A Texas megachurch has voted to disaffiliate from The United Methodist Church due to the mainline Protestant denomination’s ongoing debate over homosexuality as over 200 churches in the Lone Star State are considering disaffiliation.

The Woodlands Methodist Church, a congregation with approximately 14,200 members located in Woodlands, Texas, voted on Sunday to leave the UMC Texas Annual Conference.

According to an announcement from the church, about 3,000 members gathered at the church on Sunday and about 2,678 members — or 96.3% of those voting — supported disaffiliation.

Senior Pastor Mark Sorensen posted a video on the church’s website saying that the vote affirmed that “we are united in one vision and one clear mission.”

“We are ready to move on past the division and the differences that have been an ongoing distraction in our denomination for far too long,” said Sorensen. “Remember, we are changing to stay the same. With this vote, we are preserving the ministry that we know and love.”

Sorensen “offered a blessing” to those who wanted to remain in the UMC, suggesting it is “time to bless one another, even as we go our separate ways.”

“In this there is no victory, in this there is no winner or loser,” he added. “We are called to pray for and lift up others in whatever ministry God has calling us to now and in the future.”

According to the UMC Texas Annual Conference, more than 210 member congregations are considering disaffiliation from the denomination as of late July.

The conference will host a special session on Dec. 3 in Houston that will, among other things, include officially recognizing the departure of churches that have taken the necessary steps toward disaffiliation.

Woodlands is not the only congregation to disaffiliatee from the Texas Conference on Sunday. The 1,300-member Faithbridge of Spring, Texas, approved disaffiliation when all 549 members present for the vote supported leaving.

“I’m … realistic about where the denomination is heading, and so I have no second thoughts,” said Faithbridge Senior Pastor Ken Werlein, as reported by UM News. “We’ve done the right thing, the smart thing, the wise thing to keep Faithbridge Faithbridge.”

Over the past several years, the UMC has faced a polarizing debate and schism over whether the United States' second largest Protestant denomination should maintain its official stance banning the blessing of same-sex unions and the ordination of noncelibate homosexual clergy.

Although theological liberals within the denomination have failed to change the official rules, many of them in positions of leadership have refused to enforce the existing rules highlighted in the UMC Book of Discipline, causing much frustration among theological conservatives.

Across the United States, many congregations have left or are considering disaffiliating from the UMC. Many have joined the Global Methodist Church, a newly created conservative Methodist denomination.

https://www.umnews.org/en/news/large-tex...-disaffiliation

My very best friend goes to Faithbridge who voted unanimously to end relationship with UMC.

I have attended several of their services there, as well as went on a mission trip with them to Nicaragua. I recall remarking to my friend that Faithbridge did not seem to be aligned with other Methodist churches I have attended in both doctrine and the way services were conducted, which seemed evangelical.

He told me that is correct, UMC knew about them that but were not forcing them to obey as they were one of the largest and most successful Methodist churches, ie - giving UMC money to collect.

UMC is drifting away as it hemorrhages congregation and churches and should have been conducting more soul-searching of its doctrine rather than just going woke.

Quote: Isailedaway wrote in post #3

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My very best friend goes to Faithbridge who voted unanimously to end relationship with UMC.

I have attended several of their services there, as well as went on a mission trip with them to Nicaragua. I recall remarking to my friend that Faithbridge did not seem to be aligned with other Methodist churches I have attended in both doctrine and the way services were conducted, which seemed evangelical.

He told me that is correct, UMC knew about them that but were not forcing them to obey as they were one of the largest and most successful Methodist churches, ie - giving UMC money to collect.

UMC is drifting away as it hemorrhages congregation and churches and should have been conducting more soul-searching of its doctrine rather than just going woke.

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Quote: Tinker wrote in post #4

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Quote: Isailedaway wrote in post #3

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My very best friend goes to Faithbridge who voted unanimously to end relationship with UMC.

I have attended several of their services there, as well as went on a mission trip with them to Nicaragua. I recall remarking to my friend that Faithbridge did not seem to be aligned with other Methodist churches I have attended in both doctrine and the way services were conducted, which seemed evangelical.

He told me that is correct, UMC knew about them that but were not forcing them to obey as they were one of the largest and most successful Methodist churches, ie - giving UMC money to collect.

UMC is drifting away as it hemorrhages congregation and churches and should have been conducting more soul-searching of its doctrine rather than just going woke.

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Years ago we were members of a UM Church. It was bad then, I can only imagine all that has gone on since. They have committed suicide by failing to adhere to biblical principle IMO.

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My friend just emailed to me that many of the larger, most successful Methodist churches like his are heading out the door of Methodist membership.

Seeming like the Methodist faith may be dying as the bulk of its churches are losing congregations, and now it is losing whole churches.

More information on the current Methodist schism taking place https://www.carolinacoastonline.com/news...1fced863e.htmal

From article

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Baker said the special General Conference in 2019 was called to deal with statements about human sexuality as it pertains to LGBTQ persons. In that session the “Traditional Plan” was passed and the current statements about homosexuality, same-sex marriage, and the ordination of LGBTQ persons did not fundamentally change. Also at that session the “disaffiliation plan” was approved and added to the Book of Discipline.

So while the special conference did not ultimately result in changed language it revealed that a process of separation was likely necessary, Baker explained.

Through mediation, “A Protocol for Grace through Separation” was created, he said. It set aside $30 million for the Wesley Covenant Association to help fund “a new Methodist expression” and create a process for churches that disagree with the change to move their affiliation and property.

“It was to have been voted on in 2020,” Baker said. “The 2020 General Conference did not happen because of the pandemic and was postponed to 2022.”

But, in March, the Commission on the General Conference again postponed General Conference because those who would travel to the U.S. faced passport and visa backlogs and other things related to the pandemic, according to Baker. So the conference was rescheduled for 2024.

“This means, among other things, that petitions and legislation related to ‘A Protocol of Reconciliation and Grace through Separation’ and other related items have been delayed until then,” Baker said.

In spite of the delay, the Wesley Covenant Association announced it would launch a new Methodist denomination, called the Global Methodist Church. That happened on May 1.

“It is no secret that the United Methodist Church is deeply divided,” Baker stated in one of his writings. “We are divided over issues of governance, autonomy, scriptural interpretation, and inclusion. How shall we relate to one another? How much autonomy should the local church have? How do we read and interpret the Holy Scriptures? Who is welcome and how far does that welcome extend? These are all big questions with no easy answers.”

Following the Global Methodist Church announcement, on May 17, Bishop Lenard Fairley explained the NC Annual Conference’s requirements for clergy and churches to disaffiliate.

Under the process – that will be in place through Dec. 31, 2023, according to Jon Strother, district superintendent – as it is explained the rules established at the 2019 special session, a church can vote to disaffiliate. In order to have that vote the church council must request a church conference for the business of disaffiliation. Then the District Superintendent would schedule a church conference. Only members of the church in person could vote at the church conference. To disaffiliate requires a two-thirds majority of those present.

Under the current rules, a church can disaffiliate anytime before Dec. 31, 2023.

There are financial obligations for a church to disaffiliate. The formula is the same for every church: payment of the current year of apportionments, plus one additional year of apportionments (calculations vary but favor the local church), plus the church’s fair share of the pension liability of the annual conference (about 2.5 times the church’s annual apportionment payments). All the money must be paid upfront.

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Apparently the denomination sewed the discord by admitting homosexuals within leadership positions and provided in 2019 the method of disaffiliation from the denomination if churches did not approve, which had to take place before 1-1-24.

We will see a lot more large churches go this way. John and Charles Wesley would be horrified to see the destruction of their movement.