A group of United Methodist pastors in the denomination’s Western Jurisdiction has issued a statement of support for the recent election of Pastor Karen Oliveto as a bishop in their region. Oliveto, who legally married another woman two years ago, has been criticized by reform and renewal groups within the UMC as violating her ordination vows to uphold the denomination’s governing Book of Discipline. The discipline states that “self-avowed, practicing homosexuals” are not to be ordained as ministers.
The pastors’ statement reads:
“As pastors of large churches in the Western Jurisdiction, we rise in full support of the consecration of Rev. Dr. Karen Oliveto as a new bishop in The United Methodist Church. We embrace this Kairos Moment as we live into a Gospel that welcomes all. We stand United in spirit excited that the tent of The United Methodist Church is growing large enough to make room for all. The diversity of culture, experience, thought and theology is a rich blessing for us in the Western Jurisdiction.”
The Western Jurisdiction is – by far – the smallest of the five U.S. jurisdictions and accounts for only 2 percent of global United Methodist membership, but the clergy endorsing the statement of support for Oliveto assert to pastor large churches.
Self-reported statistics provided by those churches’ annual conferences reveal that, while some may be large by the standards of West Coast Methodism, most would be eclipsed by typical healthy Methodist congregations in U.S. conferences like North Georgia or Indiana (let alone fast-growing overseas conferences in Congo or Liberia) where the denomination has a more noticeable footprint.
Of the initial five signatories, three represent churches with an average weekly attendance of less than 400 persons, and none are “megachurches” (defined as an average weekly attendance of greater than 2,000 persons). These churches are not among the top 100 U.S. churches in the denomination – all of which claim between 17,676 and 3,486 members.
Additionally, it is noteworthy that some of these “large” churches baptized few people in their most recent reporting year: of the 17 churches listed, the average church baptized about a dozen people in a year and the average attendance is 450.
Here is a glance at the statistics for the initial five:
Rev. Dr. Duane A. Anders – Senior Pastor of Cathedral of the Rockies (Oregon-Idaho)
Membership at the end of 2014: 2,694
Attendance: 1,450
Total Baptized: 37
Rev. Andy Bartel – Lead Pastor of St. John United Methodist Church (Alaska)
Membership at the end of 2014: 759
Attendance: 373
Total Baptized: 27
Rev. DJ del Rosario – Lead Pastor of Bothell United Methodist Church (Pacific Northwest)
Membership at the end of 2014: 536
Attendance: 369
Total Baptized: 6
Rev. Kent Ingram – Senior Pastor of First United Methodist Church of Colorado Springs (Rocky Mountain)
Membership at the end of 2014: 2,846
Attendance: 1,066
Total Baptized: 41
Rev. Donna Pritchard – Senior Pastor of Portland First United Methodist Church (Oregon-Idaho)
Membership at the end of 2014: 735
Attendance: 354
Total Baptized: 7
Following the initial release, several additional senior pastors signed the letter, representing significantly smaller congregations than the initial five. They are listed here:
Rev. Dr. Mark S. Bollwinkel – Pastor of Church of the Wayfarer, Carmel, CA (California-Nevada)
Membership at the end of 2014: 251
Attendance: 95
Total Baptized: 1
Rev. Sandy Brown – Interim Senior Pastor of Edmonds United Methodist Church (Pacific Northwest)
Membership at the end of 2014: 739
Attendance: 349
Total Baptized: 5
Rev. Anna Cho – Senior Pastor of Epworth United Methodist Church, Portland, OR (Oregon-Idaho)
Membership at the end of 2014: 165
Attendance: 45
Total Baptized: 0
Rev. Dr. Michael D. Dent – Senior Pastor of Trinity United Methodist Church, Denver, CO (Rocky Mountain)
Membership at the end of 2014: 1,813
Attendance: 616
Total Baptized: 40
Rev. Dan Hurlbert – Senior Pastor of Prescott United Methodist Church (Desert Southwest)
Membership at the end of 2014: 789
Attendance: Not Published
Total Baptized: Not Published
Rev. Paul Mitchell – Pastor of Vashon United Methodist Church (Pacific Northwest)
Membership at the end of 2014: 125
Attendance: 74
Total Baptized: 1
Rev. Ronald Myers – Lead Pastor of Puyallup United Methodist Church (Pacific Northwest)
Membership at the end of 2014: 413
Attendance: 231
Total Baptized: 2
Rev. Dr. Brian T. Parcel – Lead Pastor of First UMC, Chula Vista, CA (California-Pacific)
Membership at the end of 2013: 496
Attendance: 354
Total Baptized: 2
Rev. Peter K. Perry – Lead Pastor of First United Methodist Church of Olympia, WA (Pacific Northwest)
Membership at the end of 2014: 827
Attendance: 274
Total Baptized: 3
Rev. Kelvin Sauls – Pastor at Holman United Methodist Church, Los Angeles, CA (California-Pacific)
Membership at the end of 2014: 2,212
Attendance: 950
Total Baptized: 15
Rev. Dr. C. Dennis Shaw – Pastor of Hilltop United Methodist Church, Sandy, Utah (Rocky Mountain)
Membership at the end of 2014: 543
Attendance: 233
Total Baptized: 9
Rev. Mariellen Yoshino – Senior Pastor of Los Altos (CA) United Methodist Church (California-Nevada)
Membership at the end of 2014: 2,481
Attendance: 832
Total Baptized: 19
UPDATE [7/26/2016]: The source for these statistics is the most recent reporting year annual conference journal for each church’s respective region. “Top 100 UMC Congregations” is from General Council on Finance and Administration data for 2014, the most recent reporting year.
Comment by Rev, Vaughan Hayden on July 22, 2016 at 1:52 pm
If The United Methodist Church excised the Western Jurisdiction the loss would be only 2% membership? Would the financial piece by a net positive as the Jurisdiction cannot support the number of bishops it has, or would the other apportionments mean a net loss? Just curious as to how one Jurisdiction assumes the right to speak for the denomination in a Kairos Moment. It may be just that, but not in the way they propose.
Comment by the_enemy_hates_clarity on July 22, 2016 at 2:20 pm
It is important to remember that some of the pastors and members in the Western Jurisdiction are orthodox, and don’t support the recent actions of their leaders. When division comes, and it looks like it is on its way, their interests must be protected.
The enemy hates clarity
The enemy hates clarity
Comment by John S. on August 1, 2016 at 7:37 am
And we will be able to easily identify those who are orthodox because they have been vocal and adamant in opposing the actions of the Western Jurisdiction.
Comment by Darah Gaz on July 22, 2016 at 5:10 pm
Fifteen minutes of fame is the liberals’ idea of eternity.
Comment by apriluser on July 23, 2016 at 10:30 pm
We live in the Western jurisdiction and my husband is a UM elder, having recently stepped away from parish ministry. We are so tired of the shenanigans of the UMC, so sorely disappointed in the UM churches in our community that we now attend an Anglican Church. We are about the oldest congregants (61 years old) and marvel that so many young people are finding their way to a highly liturgical communtiy of worshippers. We love the orthodoxy of the ACNA and the vibrancy of this local church!
Comment by Duane Anders on July 25, 2016 at 9:19 pm
Jeffrey correction Cathedral of the Rockies is one of the top 100 UMC’s you missed in your research our legal name is Boise first UMC so you will not only find us on the list from 2014, but you will find us on the list of the fastest growing in 2015.
http://lenwilson.us/top-25-fastest-growing-large-umc-2016/
Comment by Robert Connor on July 25, 2016 at 9:20 pm
The exception proves the rules.
Liberal churches die.
Comment by Melvin Woodworth on July 26, 2016 at 2:53 pm
Jesus said that the most important things to do were to love God and love my neighbor as my self. To love my neighbors I am old to treat them like I would like to be treated, and like Jesus treated us when he washed our feet. Putting poor readings of Levitical or Pauline writings above the teachings of Jesus seems unwise.
Comment by Skipper on August 2, 2016 at 10:29 am
This morning I heard a preacher on the radio saying how we don’t need an upgrade, but a whole new birth, a new life, a new destiny, a new Spirit. I was reminded of how sorry I am for those with sexual confusion. But God is always there hoping we will come home. He leaves the light on for us!