Clergy persons who continue with The UMC and are appointed to a congregation that continues as a UMC congregation will their maintain membership in The UMC as a clergy person and participate in the appointment process as in the past. All unfunded retiree health care liabilities as apportioned by the GNJ Board of Pension and Benefits. However, the pastor is the administrative officer of the church and, therefore, is an ex officio member of most committees of the local church. The Missional Transition Support will be assessed by multiplying the three-year average of the total amount of all cash, bank balances, investments, endowments, and reserves by the percent of the votes against disaffiliation during the Church conference vote. If so, will they be offered an age-appropriate presentation about whats happening? A bishop has only one vote on the matter. About Us.. But do the numbers match the rhetoric? Another factor contributing to the disaffiliation of Methodist churches is the decline in membership. Research and resources compiled by other United Methodist churches. They will lead the congregation through this season and the Church Conference will make its decision listening for the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, not to decisions that represent the UMC. Classes for all ages at 9 a.m. How many times can a congregation vote on disaffiliation? A vote to disaffiliate is a vote to leave relationships with other people and institutions that have helped congregation members grow in Christ over the years. Will professing members that are minors participate in the discernment process? Search by ZIP code or city/state to find a United Methodist Church near you. The professing membership of a local United Methodist church shall include all baptized people who have come into membership by profession of faith through appropriate services of the baptismal covenant in the ritual or by transfer from other churches. BOD 2016, 215. The 2019 Special Session of the General Conference of the UMC adopted paragraph 2553 in the Book of Discipline - Disaffiliation of a Local Church Over Issues Related to Human Sexuality. It is then signed by the local church pastor and the chair of the local church Board of Trustees. The church court notes that under the Discipline, a local church cannot sever its connectional relationship to The United Methodist Church without the consent of the annual conference. The Judicial Council has construed this provision to mean that the annual conference must ratify any disaffiliation agreement. excerpt from a story by Heather Hahn, assistant news editor, UM News. One study showed that regular church goers are likely to overestimate opposition to same-sex marriage in their congregation by 20%. Hosted by Cornerstone UMC in Houston on August 14, 2022. These issues have led to a divide within the denomination, with some churches and members advocating for a more progressive stance while others hold to a more traditional interpretation of scripture. The questions become who leaves, how many people leave, and how to address the losses to the remaining congregation when they leave. (2021). InDecision 1423, the Judicial Council affirmed a decision by New England Conference Bishop Sudarshana Devadhar. It will be even more difficult to reach if you actively organize to make sure most everyone in your congregation and their family members are present during this critical meeting. Across the world, United Methodist regional bodies called annual conferences are negotiating with churches that wish to withdraw from the United Methodist Church over issues including. You may read the Judicial Council ruling here:ResourceUMC | Judicial Council Decision Number 1449. That started our discernment process. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Library to be dedicated in memory of admired principal, Bath to receive more than $20 million for wastewater expansion, New portrait added to courthouse honoring late attorney. A formal request establishes key contacts for disaffiliation communication between the church and Conference, and provides the church with initial disaffiliation information (including financial obligations related to disaffiliation). I am deeply concerned about the safety of the many members who want to stay with UMC. The Annual Conference must approve the disaffiliation for the congregation to disaffiliate. Another factor that is contributing to the disaffiliation among Methodist churches is a lack of clarity in the UMCs mission and purpose. For congregations that disaffiliate, and their appointed pastor(s) remain(s) in the UMC, the estimated clergy compensation including housing and benefits for 18 months and maximum moving expenses for two moves per individual. The choice by a local church to disaffiliate with The United Methodist Church under this paragraph must be made in sufficient time for the process for exiting the denomination to be complete prior to December 31, 2023. E.g., if a church has $100,000 and 20% of the members vote against disaffiliation, then the UMC will take $20,000? One option is for young people to meet as a group and the guides will work with them. A sound discernment process helps members of the congregation listen to and respect each others views, learn about both the costs and the benefits of either decision, and help reveal whether there is a two-thirds majority of professing members to allow a vote for disaffiliation to prevail. What is the Church's position on homosexuality? First United Methodist Church in Washington will disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church. Advocate hosting a pastor or other leader to represent the benefits of staying United Methodist. What is spiritual discernment? When single instances are cited, point out that one cannot represent the part for the whole. Discernment comes first before financial discussions. We understand that it is possible, however, that we will be reassigned our present bishop due to the present situation in the UMC, in these unusual circumstances. Any unused portion of the administrative fee will be reimbursed to the disaffiliating church by or no later than 10 days after the disaffiliation date. In other cases, churches have chosen to disaffiliate in order to reduce their financial burden and focus on their local community. Copyright 2023 All rights reserved. Find out more information about events here! At what point in the process will clergy appointed to the congregation discerning disaffiliation have to express their personal decision regarding disaffiliation? It permits the annual conference to direct the local church trustees to assign the deeds of church property to the proper legal representatives of a Pan Methodist church or another evangelical denomination. Take time to watch and read information about the Conferences NAC3 team, designed to help make space for traditionalists, centrists, and progressives in the continuing United Methodist Church. Only congregations that are seriously considering leaving The United Methodist Church (UMC) and GNJ. Disaffiliation. Clergy Compensation if an appointed Pastor chooses to remain with GNJ while the congregation disaffiliates, there may not be an immediate open appointment for that Pastor, yet they will continue to be paid. Prior to the disaffiliation date, a local church shall pay to the Annual Conference any unpaid apportionments for the 12 months immediately prior and an additional 12 months of . What should United Methodist congregations know about disaffiliation? (919) 836-0029 - Fax (919) 836-0092. How will the process ensure that only professing members participate/vote in the church conferences? For many congregations, this is not an easy threshold to reach. Please let us know your specific questions and how we can serve you or your church in regards to your UMF account(s). The amendment will take effect on the date of disaffiliation. The following is a summary of the financial items in the term sheet. The term sheet is reviewed by the Disaffiliating Congregations Church Conference via special session that votes by two-thirds to accept the terms of the established Disaffiliation Agreement. Passed during the same legislative assembly the church law allows congregations to exit with property for reasons of conscience related to homosexuality if they meetcertain requirements. The Term Sheet is not negotiable. For those laity and pastors in churches who wish to stay United Methodist and find themselves among those churches where disaffiliation is a live possibility, it can be a demoralizing experience. All congregations and ministries of The United Methodist Church hold their property and assets in trust for the denomination, and specifically for the annual conference. (n.d.). The pastor meets with the committee, but cannot be a voting member. A sound discernment process may also be able to reduce harms that may be unintentionally caused by the results of the vote. Your church likely has a rich history in its connection to the United Methodist Church. While we do not know how other conferences will cover these costs, the GNJ Board of Trustees determined their fiscal responsibility was to avoid/minimize drawing from GNJ Designated Funds which are designed to fund GNJs Mission and priorities and to avoid/minimize increasing Shared Ministry Apportionments for congregations who elect to stay with GNJ. Tel. Making Disciples of Jesus Christ for the Transformation of the World, United Methodist Church of Greater New Jersey, Pathways for Fruitful and Healthy Ministry, https://www.umc.org/en/content/ask-the-umc-who-has-voice-and-vote-in-a-local-church, ResourceUMC | Judicial Council Decision Number 1449, https://www.umc.org/en/content/articles-of-religion, https://www.umnews.org/en/news/bishop-urges-end-to-falsehoods-pivot-to-future, https://www.umc.org/en/content/ask-the-umc-what-should-united-methodist-congregations-know-about-disaffiliation, 2021 United Methodists of Greater New Jersey, Click here for FAQs in Spanish (updated version coming soon). These questions are not designed to delay you. Receive Communications and/or Join Our Support Lists! God has important mission and ministry for the congregations of GNJ, and this will be the primary focus of GNJ over the next year. A Term Sheet, which is developed by the GNJ Board of Trustees, is an agreement of the basic terms and conditions of the disaffiliation. General Conference could also fail to produce any exit or extend the expiration of par. This phenomenon is not unique to the UMC and is happening among other mainline denominations as well. The Trustees took the additional step of receiving feedback from the Connectional Table and reviewing other terms from other annual conferences. For those laity and pastors in churches who wish to stay United Methodist and find themselves among those churches where disaffiliation is a live possibility, it can be a demoralizing experience. UMF will prepare this amendment for you. All BSA settlement contributions as apportioned by the GNJ Council on Finance and Administration (CFA). This disaffiliation process is a journey to find other Wesleyans who hold the same values of scriptural authority and Christocentric theology that we do. While the terms may remain the same, the amounts may change based on information that was not know at the time of developing the initial term sheet projection, changes in the market, items in the deed, outstanding loans and gifts from the annual conference that have not been paid, unpaid apportionment calculations and any other items that could not be calculated accurately at the time of preparing the initial term sheet. If you are not the pastor or other designated contact person, you will want to talk with your pastor or designated contact person about any questions or concerns about the process. Your district superintendent will help your congregation complete an intentional discernment process before a church conference to vote on disaffiliation is scheduled. One of the main reasons for disaffiliation among United Methodist churches is disagreements over theological issues. When all seven steps of disaffiliation are completed and the church makes all required financial payments. What is the Connectional Covenant? Therefore, as terms were developed, they sought feedback from the Cabinet, Chancellor, Benefits Officer and Treasurer which are all required by paragraph 2553. The 2019 Special Session of the General Conference of The United Methodist Church adopted a disaffiliation agreement allowing United Methodist churches to leave the denomination through the end of 2023 "for reasons of conscience regarding a change in the requirements and provisions of the Book of Discipline related to the practice of Each Guide will receive $500 per session; and an additional $500 will be paid to Guides who receive, review and ensure all documentation is in order for the creation of the congregations Term Sheet. Property of the UMC is held in trust for the United Methodist mission and ministry. Proposing that _____ United Methodist Church begin the disaffiliation process from the United Methodist Church, under the terms of 2553 of the current Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church which reads: "Basis - Because of the current deep conflict within The United Methodist Church around issues of human sexuality, a local Clarify please. Advocate for going the extra mile in some of the suggested discernment activities rather than simply meeting the minimum standard. If you have questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to us. When does a disaffiliating congregation officially end its relationship with the UMC and GNJ? What is needed for spiritual discernment? Pastor: Dr. Jim Dean: cell: 828-508-0035 / email: jedean619 . Under any process of disaffiliation, your congregation will want to avoid any situation in which you do not follow or appear not to follow the requirements as set forth by the Discipline and your conference. UMF will review your account(s) and tailor the amendment to accommodate the original terms of your agreement. InDecision 1421, the Judicial Council addressed two questions: Whether the sale of property can be completed before the conference votes and whether the conference board of trustees can enter into a nondisclosure agreement with a departing church. If you are the pastor and you are just beginning to explore these questions, contact your superintendent to ask for guidance about how to explore well and for detailed information about how the process of disaffiliation works in your annual conference. Ive watched your webinar for EPA conference and was surprised to find out that the term sheet may be revised as needed. The transfer of property may happen under an allocation, exchange of property, or comity agreement, provided that such agreement shall have been committed to writing and signed and approved by the duly qualified and authorized representatives of both parties concerned.. GNJ congregations are required to begin this process no later than September 30, 2022. Click here to search by department. What is the purpose of this requirement? At that time, the full members of Bellview UMC who were present at the called church . The fellowship around [], January 22, 4 PM FMC Church Conference January 24, 7 PM Church Council meeting January 29 Whats [], Lindy Thomas has prepared a table graphic comparing the United Methodist Church, Global Methodist Church, Free Methodist Church, and Evangelical [], A View From the Pew: How We Got Here I was baptized in the Methodist church but spent the last [], An update on whats happened in the life of our church regarding disaffiliation from the United Methodist denomination. [], Still have questions about the disaffiliation process and want to talk to someone? 1:41 Dozens of churches this week chose to disaffiliate themselves from the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church. In other denominations, such votes have resulted in people leaving the church. What will be the impact of disaffiliation on our appointed clergyperson? To bring clarity regarding your UMF account(s), please see below: Yes. If a congregation votes to disaffiliate from the UMC and GNJ, in order to move to the next stage, it will need to enter into a covenant with the Cabinet and the Connectional Table about ministries that may continue to be done jointly. Can a congregation disaffiliate under paragraph 2548.2 of The Book of Discipline? These items are included by action of the General Conference and items added by the Board of Trustees with input from the Cabinet, Treasurer and Chancellor. The Discernment Team has the opportunity to decline to recommend to the Church Council moving forward with disaffiliation. Well over 100 churches (out of our 650 congregations) are currently considering disaffiliation from the United Methodist Church. If two-thirds of those members choose to leave GNJ, the remaining one-third will need to support to establish new or fund existing ministries for these members to join. The South Georgia Conference has done so as a means to allow more time for disaffiliations to take place after the December 31, 2023 expiration date of the provisions of 2553. At our first church meeting yesterday, many members expressed concern that the pastor and his leadership were giving only biased information on disaffiliation and joining GMC. Your district superintendent can give you the most accurate information so your congregation can make its best decisions informed by the facts. Some churches may be anticipating a change in policies and rush to disaffiliate at the December 10 Annual Conference, but this is based on a unsubstantiated fear. However, there are also disaffiliated churches in other regions, including the Northeast and West. The GNJ terms include requirements of paragraph 2553 and any costs incurred by GNJ. Absent such explicit instructions by the annual conference, however, there are no guarantees about what terms the trustees may offer, and the trustees are under no obligation to negotiate the terms they offer. Ask The UMC: What should United Methodist congregations know about disaffiliation? While paragraph 2553 authorizes the conference Trustees to develop the terms, they quickly realized that congregations leaving the denomination has a broad range of impact across the conference which they may not fully understand without obtaining feedback from a larger group and vetting the options. If this is not the case, please explain it better in the FAQ. Like many mainline denominations, the UMC has seen a steady decline in attendance and membership in recent decades. A process for disaffiliation was established by the 2019 General Conference of The United Methodist Church. Ask your questions and check out more FAQS. Additionally, some churches have chosen to disaffiliate and become independent, non-denominational congregations. Due diligence in all land transfers requires an accurate accounting of values of all properties, particularly if any costs of the transfer arerelated to the property itself. Print and distribute this side-by-side comparison of the UMC and future GMC which was developed by the Texas Annual Conference Future Discernment Team. 2548.2, and, under some circumstances, 2549.3.bmay be sometimes also be involved to address related property issues. Your district superintendent will work with your congregation at each step of the discernment process. Please encourage your leaders and congregations to support the General Administration Fund apportionment at 100 percent. Can this matter come up again? With the delay of the 2020 General Church Conference, it is unfortunate that a common set of terms was not developed and that each conference was left to figure this out on their own; hence, the terms across conferences are not comparable. There may be more cause for hope than you realize, but someone may need to stand up and make the case to stay United Methodist to activate others in your church inclined to remain United Methodist. the Book of Disciplines new Paragraph 2553, The United Methodist Churchs centuries-old trust clause, Church court clarifies disaffiliation rules. Churches will need to provide a sealed ballot box with a slot for ballots to be submitted. Thepastor parish relations committeeis the personnel committee that works with the pastor and other staff. Will there be opportunity for the congregation to ask them questions and address any concerns prior to the church vote? A $3,500 administrative fee to defray the cost of the discernment and disaffiliation guides that will be used by the GNJ cabinet and the board of trustees to facilitate the process. Will the Guides represent a particular theology or viewpoint about ministry with and by LGBTQ persons? InDecision 1422, the Judicial Council affirmed another decision by Haupert-Johnson. Disaffiliation is complete only when all payments due are made in full, the annual conference has approved the motion of disaffiliation and the effective date of disaffiliation set by the annual conference is reached. Since for this brief period of time, the Trust Clause is suspended, payments for the items listed in the Term Sheet are paid to ensure that past, present and future liabilities incurred by the congregation are paid.