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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowMore than 6,000 United Methodist congregations—a fifth of the U.S. total—have now received permission to leave the denomination amid a schism over theology and the role of LGBTQ people in the nation’s second-largest Protestant denomination.
Those figures emerge following the close of regular meetings in June for the denomination’s regional bodies, known as annual conferences. The departures began with a trickle in 2019—when the church created a four-year window of opportunity for U.S. congregations to depart over LGBTQ-related issues—and cascaded to its highest level this year.
Some 6,182 congregations have received approval to disaffiliate since 2019, according to an unofficial tally by United Methodist News Service, which has been tracking votes by annual conferences. That figure is 4,172 for this year alone, it reported.
United Methodist Churches of Indiana has approved the disaffiliation of 317 churches in total, including 174 this year and 105 in 2022. Alabama, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas and Pennsylvania have seen the most disaffiliations.
Church law forbids the marriage or ordination of “self-avowed, practicing homosexuals,” but many conservatives have chosen to leave amid a growing defiance of those bans in many U.S. churches and conferences.
Many of the departing congregations are joining the Global Methodist Church, a denomination created last year by conservatives breaking from the UMC, while others are going independent or joining different denominations.
Some annual conferences may approve more departures at special sessions later this year, according to the Rev. Jay Therrell, president of the Wesleyan Covenant Association, a conservative caucus that has advocated for the exiting churches. While most UMC congregations are remaining, many of the departing congregations are large, and denominational officials are bracing for significant budget cuts in 2024.
The numbers of exiting churches are higher than conservatives originally estimated, Therrell said.
Legal wrangles have largely been resolved over how much compensation the departing congregations must be paid for their property and other financial obligations.
“For the most part, bishops and other annual conference leaders have been very gracious, and I deeply appreciate that,” Therrell said. “There have been some small exceptions to that, and those are unfortunate, but we’re grateful that cooler and calmer heads have prevailed.”
Bishop Thomas Bickerton, president of the UMC’s Council of Bishops, said the departures were disappointing.
“I don’t think any of us want to see any of our churches leave,” he said. “We’re called to be the body of Christ, we’re called to be unified. There’s never been a time when the church has not been without conflict, but there’s been a way we’ve worked through that.”
But for those who want “to go and live out their Christian faith in a new expression, we wish God’s blessings on them,” he said.
The split has been long in the making, mirroring controversies that have led to splits in other mainline Protestant denominations. United Methodist legislative bodies, known as general conferences, have repeatedly reinforced bans on LGBTQ marriage and ordination, on the strength of coalitions of conservatives in U.S. and overseas churches.
But amid increased defiance of those bans in many U.S. churches, many conservatives decided to launch the separate Global Methodist Church, saying they believed the sexuality issues reflected deeper theological differences.
The departures have been particularly large in the South and Midwest, with states such as Texas, Alabama, Kentucky and Ohio each losing hundreds of congregations.
In some areas, United Methodists have designated “lighthouse” or similarly named congregations, with a mission for receiving members who wanted to stay United Methodists but whose churches were leaving. The GMC has begun planting new churches, including in areas where United Methodist congregations have remained in that denomination.
With these departures, progressives are expected to propose changing church law at the next General Conference in 2024 to allow for same-sex marriage and the ordination of LGBTQ people.
The United Methodist Church has about 6.5 million members in the United States and at least that many abroad, according to its website. The U.S. membership has been in steady decline, while the overseas membership has grown, particularly in Africa.
Therrell said there will be efforts at the 2024 General Conference to provide overseas churches a legal way to disaffiliate, similar to what U.S. congregations have had.
The GMC says about 3,000 churches so far have affiliated with the new denomination, with more expected.
Bickerton said it’s time for United Methodists remaining in the denomination to refocus their work.
“Quite often, when you’re pressed, you begin to exhibit creativity,” he said. “We’re pivoting away from what we were into what our next expression is going to be.” Budgets will be smaller, but “this is our opportunity to refashion the church for relevance in the 21st century and really focus on evangelism.”
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Ironic that by leaving, these icky bigots may actually make the UMC much better church overall. It’s sure a miracle when the trash takes itself out!
Well said…
So hilarious thinking that “icky bigots” will make the UMC a “better church overall”, when the evidence of churches thriving when they become pro-gay or woke sits squarely at zero. Zilch.
Episcopalians did it years ago. They keep on shrinking.
The Indy denom, Disciples of Christ, is also largely pro-gay and will likely cease to exist by 2050.
Lutherans, Presbyterians, American Baptists….
Funny thing is, I still think it’s entirely their right to go down this path of “open and affirming”–it’s also their right to bear the consequences when their own congregation sees that the church bends its knee to every trendy social movement and thus stands for nothing. So it’s perfectly enjoyable watching these old-timey denominations continue their decline to irrelevancy.
Narrow is the gate, Charles.
With Christ’s love,
An icky trashy bigot.
I was baffled and disappointed that a UMC church I had been a member of all my life disaffiliated, but still holds the exclusionary practice towards the LBTGQ+ community.
I left the church in 2019 over openly bigoted and derogatory comments over immigration issues. So sad.
I am now visiting affirming churches on Indy’s NW side such as Zionsville Christian Church and St. Lukes on 86th street. Idid go with a friend to the enormously popular Traders Point Christian Church but disappointed they too, are non-confirming.
So many things have changed in 2,000 years. Congregations laugh and look away on the many sins taught in the Bible that are everyday norms today.
Can you please explain the terms affirming and non-conforming?
Kim, “affirming” basically means a church that doesn’t judge those who are in same-sex relationships. Or at least that’s what it meant. Something I used to feel was delightful and kind until I became the goggle-eyed reactionary I am today. Yet I’m still liberal enough to say: let these stupid woke churches fall on their own swords.
Virtually every “open and affirming” church claims to support immigrants and refugees–which means, of course, putting a sign out front that says “immigrants are welcome here”. Maybe a clothing drive. Nothing else. Certainly none of the posh people are requesting to use the church common area to serve as immigrant housing–or, G-d forbid, these people’s own private residences. Since these churches are full of posh birds from Meridian Kessler, they never have to think about the consequences of out-of-control immigration on working class communities on the east side or west side who have to compete with said “migrants” for jobs and housing.
But, more importantly, once you open Pandora’s box a tiny crack, other nasties come through. The churches that accept gays also accept shacking up among any and all couples, make no judgment toward reconciling adulterous couples toward their failings, will turn a blind eye toward polyamorous “thruples” in the interest of “tolerance”, and are cracking their knuckles as they seek to have “conversations with grace and understanding” toward pedop—AHEM!–“minor attracted persons”.
Its no small relief that woke churches comprise a disproportionate share of the houses of worship that are expediting Christianity’s decline in the west. Such arrogance to think people are smart enough to figure out a perfect civilization on earth without divine guidance. But, we’ve been there before.
Some of those are leaving because they are smaller congregations that, after losing members during Covid, can no longer afford to be part of the denomination. My home town church could no longer afford a full time pastor, the conference would not help them find a part time pastor, so they took the opportunity to leave the denomination but remain a congregation. Not saying this is the majority, but wanted to provide an example of some leaving not due to theology.
This story, like most in the media, does not tell the deeper truth: an overwhelming percentage of those congregations leaving, are made up of 150 members or less. In many Indiana cases–it’s 100 or less.
The IN Methodist Church has retained about 70% of its members.
Kim B: Affirming churches do not discriminate against LGBTQ members or clergy.
Those who are leaving demanded a change in exit payments, late in the game, but that was OK. Both sides in this long battle now have denominations where they’ll feel comfortable, and that’s a win.
At this point, Rick, an “overwhelming percentage” of United Methodist Churches as a whole “are made up of 150 members or less”. As is the case with Episcopalian churches, Lutheran, United Church of Christ, Disciples of Christ (Indy’s own denomination), these churches minister to mostly empty sanctuaries on Sundays. And the median age of the remaining congregants is about 65.
To pretend that it’s just small churches leaving the UMC is a failure to acknowledge that, in this day and age, most UMC churches are small.
Well, that’d be Ok if you were correct. The average UMC church in Indiana has 441 members. That’s not small.
With rare exception, the departing churches are small. And not growing. I’m not “pretending” anything. Because facts are very stubborn things.
That does not imply that their desires are unworthy. I clearly stated that both views now have a church home where they’re free to be what they’re comfortable with…and that’s a win for all.
I also reiterated that the congregations who are leaving sought to rewrite the exit rules–which is accurate. I will always wonder if they’d have been as gracious if the tables were flipped–which was a distinct possibility until the last General Conference.
As a longtime faithful Wesley follower, I’m pretty sure John Wesley would smile at this solution. Departing congregations pay an exit fee, less than previously determined, and they’re free to be whatever they like, wherever they like. Pensions are covered in either case, which is extremely important to those who’ve invested their life in church work. The Methodist institutions remain Methodist (hospitals, colleges).