This month hundreds of congregations are being ratified for exit from the United Methodist Church, even as the deadline for disaffiliation fast approaches. In some Deep South regions, close to 40 to 50 percent of congregations are exiting. Does United Methodism even have a meaningful future in the Deep South? And what are its prospects as a national denomination as it further liberalizes?
(Read article here.)
Comment by Steve on May 18, 2023 at 1:54 pm
You wrote, “As he presided over the exit of 193 churches from the Alabama-West Florida Conference, Bishop David Graves lamented the ongoing schism as demonic, seemingly aiming his ire at the departing churches.”
You rely on the liberal publication al.com for this quote. I am a voting member in the AWFL conference (I voted for all the churches to disaffiliate) and heard what bishop Graves said. That quote was preceded by him discussing the personal attacks he had received as bishop. His point (as I took it) was that vilifying each other with personal attacks is division of the devil. He was not referring to disaffiliation being of the devil.
I have personally heard bishop Graves say that calling traditionalists (which he is one) homophones, intolerant and supporting discrimination for following scripture is inappropriate and creates division. He has fought for disaffiliating churches (read the recent UMC Judicial Council rulings) against objections from clergy in his conference. Specifically, he has fought for churches/members not to be required to disclose their objection to the BOD as required by para 2553. (read the recent Judicial Council rulings). Bishop Graves has even fought to extend the deadline for disaffiliation.
Vilifying “all UMC bishops,” including the traditionalists, is division that is unnecessary and of the devil. It also creates doubt of the true motives behind the GMC. If all UMC bishops are complicit, then why is the GMC hiring them to be their bishops? Shouldn’t they be banned from leadership positions if their leadership in the UMC led to its destruction?
As bishop Graves has said, our mission is to win souls for Christ. That should be the mission for both the UMC and GMC – not insulting each other. That division is of the devil.
I said this in the comments section of Rob Renfroe’s article on this issue but Good News didn’t post it. I hope Juicy Ecumenism will – it has been open to conversation in the past.
Comment by Tom on May 18, 2023 at 5:30 pm
I do wonder what the future, if any, of the residual UMC will be. Perhaps they can look to the PCUSA and what happened to it after the relatively conservative churches left to form the PCA and EPC.
Comment by David on May 18, 2023 at 7:07 pm
It seems Methodism is reverting to its Civil War era form with the ME Church and ME Church South. The rejoining of the two was likely a big mistake and resulted in the formation of the Central Conference for “Negro churches” lest a white southern church be assigned a nonwhite pastor. Preserving the Union was a big mistake on Lincoln’s part, though ending slavery, originally not the stated intention of the war, was noble.
Comment by Dan W on May 18, 2023 at 10:13 pm
The problem with David’s theory, congregations seceding from the UMC for similar reasons as States departing the Union, is the South has changed drastically in the last 50 years. It’s far from perfect, but there is diversity and opportunity that would have seemed impossible 50 years ago. If this schism is mostly political, the GMC will simply become a conservative political action committee. If this schism is truly about believers seeking Godly leadership and holy lives, the departing congregations will thrive. I think they are already thriving.
Comment by Gary Bebop on May 19, 2023 at 12:37 pm
“Dan W” is right. The disaffiliating churches are free to flourish in abundant freedom of initiative. They are no longer laboring as cash cows of the UMC’s administrative overburden and progressive tilt.
Comment by Don Parr on May 20, 2023 at 3:43 pm
It’s not surprising so many churches are leaving the UMC. The have tilted so far to the left people just cant tolerate their actions. The biggest embarrassment is Bishop Sue and Bishop Dease who put a pause to the disaffiliation process which caused 186 churches launched a massive lawsuit. The judges ruled in favor of the 186 churches which made the Bishops and the UMC look like fools and bullies. The lawsuit cost the UMC $700,000.00 to defend. This by the way came out of your Apportionment payments. Folks if you haven’t left the UMC time is running out, don’t make a mistake and stay with this denomination, they are no longer following the teachings of Christ and Scriptures not to mention violating the Book of Discipline. Exit while you can…
Comment by George on May 22, 2023 at 7:05 pm
Its not easy to wrap one’s head around the absurdities and wonderment with such explosions of paganism within churches. To do so it helps to keep in mind that this is work of spirits, demons and not humans. The pagans don’t realize it and would immediately dismiss such notions without consideration. They are serving and driven by the one who “comes but to kill, steal and destroy” but must first deceive. Those who are thus deceived don’t KNOW they are being deceived and are quite sincere.
Comment by Nuno Torre on May 27, 2023 at 2:11 pm
Yes. The UMC schism seems that it will be the most successful of all the ones of the mainline’s “7 sisters” for some reasons, and GMC the relatively more conservative group of them all is the unique one of those whom I’m certain has come to stay. The other breakaway groups from the “7 sisters” are either very small or are having their own challenges right now. Some are losing members for even more conservative older Evangelical bodies, others are over dividing and actually many on them are returning their original mother Church. That won’t be the case on the UMC. At the time of my writing 3838 Congregations have been disaffiliated from the UMC. By the way pretty much every other of them has affiliated with GMC. Very few will return UMC. And GMC will likely to found missions on non GMC areas as well. I predict them to even fish some if not all of the little leftover “cults” that broke from the other mainline “7 sisters”.
That said; my question now is: Will the mainline “7 sisters” ever merge on a single entity now that their theology is barely the same and the happenings on many of them international bodies plus the happenings on the Roman Catholic Church?… All signs point to that direction. The RCC has a huge problem to properly solve on Germany which won’t be solved like back on the 15xx’s era, the Anglican Communion has the same problems, and the Lutherans are perhaps the ones in best possible possible to win something over both queries. Time will tell. I predict a peaceful agreement between the RCC and the World Lutheran Federation that will end up reunited the progressive RC’s and all the mainline “7 sisters” worldwide in same umbrella.