Sharing our Journey in a Difficult Time

Leading the discernment process as approved by Admin Council, the process requires discerning the answer to a core question. The core responsibility of the Process Team was to find a pathway that results in the strongest viable church to make disciples for Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world (regardless of denominational affiliation). 

The Texas Annual Conference requires a period of discernment for churches seriously considering disaffiliation. Based on the survey results as outlined above, a major majority of our LCUMC congregation (74%) responded that at this time they choose to stay part of the United Methodist Denomination. We believe that continuing the discernment process could have a greater negative impact on the mission and relationships of LCUMC because there is not sufficient evidence that outweigh the cost of disaffiliation. The recommendation of the Process Team is that we discontinue the discernment process because the survey results show the congregation is not seriously considering disaffiliation. 

Based on the results, it is likely that this decision may cause hurt feelings and separation for some members of our church. League City United Methodist Church will continue to operate with the same mission that is has from the beginning, Worshiping, Sharing, Serving, and Winning Disciples for Christ. Part of the survey asked what the congregation wanted more information on overall. Pastor Peter, Rev. Phillips, and the Process Team will continue to work to ensure those are covered through bible studies, small group discussion, etc. Your Process Team will also continue to keep our communications channels open for questions and concerns.

                                                                                                     LCUMC Process Team

The United Methodist Church is governed by the Book of Discipline. The debate in the UMC regarding schism/disaffiliation centers around human sexuality and the UMC stance on human sexuality as stated in the Book of Discipline. Among the statements in the Book of Discipline regarding human sexuality are these two:

•  ¶304: The practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching. Therefore self-avowed practicing homosexuals are not to be certified as candidates, ordained as ministers, or appointed to serve in The United Methodist Church.
• ¶341: 6. Ceremonies that celebrate homosexual unions shall not be conducted by our ministers and shall not be conducted in our churches.

Human sexuality has been a topic of discussion and debate in the United Methodist Church for quite some time (since 1972) and came to the forefront at the 2019 Special General Conference. That special conference debated changes to the Book of Discipline related to human sexuality. Ultimately the “Traditional Plan” was approved and, in relation to human sexuality, the Book of Discipline was not amended or changed.

However, this did not settle the debate and on-going discussion as well as adherence to the Book of Discipline in some extreme cases (none in the Texas Annual Conference). The 2019 Special General Conference did approve a new section, ¶2553, related to church disaffiliation from UMC. In short, ¶2553 requires a discernment period, and “The decision to disaffiliate from The United Methodist Church must be approved by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the professing members of the local church present at the church conference.” Under ¶2553 a church must pay 2 years of apportionment (previous year and current year) as well as any unfunded pension liability (currently $0 in the Texas Annual Conference due to current market factors with the figure updated every quarter). Also, under ¶2553 a church retains its property (and debts) upon disaffiliation from the UMC. ¶2553 expires on 31 December 2023 and note that ¶2553 is not recorded in the on-line Book of Discipline linked above as it was added in 2019.

What about the future?

Following the 2019 Special General Conference, much debate continued, and the issue was likely to be retabled at the 2020 regular General Conference. However, with COVID the 2020 General Conference was deferred multiple times and will now occur in 2024, after the expiration of ¶2553. Prior to the 2020 General Conference postponement, a “Protocol of Reconciliation & Grace Through Separation” was drafted and recommended by a diverse group of leaders across UMC worldwide. This protocol “offered a proposal that would preserve The United Methodist Church while allowing traditionalist-minded congregations to form a new denomination. [...] The plan looks toward a restructuring of the remaining global United Methodist Church into regions, with flexibility to adapt church policies, including on LGBTQ inclusion.”

It is not clear if this protocol retains the support of the General Conference majority, however, it is clear that as of today ¶2553 will expire prior to the next General Conference resulting in a quagmire with regards to church disaffiliation.

In addition, the “new denomination” referenced in the protocol was officially chartered in April 2022, the Global Methodist Church or GMC. While the GMC is rooted in the traditionalist view of Christianity related to human sexuality, there are many similarities between UMC and GMC.

  Where does that leave us? Why all the fuss now?

Many have said that “clearly the UMC is moving more progressive,” however, such formal move would come in the form of change(s) to the Book of Discipline which can only happen via vote at a General Conference. The worldwide nature of the UMC’s General Conference voting makes it challenging for changes to occur quickly; changes regarding our doctrine of human sexuality may take years or decades, if they happen at all. 

The fuss, and sense of urgency from some, comes from the expiration of ¶2553 and associated uncertainty in the future related to changes to the Book of Discipline related to human sexuality contrasted with the formation of the GMC and the GMC’s firm stance on human sexuality.

The Annual Conference must approve a church’s request to disaffiliate under ¶2553. There are two upcoming Texas Annual Conferences that could approve such disaffiliation requests, a special Annual Conference in December 2022 and the regular Annual Conference in May 2023. As it stands today, after the regular Annual Conference session in May 2023 there isn’t a path for a church in the Texas Annual Conference to disaffiliate from UMC under ¶2553.

What are the pathways ahead?

Reasonable pathways would seem to be:

1. Do nothing now, continue to affiliate with the UMC. A “wait and see” approach to potential changes to the Book of Discipline. This entails the “risk” of unknown disaffiliation process once ¶2553 expires. This option could also entail revisiting in early 2023 prior to expiration of ¶2553, although at this time it isn’t clear any new data related to a disaffiliation discernment is coming.
2. Enter a period of church discernment regarding a church’s affiliation, resulting in a conference under ¶2553 with two potential outcomes

                          a. A church discerns to remain in the UMC.

                          b. A church discerns to disaffiliate with UMC leaving multiple options:

                                       i. Go independent (lots of open ends/risk…

                                           tax liability, clergy, establishment, etc.)

                                       ii. Go to another denomination, Methodist or otherwise

                                       iii. Joining GMC