 31, 2022. Only2553relates directly to disaffiliation. The Global Methodist Churchs Convening General Conference to be held between May 1, 2023 and November 1, 2023 based on this announcement. Recently, the North Carolina Annual Conference published the process for clergy and churches to disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church. The disaffiliation will be complete by December 31, 2022. Article 1Of Faith in the Holy Trinity There is but one living [], The second report to the Church Council by the Study Committee on disaffiliation. []. UMF remains your trusted partner in ministry. 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. St. Andrew United Methodist, a megachurch in Plano, also announced its. These questions have made it clear that there is a lot of confusion and misinformation in the church about this topic. It is acceptable to make one by simply cutting a slot in a cardboard box or we suggest purchasing one similar to this one found online. 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. There are other resources that may we may have that have not yet made it to this page. This page was last modified December 28, 2022, Youtube Playlist of "Moving Forward" Lecture Series. Ask to be part of the Discernment Team. Specifically, be a vocal advocate to make sure: Minimum duration times are observed at each phase of the process. One option is for young people to meet as a group and the guides will work with them. The committees role includes recommending compensation and benefits, conferring on ministry effectiveness, health and well-being and annually evaluating the pastor. (919) 836-0029 - Fax (919) 836-0092. Stay UMC is a grassroots organization and is not involved in conference administration. Therefore, congregants who choose to remain United Methodist Church members will either decide to join another UMC church or start their own. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Your district superintendent will help your congregation complete an intentional discernment process before a church conference to vote on disaffiliation is scheduled. The South Georgia Conference has done so as a means to allow more time for disaffiliations to take place after the December 31, 2023 expiration date of the provisions of 2553. Property of the UMC is held in trust for the United Methodist mission and ministry. 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. Bei der Nutzung unserer Websites und Apps verwenden wir, unsere Websites und Apps fr Sie bereitzustellen, Nutzer zu authentifizieren, Sicherheitsmanahmen anzuwenden und Spam und Missbrauch zu verhindern, und, Ihre Nutzung unserer Websites und Apps zu messen, personalisierte Werbung und Inhalte auf der Grundlage von Interessenprofilen anzuzeigen, die Effektivitt von personalisierten Anzeigen und Inhalten zu messen, sowie, unsere Produkte und Dienstleistungen zu entwickeln und zu verbessern. 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. No entity of The United Methodist Church is asking any congregation to disaffiliate or even consider disaffiliation. A process for disaffiliation was established by the 2019 General Conference of The United Methodist Church. Absent such explicit instructions by the annual conference, however, there are no guarantees about what terms the trustees may offer, and the trustees are under no obligation to negotiate the terms they offer. All deed restrictions must be followed by the disaffiliating congregation prior to disaffiliation. These pathways were identified in the second letter and may be found here. All voting in the church conference will be by prepared ballot. E.g., if a church has $100,000 and 20% of the members vote against disaffiliation, then the UMC will take $20,000? The costs to disaffiliate under par. Isnt fair that a portion of their tithing be used to support this cost, or should we increase Shared Ministry apportionments or draw from GNJ designated funds to cover this cost? Read this blog post by long time Asbury Spiritual Formation and Wesleyan Studies professor, Steve Harper. The UMC has been grappling with issues related to human sexuality, particularly the ordination of LGBTQ+ individuals and the blessing of same-sex marriages. This must occur no later than December 31, 2023, for the congregation to disaffiliate. Church Cell: 828-507-7759. All clergy are to complete and submit their clergy profile and requests to the superintendent by the end of the year. This is an anxious season for the congregation and its leaders. Wenn Sie Ihre Auswahl anpassen mchten, klicken Sie auf Datenschutzeinstellungen verwalten. In some cases, churches have been forced to merge or close due to financial constraints. The United Methodist Church is one of the largest Protestant denominations in the United States, with an estimated 7 million members. The pastor will receive a letter that can be shared with the congregation. For congregations that disaffiliate, and their appointed pastor(s) remain(s) in the UMC, the estimated clergy compensation including housing and benefits for 18 months and maximum moving expenses for two moves per individual. Can this matter come up again? In the church, sometimes spiritual discernment is used particularly during deep and challenging decision making. All unfunded pension liabilities as identified by Wespath and apportioned by the GNJ Board of Pension and Benefits. There are also probably real people in the families of your church that will feel marginalized by a decision to leave the UMC over intolerance of our differences, and they need you to be their advocate. They will lead the congregation through this season and the Church Conference will make its decision listening for the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, not to decisions that represent the UMC. 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. 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. Annual conferences cannot create comity agreements with other denominations. Over 100 churches have disaffiliated from UMC in recent years., The United Methodist Church. The pastor meets with and participates in the discussions of theboard of trustees, but the pastor is not a voting memberunlessspecifically elected as a trustee. https://www.umc.org/en/content/ask-the-umc-who-has-voice-and-vote-in-a-local-church. BOD 2016, 340 3a, Responsibilities and Duties of Elders and Licensed Local Pastors. Days after the Global Methodist Church launched in May, the Wesleyan Covenant Association's Florida chapter announced 107 churches were disaffiliating from the United Methodist Church and. While the Trustees, received input, ultimately it was their decision. 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. 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. 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. If a church votes to disaffiliate from The United Methodist Church, when will they know the payment amount? The provision permits such disaffiliations through Dec. 31, 2023. On what grounds can they reject the request? Klicken Sie auf Alle ablehnen, wenn Sie nicht mchten, dass wir und unsere Partner Cookies und personenbezogene Daten fr diese zustzlichen Zwecke verwenden. The Term Sheet is not negotiable. This is a fast-moving, evolving situation and there are many moving parts. Check regularly for BREAKING NEWS on the front of the Stay UMC website. When does a disaffiliating congregation officially end its relationship with the UMC and GNJ? Is the Term Sheet negotiable? We will continue to update this page with additional resources as they are made available. These provisions require, at a minimum, three things: Annual conferences may add to these requirements, and some have done so. However, it may be important for you to point out hidden or unforeseen costs inherent in disaffiliation such as: Interest and loan costs to fund money needed to comply with par. Our next regularly scheduled annual conference will be June 21-24 2023 (VBC in Huntsville). 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. The Disaffiliation Policy approved at the 2019 Annual Conference Session sets out a framework to be followed when a significant number of members of a congregation express a desire to leave the South Georgia Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church, pursuant to the provisions of paragraph 2553 of The Book of Discipline of The United . Another reason for disaffiliation among United Methodist churches is concerns about the denominations organizational structure and decision-making processes. The trend of disaffiliation among United Methodist churches raises questions about the future of the denomination. Whether you are super-familiar with what's happening across the United Methodist Church or you're entering into the discussion, here are some resources on how it relates to us at First Methodist Carrollton and some further reading you may be interested in. While the number of disaffiliated churches is relatively small, their departure does have an impact on the remaining churches and raises questions about the future of the United Methodist Church. Like many mainline denominations, the UMC has seen a steady decline in attendance and membership in recent decades. But do the numbers match the rhetoric? When a church discontinues as a United Methodist congregation, either by closing or disaffiliating from the UMC, all real and personal property reverts back to the UMC to strengthen the witness and mission of the church. These questions are not designed to delay you. (n.d.). Discernment comes first before financial discussions. 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. Why are terms different from conference to conference? Our staff, Dr. Jim Dean, Pastor and Music Director Kathy Wiggins. While it was assumed that most United Methodists would remain in a denomination of some sort, there was awareness that a few might seek an independent status. The Judicial Council has ruled that paragraph 2548.2 may not be used for disaffiliation. Guides will be impartial and unbiassed. What are the seven steps to the disaffiliation process? In 2019, the Judicial Councilupheld Paragraph 2553as in line with the denominations constitution. Can a congregation disaffiliate under paragraph 2548.2 of The Book of Discipline? 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. If Annual Conference rejects the request for disaffiliation will the conference reimburse the church any of the funds it spent to move forward with disaffiliation? The United Methodist Churchs guidebook, called the Book of Discipline, states any congregation who chooses to disaffiliate will take ownership of the church property. The Council of Bishops and Judicial Council Decision 1449 have affirmed2553, added by the 2019 special called General Conference, as the primary paragraph used for disaffiliation or separation. They have also recognized that there may be some instances where 2548.2 or 2549.3.b may apply to how property matters are addressed. In the case when a church votes to disaffiliate and it is not to a unanimous vote, the Missional Transitional Support help the members who want to stay with GNJ have a path to transition to a new place of worship. Votes about disaffiliation are never simply rational or financial. During an annual conference held this week in Athens, 70. In conclusion, the disaffiliation of Methodist churches is a complex issue that is driven by a variety of factors. We are your trusted partner in ministry and are here to help you in any way we can. All institutions have people on the extreme ends. Thank you so much to everyone that baked, cleaned, prepared, and shared! Find out more information about events here! No. You can also reach out to any of the people listed on this page. There are two exceptions the pastor parish relations committee and the board of trustees. It is not judging others (Matthew 7:1-2), but encountering Gods wisdom and understanding in others, the community of faith and ourselves for discerning Gods calling for the congregation and each of us individually. We encourage you to read it carefully. How many times can a congregation vote on disaffiliation? 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. 2553 expires on December 31, 2023. This is important, because exactly how the process will work varies by annual conference. 2548.2, and, under some circumstances, 2549.3.bmay be sometimes also be involved to address related property issues. Only congregations that are seriously considering leaving The United Methodist Church (UMC) and GNJ. Bellview's church council voted, after a time of prayerful discernment to seek disaffiliation, to ask for a date for a special called church conference. 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 number is expected to increase in the coming years as more churches consider disaffiliation. 2553 outlines the steps the congregation, the district superintendent, and the conference must take to request, meet the criteria for, and complete a disaffiliation from The United Methodist Church. Nearly half of the UMC congregations. Any other fees and costs identified by the GNJ Board of Trustees including but not limited to the determination that a contribution is in order related to the congregations real property. The Discernment Team has the opportunity to decline to recommend to the Church Council moving forward with disaffiliation. What is spiritual discernment? Take time to review all that weve done together in the North Alabama Conference. 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. https://www.umc.org/en/content/ask-the-umc-what-should-united-methodist-congregations-know-about-disaffiliation. My administrative board did not vote to proceed with discernment; there will be no vote to disaffiliate. This trend has been particularly pronounced among churches in the southern and midwestern regions of the United States. Another factor that is contributing to the disaffiliation among Methodist churches is a lack of clarity in the UMCs mission and purpose. We requested a presentation by someone who could explain the reasons for staying with UMC. Rob Renfroe of Good News Magazine explains the current divisions within the United Methodist Church and discusses how Traditionalist Methodists should navigate future decisions. The choice by a local church to disaffiliate with the UMC under this paragraph shall be made in sufficient time for the process for exiting the denomination to be complete prior to December 31, 2023. InDecision 1423, the Judicial Council affirmed a decision by New England Conference Bishop Sudarshana Devadhar. As a connectional church, United Methodists hold property in common. 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. What is Lent and why does it last forty days? The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a mainline Protestant denomination that has been experiencing a decline in membership and disaffiliation in recent years. That started our discernment process. If you have questions regarding your account(s), please fill out the form below and we will respond to you as soon as possible. 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. Discipleship Ministries and The Council of Bishops are developing resources to assist congregations in their discernment. When single instances are cited, point out that one cannot represent the part for the whole. Spiritual discernment is setting oneself or the community apart for a time of deep listening for the Holy Spirits wisdom, insight and calling. The Oklahoma Conference Board of Trustees has approved a disaffiliation process for local churches. 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. 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 decision to disaffiliate from the UMC must be approved by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the professing members of the local church present at the church conference. No comity agreement exists between The United Methodist Church and the Global Methodist Church. There are a variety of ways to make decisions. the Book of Disciplines new Paragraph 2553, The United Methodist Churchs centuries-old trust clause, Church court clarifies disaffiliation rules. The language of 2548 permits either a vote of the charge conference or of a church conference to request transfer of property to a church of another denomination. All property and congregational transfer costs including GNJ legal fees. 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. Any unpaid GNJ billings for the present calendar year, as well as all unpaid billings in previous years. The United Methodist Book of Discipline outlines the process congregations may use to leave The United Methodist Church through disaffiliation (2553). Key Resources Book of Discipline paragraph 2553 According to the United Methodist News Service, as of 2021, there are more than 100 churches have disaffiliated from the United Methodist Church. 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. While the terms may remain the same, the amounts may change based on information that was not know at the time of developing the initial term sheet projection, changes in the market, items in the deed, outstanding loans and gifts from the annual conference that have not been paid, unpaid apportionment calculations and any other items that could not be calculated accurately at the time of preparing the initial term sheet. Yet, at the end(?) Pastors are to continue to lead the congregation by doing no harm and refraining from leading the congregation in one way or another. The annual conference determines whether and when such transfer may take place.