Disaffiliation is a limited option which suspends the Trust Clause of the UMC and allows a congregation to disaffiliate and take the property held in trust. The 2019 Special Session of the General Conference of the UMC adopted paragraph 2553 in the Book of Discipline - Disaffiliation of a Local Church Over Issues Related to Human Sexuality. UMF remains your trusted partner in ministry. My administrative board did not vote to proceed with discernment; there will be no vote to disaffiliate. Tel. It's a collection of study-committee members and church leaders who have been in the trenches with us as we navigate this process. Is this saying that in the event of disaffiliation the UMC will actually take that % of the churchs money and investments? 33 Days To Morning Glory Consecration Prayer, Is Hillsong United Part Of Hillsong Church, Why Did The Catholic Church Introduce Tropes, What Does The Bible Say About Non Denominational Churches, How Politics Poisoned The Evangelical Church, Why Church And State Should Not Be Separated, United Methodist News Service. A formal request does not commit the church to disaffiliation. The financial payments of the Term Sheet must be fully paid by December 31, 2023, for a congregation to disaffiliate. How many times can a congregation vote on disaffiliation? Now that First United Methodist Church has chosen to disaffiliate, they are in the process of joining the Global Methodist Church. The Global Methodist Churchs Convening General Conference to be held between May 1, 2023 and November 1, 2023 based on this announcement. Spend time asking others in your church about milestones, shared moments of mission, and more that have been part of their legacy. Please help us to ensure that going forward, this will be a safe, fair and peaceful process. Creating space and time to listen deeply and contemplate. Churches will need to provide a sealed ballot box with a slot for ballots to be submitted. Will there be opportunity for the congregation to ask them questions and address any concerns prior to the church vote? A sound discernment process may also be able to reduce harms that may be unintentionally caused by the results of the vote. We will continue to update this page with additional resources as they are made available. Request to Explore and Discern Disaffiliation - A Congregation's Church Council votes to explore and discern disaffiliation and the Pastor notifies the District Superintendent of the desire to engage in the disaffiliation process. At the very least, advocate that there are voices on the Discernment Team inclined to stay in the United Methodist Church. 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. Each Guide will receive $500 per session; and an additional $500 will be paid to Guides who receive, review and ensure all documentation is in order for the creation of the congregations Term Sheet. Wenn Sie Ihre Auswahl anpassen mchten, klicken Sie auf Datenschutzeinstellungen verwalten. Wespath has also posted an informative FAQ about the impact of disaffiliation on continued ability to participate in the UMC's pension programs. Does the Annual Conference have to approve a Congregations disaffiliation? Our next regularly scheduled annual conference will be June 21-24 2023 (VBC in Huntsville). InDecision 1422, the Judicial Council affirmed another decision by Haupert-Johnson. The Judicial Councils ruling said the disaffiliation process established by General Conference constitutes minimum standards, which do not preclude additional procedures and standard terms created by annual conferences, provided that the latter do not negate or violate the former.. 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. The United Methodist Church is one of the largest Protestant denominations in the United States, with an estimated 7 million members. This will be decision of the Annual Conference. 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. Some experts predict that the denomination may eventually split over theological and organizational differences, while others believe that the United Methodist Church will continue to evolve and adapt in response to the changing needs of its congregations. The provisions of 2553 expire on December 31, 2023 and shall not be used after that date. Additionally, some churches have chosen to disaffiliate and become independent, non-denominational congregations. In recent years, a growing number of United Methodist churches in the US have chosen to disaffiliate from the denomination. Jan. 15More than 6 million members of the United Methodist Church across the nation and 12.5 million worldwide face an impending deadline on whether to part ways with the church and. We also stipulated, in fairness, that should an appointment be made, any unused portion would be returned. Clergy who are appointed to a congregation that disaffiliates, but the clergy person continues with The UMC, the cabinet will work to identify a new appointment and will require financial support from the disaffiliating congregation to maintain salary and benefits until the next appointment. 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 mission of the church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. We cannot speak to the approach used by other conference Board of Trustees to discern and fully vet these costs, as our Trustees did. This disaffiliation process is a journey to find other Wesleyans who hold the same values of scriptural authority and Christocentric theology that we do. The provision permits such disaffiliations through Dec. 31, 2023. 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? 2201 E Hebron Pkwy. And in a situation where the congregation has acted in ways that are not compliant with the Discipline and the guidance of the district superintendent, the conference board of trustees may not offer the congregation any terms to obtain its former property or assets. Everyone has a theology and viewpoint, but Guides are not representing themselves or their theology and viewpoint. The denominations Trust Clause remains in effect at all times. 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. 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. We are your trusted partner in ministry and are here to help you in any way we can. The GNJ terms include requirements of paragraph 2553 and any costs incurred by GNJ. At that time, the full members of Bellview UMC who were present at the called church . What should United Methodist congregations know about disaffiliation? One study showed that regular church goers are likely to overestimate opposition to same-sex marriage in their congregation by 20%. You can find the Discipleship Ministries resources here, bishops are prepared to pursue this outcome. If an appointment is identified for the impacted pastor by June 30, 2024, any unused portion from this item will be reimbursed to the disaffiliating congregation by August 1, 2024. Copyright 2023 All rights reserved. The Brief and Bumpy History of Disaffiliation In addition to the Way Forward Plans, multiple stand-alone disaffiliation plans came to General Conference 2019. The trend of disaffiliation among United Methodist churches raises questions about the future of the denomination. Is the Term Sheet negotiable? This is permitted by the General Conference and paragraph 2553. One of the main reasons for disaffiliation among Methodist churches is the growing theological differences within the denomination. 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. It will never be the same. of the process, the Annual Conference is able to reject the request to disaffiliate. It will be even more difficult to reach if you actively organize to make sure most everyone in your congregation and their family members are present during this critical meeting. On April 16, 2021, the Judicial Council of the United Methodist Church affirmed the constitutionality of this paragraph, paving the way for annual conferences to implement processes for disaffiliation. Discernment comes first before financial discussions. Are all pastors obligated to perform all weddings? Originally created by Reynoldsburg UMC in Ohio. Watch a select portion of Tom Berlins Celebrate UMC presentation where he refutes such claims directly. Establishment of terms and conditions between the exiting local church and the conference board of trustees. Additional votes on disaffiliations are expected at this annual conference. Prior to the disaffiliation date, a local church shall pay to the Annual Conference any unpaid apportionments for the 12 months immediately prior and an additional 12 months of . 2553. Clergy persons who leave The UMC on their own accord or with a disaffiliating congregation, must surrender their membership credentials and join a another denomination or serve an independent congregation and the clergy person will need to be credentialed by the denomination or independent congregation. That's okay! Will professing members that are minors participate in the discernment process? When does a disaffiliating congregation officially end its relationship with the UMC and GNJ? The UMC has been grappling with issues related to human sexuality, particularly the ordination of LGBTQ+ individuals and the blessing of same-sex marriages. Your church likely has a rich history in its connection to the United Methodist Church. A congregation can only vote on and go through the disaffiliation process once. Question about A Missional Transitional Support that will be assessed by multiplying the three-year average of the total amount of all cash, bank balances, investments, endowments, and reserves by the percent of the votes against disaffiliation during the Church conference vote.. You may read the Judicial Council ruling here:ResourceUMC | Judicial Council Decision Number 1449. The Global Methodist Church was established earlier this year in response to the United Methodist Church becoming more progressive in their views on allowing LGBTQ+ members of clergy and performing wedding ceremonies for gay couples. InDecision 1423, the Judicial Council affirmed a decision by New England Conference Bishop Sudarshana Devadhar. *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. Notifications about the meeting are to go to all members as outlined and provided to the church. These pathways were identified in the second letter and may be found here. In general, time is the ally of those wishing to stay in the United Methodist Church. If you are not the pastor or other designated contact person, you will want to talk with your pastor or designated contact person about any questions or concerns about the process. What is needed for spiritual discernment? Reposted here, with gratitude, for further learning and insight. As a part of due diligence, appraisal of all local church properties by a certified appraiser is required. These items are included by action of the General Conference and items added by the Board of Trustees with input from the Cabinet, Treasurer and Chancellor. Another reason for disaffiliation among United Methodist churches is concerns about the denominations organizational structure and decision-making processes. 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. Alternately, the annual conference may instruct the conference board of trustees how to handle specific cases or classes of cases that may fall under these provisions. In order for a congregation to disaffiliate, the Annual Conference must approve the disaffiliation by a simple majority vote. Using such a process will help your congregation make its decisions with due care for each other and your future together. All six rulings from the United Methodist Judicial Council stem from questions of law raised aboutthe Book of Disciplines new Paragraph 2553 approved by the 2019 Special General Conference in St. Louis. 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. 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. The congregation will know before taking the vote at the . Making Disciples of Jesus Christ for the Transformation of the World, United Methodist Church of Greater New Jersey, Pathways for Fruitful and Healthy Ministry, https://www.umc.org/en/content/ask-the-umc-who-has-voice-and-vote-in-a-local-church, ResourceUMC | Judicial Council Decision Number 1449, https://www.umc.org/en/content/articles-of-religion, https://www.umnews.org/en/news/bishop-urges-end-to-falsehoods-pivot-to-future, https://www.umc.org/en/content/ask-the-umc-what-should-united-methodist-congregations-know-about-disaffiliation, 2021 United Methodists of Greater New Jersey, Click here for FAQs in Spanish (updated version coming soon). The pastor will receive a letter that can be shared with the congregation. Find out more information about events here! Waiting until the next General Conference could offer a less expensive option for churches to exit the UMC. Key Resources Book of Discipline paragraph 2553 Example: If the three-year average of all the church funds is $100,000 and 20% of the members vote against disaffiliation, the terms for disaffiliation include a $20,000 Missional Transitional Support. Nearly half of the UMC congregations. 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. It took about an hour and a half for congregants to vote. It creates a right for congregations to request such transfer of property, and then only where local laws require the congregation's involvement in the transfer. Clarify please. Our special called church conference was held on January 23, 2023. Washington Daily News reached out to First United Methodist Church Reverends Ken Hall and Stephen Bazan for comment. the Book of Disciplines new Paragraph 2553, The United Methodist Churchs centuries-old trust clause, Church court clarifies disaffiliation rules. While paragraph 2553 authorizes the conference Trustees to develop the terms, they quickly realized that congregations leaving the denomination has a broad range of impact across the conference which they may not fully understand without obtaining feedback from a larger group and vetting the options. However, there are also disaffiliated churches in other regions, including the Northeast and West. What are the financial requirements in the Term Sheet? One of seven apportioned giving opportunities of The United Methodist Church, the General Administration Fund implements trustworthy administrative oversight, supports the legislative processes of the church and curates The United Methodist Churchs rich history. Following the worship service on Sunday, February 5,First Methodist Carrollton voted173 to 1 in favor of joining the Global Methodist [], Church family, Sunday was great! What will the congregation vote on to disaffiliate? Your district superintendent will help your congregation complete an intentional discernment process before a church conference to vote on disaffiliation is scheduled. Passed during the same legislative assembly the church law allows congregations to exit with property for reasons of conscience related to homosexuality if they meetcertain requirements. Read this blog post by long time Asbury Spiritual Formation and Wesleyan Studies professor, Steve Harper. 2553 are not insignificant. However, the pastor is the administrative officer of the church and, therefore, is an ex officio member of most committees of the local church. Dear Disaffiliating United Methodists: The pastors and lay members who are leading you to vote to leave the UMC tell you that your local church will remain the same as it always has been. That's okay! The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a mainline Protestant denomination that has been experiencing a decline in membership and disaffiliation in recent years. This number is expected to increase in the coming years as more churches consider disaffiliation. Therefore, as terms were developed, they sought feedback from the Cabinet, Chancellor, Benefits Officer and Treasurer which are all required by paragraph 2553. What will the conference do to ensure the well-being of clergy serving in congregations that decide to disaffiliate but he/she/they decide to stay in the UMC? There are other resources that may we may have that have not yet made it to this page. Some of the most common reasons include disagreements over theological issues, such as the ordination of gay and lesbian clergy, and concerns about the denominations organizational structure and decision-making processes. 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. About Us.. The church council should first determine: do we as leaders of the congregation believe our congregation wants to leave The United Methodist Church. During an annual conference held this week in Athens, 70. Can they vote when voting on the discernment process? Due diligence in all land transfers requires an accurate accounting of values of all properties, particularly if any costs of the transfer arerelated to the property itself. Clearly there is a substantial costs associated with the disaffiliation process. Why arent superintendents leading the disaffiliation and covenanting process? If all of the above steps are completed by March 31, 2023, the Annual Conference will vote at its May 2023 session. Section 2553 requires disaffiliation to occur on or before December 31, 2023. Any outstanding loans as identified by GNJ Loan Board; CFA or the GNJ Board of Trustees. Our goals with this FAQ are to provide clarity and accurate information about the process of disaffiliation for those who may be considering it and to dispel confusion. 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. While we do not know how other conferences will cover these costs, the GNJ Board of Trustees determined their fiscal responsibility was to avoid/minimize drawing from GNJ Designated Funds which are designed to fund GNJs Mission and priorities and to avoid/minimize increasing Shared Ministry Apportionments for congregations who elect to stay with GNJ.