Posted on 05/27/2026 7:36:41 AM PDT by fwdude
The United Methodist Church’s experience with the disaffiliations of a number of its congregations has received widespread coverage in church media and in some secular media outlets. Because the polity of the UMC differs from that of many other denominations, this chapter in our denomination’s history may be confusing to those with different approaches to the ways congregations and whole denominations govern themselves.
Some may find it helpful to learn of the steps that led to the disaffiliation process, what its effect has been upon the denomination and what it may hold for the future of the denomination in the United States. The following constitutes a brief overview of these concerns.
...
Some of the results of the disaffiliation process included:
- 25% of congregations left, and about the same proportion of members.
- The characteristics of churches leaving were remarkably similar to those staying, especially in the size of their average attendance.
- One notable exception is racial in that the majority race of 97.4% of disaffiliating churches was white, whereas for all United Methodist churches, the percentage white was 89.6%.
- Before the disaffiliation process began, the Southeast (known as the Southeastern Jurisdiction) made up 35% of all churches. However, 50% of the disaffiliating churches came from the Southeastern Jurisdiction.
- The greatest variations in disaffiliations occurred at the regional level of annual conferences, where the range was from no disaffiliating churches to one conference where 81% of the churches left.
(Excerpt) Read more at baptistnews.com ...
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I'll strongly disagree with his point on the size of the congregations leaving. From my observations, the congregations disaffiliating tended to be the larger ones, mega-churches in some instances, and the ones staying a small and dying congregations.
The UMC brand is generic feminine protestant church. The majority of the individual churches have Terminal demographics.
The 2030s will be an extinction level event for the UMC
Anyone in Methodism when I was in Methodism (60s-80s) knew that the creation of the United Methodist Church was essentially convincing the Southern Methodists (as in SMU) to join the rest. Southern Methodists have always been theologically and politically more conservative than the rest of the UMC, but couldn't force a re-splitting until they allied with the African bishops, who share their conservatism. The Global Methodists are the small o orthodox, the United Methodists are the leftist heretics.
From Wikipedia: “In 1968, the United States section of the EUB merged with the Methodist Church to form the United Methodist Church, while the Canadian section joined the United Church of Canada.”
Also from Wikipedia: “The Evangelical United Brethren Church (EUB) was a North American Protestant denomination from 1946 to 1968 with Arminian theology, roots in the Mennonite and German Reformed communities, and close ties to Methodism.”
As a teenager in 1968, I remember the discussion about the merger in the Methodist Church that I was a member of.
The Emo Phillips joke:
Once I saw this guy on a bridge about to jump. I said, “Don’t do it!” He said, “Nobody loves me.” I said, “God loves you. Do you believe in God?”
He said, “Yes.” I said, “Are you a Christian or a Jew?” He said, “A Christian.” I said, “Me, too! Protestant or Catholic?” He said, “Protestant.” I said, “Me, too! What franchise?” He said, “Baptist.” I said, “Me, too! Northern Baptist or Southern Baptist?” He said, “Northern Baptist.” I said, “Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist or Northern Liberal Baptist?”
He said, “Northern Conservative Baptist.” I said, “Me, too! Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region, or Northern Conservative Baptist Eastern Region?” He said, “Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region.” I said, “Me, too!”
Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1879, or Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912?” He said, “Northern Conservative Baptist Great Lakes Region Council of 1912.”
I said, “Die, heretic!” And I pushed him over.
A small rural church near me had to double the size of its parking lot after disaffiliating.
Lol!
And a lot that stayed in to close their doors.
I remember the week that the USSC decided to push Queer mirage on the entire country in 2015. That same week, a UMC church near me posted a "closing - last service" on their marquee sign.
It was so fitting.
Denominational mergers happen only because the existing sects can’t make it on their own because of poor theology or gross mismanagement.
It’s a sure sign to flee. The resultant beast will be less biblical.
A favorite.
I was raised UM and I swore never to go again 40 years ago. They were bad even then. Now they are worse.
All four of the large Methodist churches in our city (well, one was large, but has grown smaller over the last few years) stayed with the gays. Makes sense, as the area has been overrun by Yankees fleeing the economic devastation of California, the Pacific northwest, and Northeast.
I grew up Methodist ,but the now pro pedophile, Homo, Tranny sec.
is disgusting . Everyone i grew up, looking up to in our church, is long gone and are spinning in their graves. What a shame
I was about to say about the same. I left when I found out they were supporting Gazans instead of Israelis. I don’t go to church anymore. I watch services on TV, read my Bible, and pray often. I know I “should” find a church, but I’ve become a bit of a recluse in the last few years. The Bible tells us to fellowship, but I just don’t like most people these days...lol
My family particularly my Dad's side was United Methodist.
When I took father in after my mother died, the church he had been attending closed down.
It was a small congregation of pretty old lifelong Methodists.
The nail in the coffin was the denomination had a sent a African woman whose English was challenged to pastor this church where there could not have been a larger bridge in cultural background.
Two years of her and the church was done.
It probably would have closed anyway but maybe not as soon.
I was recently talking to my cousin who lives in a fairly affluent very white community and he told me the UMC church he was attending had an African pastor who was hard to understand.
I wonder how many of the disaffiliated mentioned in the article has similar experiences to my father and cousin.
Ping...
We have seen some dramatic changes in her old church during the disaffiliation period. When my wife left, they had two female ministers, one of which gave the appearance of being lesbian. I don't know if she was or not, but she is gone now, the other one preached her last sermon a couple weeks ago, and we attended, because she is a friend of my wife. Truth be told, it was the best sermon I have ever heard her preach. It was biblical, meaningful, and pointed to Christ. For a PCA guy to compliment a female teacher/preacher took a lot. Both female ministers are being replaced with males. So there is some hope
On the flip side, I also work with TrailLife USA assisting troops and churches with their programs. One of my troops is chartered to a former UMC church that has joined the Congregational Methodist Church, and is very right on in their teaching and polity. This church is within walking distance from my house, and we have attended a few functions there as well. It is also my voting location.
I pray for the folks in the UMC, and the former UMC that they would receive right teaching and enjoy true fellowship with Christ and other believers, and would be good examples of Christ to their communities. I also pray for the more orthodox among us that we would love them the way that Christ would have us do.
Ooo the ones that left were more white and southern..
All that means is the more urban churches are more open to clear heresy... not surprising.
I briefly attended a PCUSA with my wife... the congregation was fine, but what they preached from the pulpit was garbage.
They had a female minister who literally would read scriptures and anytime there was a masculine pronoun or even a noun, that wasn’t proper, she would add the effemine, whether it made any sense or not.
Example:
Letter from Paul...
“When I was a boy (or girl) I....”
I can assure you, PAUL was NEVER a girl... doing this made absolutely no sense, but she did it all the time...
And he (or she) said unto them...
Currently wife attends some non denominational church... Believe it or not, they are far more accurate in their teachings than the PCUSA church ever was when I attended.... I don’t really care for the 20 minute christian pop concert they start every service with... Just find it odd, but if it works for them so be it.
For context, I was raised Catholic, attended catholic school etc. I find most “modern” churches highly lacking that I have attended. Even Catholic churches that were built after they abandoned classical architecture do not have the same impact.
There is something profound and humbling about a classical church building... it hits you at a level right out of the gate.
To be fair, I have also attending service in other denominations with classical church structures, that offered absolute blasphemy from the pulpit.
I am not remotely defending ever action of the Catholic Church, and this Pope has said things that make me wonder if he’s ever even opened a Bible.. and the previous one was clearly either homosexual himself, or controlled by the homosexual cabal that has festered in the Catholic Church since the late 60s.
To this day, I fully believe Benedict was forced out because he underestimated just how powerful that Homosexual Cabal is within it, and how big it is.
Until you get a pope from Africa or perhaps Central of South America, I don’t think there is any real hope this cancer will be purged.
You know he had to get that dig in.
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