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!
I attended an ACNA church about a month and a half ago. The people were extremely friendly. Seriously.
But the order of worship was impossible for a newcomer. The people tried to help, but it was a maze of switching books, known traditions, and complicated activities.
They truly need a blow by blow sheet for newcomers. Steps 1 through 37 with preprinted words.
And the people truly did try to help and truly were very friendly.
“And it will delay getting free of the Lgbtq crowd for about a decade of legal fighting.”
I think there will be enough of that fighting for the next decade regardless.
Yep. The progressive centrist UMC is just another cover for the democrat party.
Not the way this is written. It’ll be over for many by 2021 and for most by 2024.
I’ve long awaited this day.
Good for a start. Now, to split this unholy United States into separate republics is the next step.
Maybe you are right.
BUT, expect, over the next decade, some congregations are right how “fence sitters” and less sure either way, preferring some “middle ground”. Some of them may vote one way initially, but switch to the “other branch” over the next decade as organizational things get sorted out.
Good question, sounds like the totalitarian leftist have placed themselves at the head of the origination like they do every organization then pretended to represent it while working to abolish what it was founded to stand for.
The liberal church will die either way, its sad that they have created such unfair terms to force so much of the existing organization to die with them.
A faith that disregards the clear teachings of the bible is not really a faith at all, its a lawless group making it up as they go, who at best believe in the humans that lead them. Not the infinite wisdom of our timeless God as written down for us in the bible.
Ironically no different than anther idea a ‘living constitution’ is no constitution at all its just a handful of oligarchs dictating law on a case by case basis.
One of the two big Methodist churches in Tulsa went all-in for queers with a special booth for them.
We heard donaations went south.
I find myself insulted. But I guess that I should not be surprised. The predominantly American leadership of the UMC has been thoroughly infiltrated by the Progressive types. As in our larger society, their control over the bureaucracy and funding is being used to thwart the will of the majority. (And yes, crap like that gets guys like President Trump elected eventually.)
I consider myself a centrist here, but I am not going to stick around if my own congregation votes to punk out and go Libtard--a distinct possibility here in Northern Virginia. I expect the Virginia Annual Conference to go Libtard.
I am supposed to go to some training in a couple of weeks at the church led by one of the ringleaders of the "Progressive" faction. I hope that I don't run into him because I might say something uncivil.
It may end up like the baptist vs southern baptist where the ratio is like 1 to 5. Its rather difficult to sustain a church that doesn’t stand for anything other than what its leaders of the day happen to believe. Sooner or later you end up with leaders and believes that just don’t make any sense with regard to what you started with.
There are churches who assemble all the pieces in a more detailed “bulletin” that contains all the scriptures and prayers and hymns so you don’t have to search them out in separate books. This is done weekly and it can run to 6 or 8 pages in the leaflet size. This makes it easy for newcomers to participate and old-timers too. Wish that particular church had done that.
They finally told them to go be Methodist Gay somewhere else.
Yes, but if the conservatives leave, there goes a lot of money. Loss of membership from my former Congregational Church in Maine is causing a severe strain on their finances. My prediction, the conservate Methodist church will see a rebirth and increased membership; the liberal church will see a loss of members and be a rump demonination.
“I would imagine the conservatives get to keep their churches, so lm all for it.”
All church property belongs to the national church, not the individual churches, even though most church buildings were acquired through the financial contributions and sweat of the local congregation. The plan specifically states the church buildings and properties remain with the United Methodist Church when a split occurs. The new traditional church receives only $25 million. Churches do not have to vote to stay, only to leave. Those churches who are controlled by progressives will not be having a vote.
Consider if out of the 32,000 congregations, 10% decide to leave to form the traditionalist church. The $25 million “settlement” equals only about $7000 per church. Is this progressive plan an example of progressive Christian charity?
Once the schism occurs, how will the progressives behave. Will they seek to punish the traditionalists by raising the rent on church? Will they sell the church buildings out from under traditional congregations worshiping there? Is the real plan to jettison the conservatives and crush them financially? Sadly the history of the progressive/socialist/communist movement has been to crush and annihilate any opposition. Will this be any different?
They are already split. Have been for many decades. They just haven’t formalized it yet.
After 35 years I may have a spiritual home again.
It’s gonna be interesting to see what happens. Heck, if a local UMC church really goes conservative and “biblical” in their teachings I may even check it out.
John Wesley And the Holiness Movement will be reborn,
.... if a local UMC church really goes conservative and “biblical” in their teachings I may even check it out.
I think that will happen to a LOT of local UMC churches...attendance will increase!
Thank Hollywood, the media, but especially the government school system. When Christians stop sending their children into these cesspools, perhaps the culture will change. Until then, no complaining..
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