What Are You Going to Do When the UMC Splits?

[Rawtheran]

I'm staying regardless because my home church would just join the conservative denomination that would arise from the split. If I'm not mistaken I believe that the Bishop in my conference has told the DS's to make preparations for a possible split and have been very careful in where they are placing pastors.

 

[Striver]

The worst case is that the UMC loses everyone interested in the Methodist social witness and the largest evangelical congregations, and can't attract either evangelicals or moderates.

I believe the political term for this would be Balkanization. Pragmatically, this would seem to be the most likely scenario at this point, I agree. It's difficult to imagine any of the via media solutions taking shape.

I'm staying regardless because my home church would just join the conservative denomination that would arise from the split. If I'm not mistaken I believe that the Bishop in my conference has told the DS's to make preparations for a possible split and have been very careful in where they are placing pastors.

I'm a bit on the outside of the UMC starting to work my way back in, but this corrborates a lot of whispers that I am hearing. When you have different groups making contingency plans to leave, then it seems like only a matter of time.

Of course, all of this is subject to the will of God and the intervention of the Holy Spirit.

 

[hedrick]

I believe the political term for this would be Balkanization. Pragmatically, this would seem to be the most likely scenario at this point, I agree. It's difficult to imagine any of the via media solutions taking shape.

The 2019 GC is supposed to make a real decision. If they choose any of the proposals, it will result in a split, probably north / south. But the “traditional” plan is so extreme that I can’t see them accepting it. If they weaken the traditional plan sufficiently that it doesn’t force the northern and western jurisdictions to leave, you could end up with no effective change from current.

 

[Anto9us]

This latest Pope stuff makes a UMC split look LITTLE in comparison

 

[tampasteve]

There's one other concern that hasn't been noted here. The traditional plan allows churches to withdraw for any reason. There's speculation that many of the megachurches may leave for financial reasons. They pay a fairly large amount to the denomination, and may feel they can survive without it.

I could see that. The largest UMC in town recently re-branded and would seem to be a non-denominational church if you did not know better from the history of that church.They also recently opened two satellite campuses (one an old Methodist church that recently closed), keeping the new branding. They are also more liberal leaning than some other UMC in the area, so I could absolutely see them going independent for financial and operational reasons.

 

[Striver]

I could see that. The largest UMC in town recently re-branded and would seem to be a non-denominational church if you did not know better from the history of that church.They also recently opened two satellite campuses (one an old Methodist church that recently closed), keeping the new branding. They are also more liberal leaning than some other UMC in the area, so I could absolutely see them going independent for financial and operational reasons.

It's interesting to watch the crisis in authority compelling all of these churches to do this. The Baptists were seemingly first to start dropping the obvious denominational affiliations, but this seems to slowly be trickling to the UMC in some places. This also seemed to be associated more on the Conservative side of the spectrum, so it's further interesting to hear a more liberal church taking that same path.

 

[Dave-W]

It's interesting to watch the crisis in authority compelling all of these churches to do this. The Baptists were seemingly first to start dropping the obvious denominational affiliations, but this seems to slowly be trickling to the UMC in some places. This also seemed to be associated more on the Conservative side of the spectrum, so it's further interesting to hear a more liberal church taking that same path.

Assy of God congregations started deleting their denominational signs decades ago. The first one I knew was back in the 1980s Mount Hope Assy of God became just Mount Hope Church.

 

[raschau]

I've held off joining a UMC until the issue is settled. If there is a liberal purge, I'll join a congregation that doesn't side with them. If there's a traditionalist purge, I'll probably stay unchurched.

 

[Rawtheran]

I've held off joining a UMC until the issue is settled. If there is a liberal purge, I'll join a congregation that doesn't side with them. If there's a traditionalist purge, I'll probably stay unchurched.

Fortunately the conservatives outnumber the liberals in the UMC so I don't foresee a traditionalist purge being an issue. Besides the liberal denomination that will come about as a result of the split will not last long because they won't truly be a denomination that serves Jesus. They'll definitely see God's judgement against them in the form of membership decline, losses in giving, ineffective leadership, etc. while the conservative denomination I believe will go through a great revival that will hopefully return Methodism to its roots.