Yes, the UMC is asking our church to pay them money if we leave. Not to mention, they retain most of the investments and other assets of the UMC.
“Yes, the UMC is asking our church to pay them money if we leave”
There is a tiny “out” situation for some very old churches. “If the land or building was donated privately when first built by an individual, the UMC can’t take it away.” I had a couple of country churches whose land & buildings were donated, so the conference couldn’t get them. What is happening to the mainline churches is either very sad or a shaking of God’s plans. UMC has been going down for a long time. Some of it’s standards were not always fair to the pastors. Retirement is mandatory at age 70. If you don’t want to retire they will send you out to fill pulpits of churches on their last legs, for whatever the remaining members decide they can afford. I hung in at small churches until I was 85. Some of the full time churches have shut down. So sad.