Texas megachurch votes to leave UMC over homosexuality debate

Christian Post ^ | 12/26/2019 | Michael Gryboski

[SeekAndFind]

Grace Fellowship Church of Katy, Texas. In December 2019, the congregation voted to leave the United Methodist Church.

[Ouchthatonehurt]

In the end it is about true charity.

[PeterPrinciple]

My understanding is the church building belongs to UMC.

[Deaf Smith]

"is the church building belongs to UMC."

The land of Katy, Texas used to belong to kin on Mom's side.

The Brand was transfered to Bandera, Texas.

[SeekAndFind]

RE: My understanding is the church building belongs to UMC.

This is a large congregation, why can’t they purchase the building from UMC?

[ducttape45]

The congregation intends to affiliate with the Free Methodist Church

I hope the Free Methodist church in Texas is more conservative than in other parts of the country because it very quickly going down the same path at the UMC. I should know, I used to attend them and pastored a small FM church.

[ducttape45]

My guess, the UMC probably won’t let them. The denomination will probably lease the building out to people to form a new UMC church in it.

[ptsal]

Buying it twice

Like a bitter divorce

[PeterPrinciple]

RE: My understanding is the church building belongs to UMC.
This is a large congregation, why can’t they purchase the building from UMC?

---

Nothing like paying for your church twice..................

[Wuli]

Wow. I did not expect this, because I know there are a large number of Liberal UMC Churches working on a Liberal coalition to exit the UMC, and I assumed the UMC breakup would be invoked by them, first and mostly and not from the Conservative side.

[a fool in paradise]

At other churches I’ve seen refusal to sell the land/buildings to the congregations when they leave.

There is a corrupt national leadership of a lot of churches. They’ve been infiltrated by Leftists. Look at PCUSA.

[dfwgator]

There is a corrupt national leadership of a lot of churches. They’ve been infiltrated by Leftists. Look at PCUSA.

Look at the Pope.

[Salman]

From what I can see of the United Methodist in the Midwest, I thought they were already all the way gay.
Rainbow flags flying out front etc. Never been inside one.

[jdsteel]

That is FAR from a “mega church”, which describes a much larger congregation.

That said the UMC is working on “a way forward” that would permit churches to leave the UMC and not have to find a new place to worship. It’s true that the UMC (by the book of discipline) owns all property. That sounds great at first, unless the church has a mortgage. Then they are taking on the payments for a mostly empty building with practically no congregation to support it.

[fwdude]

Does the Free Methodist Church group ordain women? If it does, it is already lost.

[fwdude]

That is FAR from a “mega church”, which describes a much larger congregation.

The standard accepted definition is a congregation with an average weekly attendance of at least 2,000. While membership rolls may or may not reflect this number, that is the definition.

[fwdude]

Despite its vote for the somewhat “conservative” option, any church group that would put up for debate the acceptability of homosexuality, and all the baggage that comes with it, is already profligate.

These conservatives groups should have already been leaving in droves.

[sarge83]

The Southern Baptist Convention is in the process of going gay and getting ready for a huge fall off in churches in their convention. All the other denominations went liberal/gay and are dying. Our small church noted the latest idiocy from the SBC president accepting the 47 pronoun gender foolishness. In the coming year the pastor and deacons are going to recommend to the congregation we leave the SBC because they have decided to dump the Bible and truth for the shinny siren call of the gays and acceptance by the world.

[ducttape45]

Yes they do,in more liberal parts of the country. I think they even had a female bishop, but don't quote me at that. I know the Wesleyan denomination had a female bishop and that's one of the reasons I stopped attending that church as well.

It's getting harder and harder to find a biblically-based church body.

[V V Camp Enari 67-68]

If you have a strong and secure belief in God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit why do you need to have a church in your life?