41 more Texas churches leave United Methodist Church amid schism over homosexuality

Christian Post ^ | 03/07/2023 | Michael Gryboski

[Salman]

This particular time the United Methodist Church, but the Sodomy versus non-Sodomy divide cuts across denominational lines.

I use a capital "S" for "Sodomy" because it is the name of a religion as well as a sexual behavior. It is the official religion of the ruling class. Even people who don't care for it personally are OK with it and worship at the altar.

[jagusafr]

A proposal to implement this compromise was originally slated to take place at the UMC General Conference in May 2020. However, the COVID-19 pandemic prompted the event to be postponed.

What the report doesn’t say is that all the progressive and moderate participants withdrew their support for the Protocol for Separation at the same time the UMC hierarchy pushed back the GC to 2024 for the specific purpose of making sure African delegates who would have voted for separation couldn’t vote until after their terms expired. It was bald-faced deception and lies. THAT’s why the Wesleyan Covenant Association elected to move forward with the GMC - because of the repeated and open flouting of the very Book of Discipline the UMC leadership swore before God to uphold. It was less the human sexuality angle than the utter arrogance of the leadership.

[Keep It Holy]

Save for later.

[TexasM1A]

Good for them.

[Hman528]

the comments threw me off, regardless of that, it is sad so many churches of whichever denomination openly flaunt the acceptance of lifestyles God calls an abomination- and we wonder why America is so screwed up.

[Kandy Atz]

My oldest sister is a music director for a Methodist Church in the DFW area. They have really struggled through the years, many people left because of bad ministers, and then the pandemic did a number on attendance which they have yet to fully recover. They then voted to be a "reconciling church" which according to a website is, "committed to intersectional justice across and beyond the United Methodist connection, working for the full participation of all LGBTQ+ people throughout the life and leadership of the Church."

They are staying for now, but the church is now on the ropes. Leadership has given them two options: merge with a larger congregation, or shut down.

My sister, a former teacher and super compassionate progressive, can't seem to understand that love for an individual does not mean making them comfortable in their sin. And someone in open rebellion, has no business in church or even religious leadership. Its a fine line, since all Believers were once sinners. But we come to Christ and leave our old life behind. There are plenty of testimonies from the LGBT world of folks who were Born Again, and left that lifestyle behind - set free by Jesus. That should be the goal.

I pray for them all, because I see the pain being caused, the broken relationships, and even some young Believers being made scapegoats for the failure of this church. One, my nephew's wife, a young mother of two, kept their books for peanuts. The leadership accused her falsely, so she resigned. And like many young folks, will likely not return any time soon. I had a similar story in my youth, allowed older bullies to chase me away. I foolishly stopped attending Sunday school and youth events all through high school because of this.

It all comes down to who is in charge. These religious groups continue to put men and women in charge, and not Believers. Jesus is the HEAD and only Head of the Body. He needs to be firmly in charge. And the folks in leadership better be led by the Spirit.

I've been away from the UMC for some time. But it was a big part of my life, and my family going back to my circuit riding grandfather. I do not wish it to fail. But every church/denomination will eventually fail where Jesus is not in charge.

There was a prophetic word spoken several decades ago about turmoil coming to churches, with many fading and shutting down almost overnight. But new churches committed to the Word rising just as fast. I think that time is upon us.

[Monterrosa-24]

Tuesday night, I went to Epworth UMC in Phenix City, Alabama to vote yes on disaffiliation from the United Methodist Church. All professing members of the congregation could vote if they came in person, showed an ID, and signed in. The ballots were counted in front of the assembled faithful. A 2/3rds yes vote was required for disaffiliation. The vote went 190 yes and five voted no. Apparently, the LGBTQP momentum is facing some push back in Alabama. This was a defeat for the church leadership that mirrors shallow trendy thinking and a victory for those who believe in the veracity of scripture.

[mom aka the evil dictator]

Count me and my family in those numbers, except we left around 2005. We used to attend a small UMC that was fairly conservative. Subscribed to the Wesleyan Advocate and saw the writing on the wall with the push from California and the Northeast for inclusion. Hubby refused to support any denomination that allowed for perversions and voted with his feet, even though our parents, grandparents, and great grandparents had been members of the Methodist denomination. He was right (as usual) when he said that Satan had taken over the hierarchy.