Posted on 01/03/2020 10:42:52 AM PST by xzins
United Methodism moved closer to formal schism with a new proposal released today negotiated with liberal and conservative groups, including bishops. The plan would divide the nearly 13 million member global denomination into separate conservative and liberal communions.
The mediator for these negotiations was Kenneth Feinberg, the Washington, D.C. attorney best known as Special Master of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund.
Under this plan, conferences (Methodism’s version of dioceses or presbyteries) could vote by 2021 to join the conservative denomination by a 57% vote. Local churches by 2024 could vote by majority. The conservative denomination would get $25 million from current denominational assets.
If the quadrennial General Conference approves this plan in May, when it meets in Minneapolis, the two separate denominations would start there immediately, with separate General Conferences. The liberal church of course would delete United Methodism’s current affirmation of sex only within male/female marriage.
This denominational schism would be historic and largely the first of its kind since the 1840s when Methodists and Baptists divided regionally over slavery.
It’s likely the General Conference, even if it approves this plan, will amend it.
My prediction: General Conference will approve a version of this plan. During several subsequent years of sorting, United Methodism’s current 6.7 million members in the USA will drop to about 6 million. About 2.5 million will join the conservative church, and about 3.5 million will be in the liberal church. Nearly all the 5.5 million overseas members, mostly in Africa, will join conservative church, so the conservative denomination will have about 8 million members globally.
This process will be messy and often tragic. Many local congregations will divide and die. But United Methodism is already dying in America. This division will allow evangelistic-minded Methodism to plant new congregations and grow. American Christianity and society desperately need a theologically cohesive rejuvenated Methodism.
I’m looking forward to participating in a Methodist revival!
“This denominational schism would be historic and largely the first of its kind since the 1840s when Methodists and Baptists divided regionally over slavery.”
The Un-United Methodists.
Just shift two letters to Untied Methodists.
Methodists are splitting over the issue of homosexuality?
I never thought I would see homosexuality become so prominent, as to cause schisms in religion .
Why is it the conservatives that need to leave? The conservatives have had the majority at every general assembly, which is why the liberals want to separate?
So why are the conservatives at a disadvantage?
Why do conservatives get only a small fraction of the financial assets of the current denomination?
Why is the presumption that conservatives have to vote to leave, with a threshold set above 50%.
Why are individual churches unable to vote to leave for four years after the liberals take absolute control of the now United Soviet Social Methodist denomination. Conservative members will leave far before and there will not be enough conservatives left to even be a majority in their own churches.
Thirty something years ago the talk was about the “gay agenda”, which of course was denied. But I remember those warning of the agenda saying their goal was to “infiltrate churches”.... here we are, and have been for a while.
Not much difference between the current pope, the lesbian episcopal priests, universalist churches, and some presbyterian and lutheran (I am referring to the ones who are so left, they are fine with gay priests/pastors, and abortion, etc. )...these all ought to start a new cult, BKQ (baby killing queers). Sad, but satan is happy with these folks.
Didn’t they just have a conference to settle this?
When leftists are involved, nothing is ever settled until they(leftists) say it is.
I think the liberals didn’t like the outcome so screw you guys we’re going home and start splitting off.
>> So why are the conservatives at a disadvantage?
Because we are good, Godly people. Annual Conferences have become virtual Pride Parades and the Conservatives are kind enough to just not say anything to them about it. The Humanists have set the narrative by forbidding us from calling practicing homosexuality a sin by referring to it as “same sex attraction”. They argue against God’s morals in favor of society as the decider of morality.
So, as the Bible tells us, we will gradually lose as the Humanists teach their ungodliness as truth. But, God does win in the end and all those apostate Elders who strut around in their rainbow stoles will get their just punishment.
Tooley speaks of the “liberal church” in the article. He is wrong. There is nothing liberal left there. It will be the Humanist Church. Whatever it takes to rescue the believers of the Bible from that is worth it.
John Wesley And the Holiness Movement would be greatly saddened
Yes. The Progs lost, so its not settled.
When they win, then it’s settled.
They did have a clear vote on this at the last General Assembly. The conservatives clearly won, and the liberals clearly lost.
One reason for the conservative majority, is that the African churches, which originally were started as missionary churches, but are now vibrant and growing, voted almost 100% with the conservatives.
When liberals win, they call for everyone to respect the decision and move on with no more dissent or discussion. When liberals lose, they demand to change the rules, which is exactly what the this separation proposal is.
Liberals who cannot in good conscience abide by the rules of the church should do the honorable thing and leave. The churche buildings and institutions that they want to seize control over, were built and paid for by generations of Methodists, who would be voted almost 100% with the conservatives.
“I’m looking forward to participating in a Methodist revival!”
I pray for revival throughout the land among all denominations.
... Methodists are splitting over the issue of homosexuality?
Who in their right mind would follow a Shepard that cannot enter into the Kingdom of God?, or honor a path that does the same?
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