United Methodist Church schism

[Anonymous]

Well, I thought it would come to this and it has. The UMC will split into two denominations with the UMC maintaining the reconciling ministry allowing LGBT clergy and allowing clergy to perform gay marriages.

A new "traditional Methodist" denomination will spin off that will follow the traditional plan that was voted on last year and set to be implemented starting yesterday that would bar clergy from conducting gay marriages and ordaining gay clergy.

I really think it is for the best. Much like this country, the UMC has been sharply divided and polarized by this difference in opinion with predominantly the non-US churches wanting to follow the traditional plan and about 3/4 of the American churches that wanted to continue with the former policies. The non-US churches and the smaller demographic of conservative US churches will spin off.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2020/01/03/united-methodist-church-is-expected-split-over-gay-marriage-disagreement-fracturing-nations-third-largest-denomination/

[Anonymous]

I expected this as well, but today’s announcement really surprised me. (The timing of it.)
And then a vote in May at the conference to confirm this change? So I’m not sure what this means between now and then.
Also, I fear my wonderful congregation will lose several families (some of whom have already left the church). Too bad these folks are the big donors.
Our Northern VA church took a poll of sorts and the majority is for inclusion, so I expect my church to stay UMC; just sad that now I expect some folks to feel forced to decide to go or stay.

[Anonymous]

I know. I haven’t been attending my (non-DMV) due to homophobia that has just been getting worse in the congregation. So sad, because they drove out the choir director who also brought in various middle/high school students to provide instrumental music, and those were the kids who were primarily not interested in attending anywhere. Now, I don’t know if they’re going to stay or go; either way, they will likely not have enough congregation left to pay for upkeep on the historical building.

[Anonymous]

Lifelong Methodist and I'm pleased to see this. So much time, energy and emotion has gone into this one issue. Hopefully both denominations can move ahead with the true church mission now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I expected this as well, but today’s announcement really surprised me. (The timing of it.)
And then a vote in May at the conference to confirm this change? So I’m not sure what this means between now and then.
Also, I fear my wonderful congregation will lose several families (some of whom have already left the church). Too bad these folks are the big donors.
Our Northern VA church took a poll of sorts and the majority is for inclusion, so I expect my church to stay UMC; just sad that now I expect some folks to feel forced to decide to go or stay.

OP here. The timing does not surprise me at all since the traditional plan was effective January 1, 2020. There had to be an announcement of some sort around now otherwise there would be a lot more friction. I know that in our church, things have been getting more and more tense since Thanksgiving with the enforcement of the traditional plan on the horizon. It was a major concern and mentioned every week at services that the committee that was reviewing our church's position was meeting, looking for volunteers, etc.

I know that the implementation of the traditional plan would have made significant changes in the way services and general church business was conducted in our church and several other local churches, so they had to have some announcement by mid-January at the latest, especially since a significant number of American churches were against the traditional plan. I'm especially glad that they have postponed implementation of the traditional plan disciplines until after the May conference and vote.

[Anonymous]

I don’t understand the breakaways. It’s the same for a Anglicans who “broke away” from the Episcopal church. The church leadership set the existing policies, and there are a million other churches and denominations that don’t like women and/or gay people. Go there if that’s your thing, because fundamentally that’s what it’s about.

[Anonymous]

I wonder what the future holds for the UMC. If they go the route of Episcopal churches, then it will be a slow death. Is liberalism the death of many mainline Protestant churches? I see so many beautiful and historical churches with empty seats. It seems like many mainline Christian denominations are loosing membership besides their converts in Africa and in Asia. However, mega conservative churches and prosperity preaching churches are growing like weeds all over the country.

I began witnessing the division of the UMC 22 years ago. I am just surprised that it took this long for a schism to occur.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wonder what the future holds for the UMC. If they go the route of Episcopal churches, then it will be a slow death. Is liberalism the death of many mainline Protestant churches? I see so many beautiful and historical churches with empty seats. It seems like many mainline Christian denominations are loosing membership besides their converts in Africa and in Asia. However, mega conservative churches and prosperity preaching churches are growing like weeds all over the country.

I began witnessing the division of the UMC 22 years ago. I am just surprised that it took this long for a schism to occur.

I think it will follow the trend of the divided Presbyterians — the conservative PCA is thriving while the liberal PCUSA is losing members.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wonder what the future holds for the UMC. If they go the route of Episcopal churches, then it will be a slow death. Is liberalism the death of many mainline Protestant churches? I see so many beautiful and historical churches with empty seats. It seems like many mainline Christian denominations are loosing membership besides their converts in Africa and in Asia. However, mega conservative churches and prosperity preaching churches are growing like weeds all over the country.

I began witnessing the division of the UMC 22 years ago. I am just surprised that it took this long for a schism to occur.

I think it will follow the trend of the divided Presbyterians — the conservative PCA is thriving while the liberal PCUSA is losing members.

Yep. I wouldn’t be surprised if mainline Protestantism is dead by the end of the century. Sad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand the breakaways. It’s the same for a Anglicans who “broke away” from the Episcopal church. The church leadership set the existing policies, and there are a million other churches and denominations that don’t like women and/or gay people. Go there if that’s your thing, because fundamentally that’s what it’s about.

I left the Methodist Church two years because I got sick of the constant celebrating of the LGBTQ community. Go be whoever you want. I really don’t care. But I don’t attend church to celebrate you and your cause. I go there to worship Christ and this LGBTQ issue has, in my opinion, taken the focus off of Christ.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wonder what the future holds for the UMC. If they go the route of Episcopal churches, then it will be a slow death. Is liberalism the death of many mainline Protestant churches? I see so many beautiful and historical churches with empty seats. It seems like many mainline Christian denominations are loosing membership besides their converts in Africa and in Asia. However, mega conservative churches and prosperity preaching churches are growing like weeds all over the country.

I began witnessing the division of the UMC 22 years ago. I am just surprised that it took this long for a schism to occur.

I think it will follow the trend of the divided Presbyterians — the conservative PCA is thriving while the liberal PCUSA is losing members.

We toured 22 churches in town over the last 9 months....everything from mega churches to traditional. The traditional Presbyterian church won us over. There are a lot of 30 somethings with children.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand the breakaways. It’s the same for a Anglicans who “broke away” from the Episcopal church. The church leadership set the existing policies, and there are a million other churches and denominations that don’t like women and/or gay people. Go there if that’s your thing, because fundamentally that’s what it’s about.

I left the Methodist Church two years because I got sick of the constant celebrating of the LGBTQ community. Go be whoever you want. I really don’t care. But I don’t attend church to celebrate you and your cause. I go there to worship Christ and this LGBTQ issue has, in my opinion, taken the focus off of Christ.

Well lucky for you, you can have your hate church back.

One thing this will be good for is forcing the bigots to own it openly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wonder what the future holds for the UMC. If they go the route of Episcopal churches, then it will be a slow death. Is liberalism the death of many mainline Protestant churches? I see so many beautiful and historical churches with empty seats. It seems like many mainline Christian denominations are loosing membership besides their converts in Africa and in Asia. However, mega conservative churches and prosperity preaching churches are growing like weeds all over the country.

I began witnessing the division of the UMC 22 years ago. I am just surprised that it took this long for a schism to occur.

I am a pretty liberal person and I attend a "conservative" church now but I have attended so many different denominations throughout my adult life, just to see how different denominations celebrate on Sunday morning.

Mainline protestant churches felt incredibly soulless to me. It was like everybody was there to go through the motions, which we don't need to do in a modern society. You don't have to go to church if you are not really into it. Let's face it, there is a lot of weird stuff in Christianity and mainline churches dilute the weird stuff so much it's just a shell. For example, some churches venerate saints. Some, probably most, of the stories of the saints are bizarre and disturbing and just plain weird. The Catholic and Orthodox Church include the Book of Tobit in their canon. Go read the wikipedia entry on that, I dare you. I think without some of this stuff, church is really really boring and just doesn't connect with people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wonder what the future holds for the UMC. If they go the route of Episcopal churches, then it will be a slow death. Is liberalism the death of many mainline Protestant churches? I see so many beautiful and historical churches with empty seats. It seems like many mainline Christian denominations are loosing membership besides their converts in Africa and in Asia. However, mega conservative churches and prosperity preaching churches are growing like weeds all over the country.

I began witnessing the division of the UMC 22 years ago. I am just surprised that it took this long for a schism to occur.

This has been the case since the early 80’s.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand the breakaways. It’s the same for a Anglicans who “broke away” from the Episcopal church. The church leadership set the existing policies, and there are a million other churches and denominations that don’t like women and/or gay people. Go there if that’s your thing, because fundamentally that’s what it’s about.

I left the Methodist Church two years because I got sick of the constant celebrating of the LGBTQ community. Go be whoever you want. I really don’t care. But I don’t attend church to celebrate you and your cause. I go there to worship Christ and this LGBTQ issue has, in my opinion, taken the focus off of Christ.

Methodists are watered down Catholics. Since you're so conservative, convert to Catholicism