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| Three dozen NC Churches set to leave UMC under approved plan |
In a historic move, the Western North Carolina Conference has announced that a coalition of 36 prominent North Carolina-based United Methodist churches has decided to disaffiliate from the denomination. This momentous departure is scheduled to occur on November 4, following a special session of the conference, marking a pivotal moment in the ongoing debate within the United Methodist Church (UMC) concerning same-sex marriage and the ordination of gay clergy.
This decision by the group of 36 churches, which includes some of the largest congregations in the conference, comes after months of deliberation and discussions within the UMC. Notably, in March, a North Carolina Superior Court judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by the churches, in which they expressed their desire to sever ties with the denomination. Despite this setback, the churches and the conference persisted in their dialogues and eventually reached a resolution last month, allowing the congregations to proceed with their disaffiliation plans.
Crucially, the disaffiliation plan permits the churches to retain their properties, provided they meet the required financial obligations. Representing this group of 36 North Carolina churches, the National Center for Life and Liberty, a legal ministry that advocates for UMC churches nationwide, played a pivotal role. Notably, they had previously won a lawsuit on behalf of 185 churches in Georgia in May.
David Gibbs III, lead counsel for the National Center for Life and Liberty, asserted that several churches had to resort to legal action due to the complexities associated with the disaffiliation plan approved by the UMC. Typically, churches seeking disaffiliation have followed the guidelines outlined in Paragraph 2553 of the UMC's Book of Discipline. However, it's important to note that this plan is set to expire on December 31.
The exodus of churches from the UMC's Western North Carolina Conference has been ongoing since 2019, with at least 233 churches having already departed from this region, which spans across the western half of the state and includes 757 churches.
A spokesperson representing the conference revealed that an additional 100 churches, including the aforementioned group of 36 churches from North Carolina, are likely to follow suit this November. This development underscores the deep divisions within the denomination over issues related to the LGBTQ+ community.
In a broader context, it's worth noting that 6,240 churches across the United States have chosen to disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church thus far. While some have opted not to join any new denomination, many have found a home within the recently established Global Methodist Church (GMC). Launched last year amid the denomination's schism over LGBT issues, the GMC is characterized by its theologically conservative stance.
This momentous decision by the 36 North Carolina-based United Methodist churches to disaffiliate from the denomination is emblematic of the profound challenges and shifts currently facing the UMC. It underscores the ongoing debates surrounding issues of LGBTQ+ inclusion and church doctrine within one of the largest Protestant denominations in the United States.
