Evicted by the UMC

[rockytopva]

The Asbury United Methodist church is located in Wythe County, VA and I believe the setting of the old Cripple Creek Camp Meeting....The Life of George Clark Rankin

I follow them on Facebook, have listened in online, and have visited the church. A recent Facebook post went like this...

As many of you may have already heard, our congregation was evicted from our Church grounds by a representative of the UMC yesterday for attempting to have a Drive In Worship Service and were threatened to be removed from the property by law enforcement if need be.

We have not had a working relationship with the UMC for some time over Biblical Authority and were in the process of ending our relationship with the UMC. That relationship is now over.

We will be Worshipping elsewhere. An announcement will be made soon about location. We ask that you pray for our congregation during this time. God is still moving in our midst and doing mighty things.

Asbury Church

 

[Tigger45]

Prayer that you guys to have a smooth transition

 

[bekkilyn]

We've been having drive in services for a while now and our Bishop has only made "recommendations" rather than strict rules so it's basically been up to each church as to how to do the services. I guess there was already so much division between the church and the conference there in VA that they were looking for any excuse?

 

[Methodized]

We've been having drive in services for a while now and our Bishop has only made "recommendations" rather than strict rules so it's basically been up to each church as to how to do the services. I guess there was already so much division between the church and the conference there in VA that they were looking for any excuse?

I wouldn’t guess or assume. There is no benefit to the conference in gaining an empty old church building to be responsible for. I would say there is more to the story than we have heard here.

 

[rockytopva]

I wouldn’t guess or assume. There is no benefit to the conference in gaining an empty old church building to be responsible for. I would say there is more to the story than we have heard here.

There is an old furniture store turned UMC in our area that did well and we attended that too. Every day of the week you would find many cars in the parking lot and the church was a magnet for young people.

And then.... Empty old church building! When I checked in on them they said the congregation had moved to some other location and the pastor had left the area. I have always suspected problems on the conference level and wrote the leadership telling them a large church that was a light to the community just folded and that it was a terrible thing. I probably could find out reasons, but the empty old church building is story enough.

 

[Radagast]

There is no benefit to the conference in gaining an empty old church building to be responsible for. I would say there is more to the story than we have heard here.

The UMC hierarchy in the US really hates some the conservative congregations. People are not necessarily being entirely rational here.

 

[Albion]

We have not had a working relationship with the UMC for some time over Biblical Authority and were in the process of ending our relationship with the UMC. That relationship is now over.

Good for you.

 

[Rawtheran]

The UMC hierarchy in the US really hates some the conservative congregations. People are not necessarily being entirely rational here.

To be fair many of the conservative churches especially those apart of the Wesleyan Covenant Association have been withholding conference apportionments and are trying to force a separation within the denomination. Given these two factors I can see why these congregations wouldn't exactly be too popular with the Bishop. his cabinet, and the conference as a whole

 

[Rawtheran]

The Asbury United Methodist church is located in Wythe County, VA and I believe the setting of the old Cripple Creek Camp Meeting....The Life of George Clark Rankin

I follow them on Facebook, have listened in online, and have visited the church. A recent Facebook post went like this...

As many of you may have already heard, our congregation was evicted from our Church grounds by a representative of the UMC yesterday for attempting to have a Drive In Worship Service and were threatened to be removed from the property by law enforcement if need be.

We have not had a working relationship with the UMC for some time over Biblical Authority and were in the process of ending our relationship with the UMC. That relationship is now over.

We will be Worshipping elsewhere. An announcement will be made soon about location. We ask that you pray for our congregation during this time. God is still moving in our midst and doing mighty things.

Asbury Church

I'm very sorry about how your congregation has been at offs with your Annual Conference. If anything I hope that your church will vote to leave the Annual Conference and align with a denomination that represents your values and beliefs.

 

[rockytopva]

I'm very sorry about how your congregation has been at offs with your Annual Conference. If anything I hope that your church will vote to leave the Annual Conference and align with a denomination that represents your values and beliefs.

They were forced by the denomination to either stop having drive-in church services or they were going to bring in the law enforcement. This church now meets under a tent and are now planning a summer revival...
Evicted by the UMC
Camp meeting revival

 

[bekkilyn]

It just goes to show how different conferences can be as we have been having drive-in services for weeks now, and so have many other churches in our conference.

 

[seeking.IAM]

I don't understand why one wouldn't be expecting to be evicted if your congregation was in process of ending its relationship with the UMC. In the UMC buildings are owned by the denomination, not the congregation -- just as it is in my church. If you aren't a part of the denomination, you don't get the building. I'm sorry to be unsympathetic but every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Eviction is a side effect of their ending their relationship and disobeying the Bishop's direction about worship during a pandemic. So be it.

 

[rockytopva]

I don't understand why one wouldn't be expecting to be evicted if your congregation was in process of ending its relationship with the UMC. In the UMC buildings are owned by the denomination, not the congregation -- just as it is in my church. If you aren't a part of the denomination, you don't get the building. I'm sorry to be unsympathetic but every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Eviction is a side effect of their ending their relationship and disobeying the Bishop's direction about worship during a pandemic. So be it.

I am thinking, from what I have learned, the problem is that they do not like the women bishops.

 

[seeking.IAM]

There is an interesting FB response by the church to a post saying, "I thought you were Methodist." The response was something like, "The building is but we haven't been for many years." (underlining is mine). Sounds like they been squatters for a while until the UMC had enough.

Denominations not congregations owning buildings is how it works in several denominations, but I understand it is a difficult thing for folks to grasp when they've think it's their building because they've been putting money in the plate every week to maintain, repair, and remodel it. While it's the Conference's building technically, you know the Conference isn't going to show up with a checkbook when it needs a new furnace. It's complicated for sure, but it is the way things are. It's sad that these things tear people apart.