Disaffiliation Q&A for Annual Conference
Why are churches disaffiliating?
Following a Special Session of General Conference in 2019, which addressed the church’s stance on homosexuality, congregations and clergy had the opportunity to engage in discernment around their desire to either remain within The United Methodist Church or pursue disaffiliation and leave the denomination. Para. 2553 was added to the Book of Discipline to outline the procedure for churches seeking to leave the denomination.
What does a church need to do to disaffiliate?
The BWC Trustees discerned that churches that wish to disaffiliate must pay, in addition to a few other prescribed fees, 50 percent of the value of their property. Churches that meet all the requirements, including a two-thirds vote of their professing members at a church conference, a majority vote of the annual conference, and payment of all disaffiliation costs by the agreed deadline (which must be before the end of 2023), will be officially disaffiliated on the date all paperwork and payments are received by the conference Board of Trustees.
How many churches in the BWC are seeking to disaffiliate this year?
Twenty-three churches have completed the discernment process and met the requirements to bring to the annual conference for approval. See a list of the churches.
What process will be used for voting on the disaffiliating churches at the Annual Conference Session?
All churches that reach the two-thirds vote of their professing members threshold to disaffiliate will be placed on one ballot at the Annual Conference Session. We will vote on the entire list of churches as a block. A simple majority of Annual Conference members present, and voting is required to affirm disaffiliation. If the Annual Conference does not affirm the disaffiliation, the churches remain United Methodist. There is no other mechanism to disaffiliate under our Book of Discipline.
What if someone wants to remove a church from the list that’s being voted on?
The Annual Conference has the duty and the right to ratify the decision of the local churches, and so If there is concern that the integrity of Para. 2553, or any part of the disaffiliation process, including the procedures laid out by the Annual Conference, were neglected, then a church may be lifted from the ballot for individual consideration. The request, which must identify how Para. 2553 or the conference procedure was compromised, must be submitted to the BWC Secretary before noon on June 1.
When does the disaffiliation become official?
Churches will be officially disaffiliated on the date all paperwork and payments are received by the conference Board of Trustees. The process must be completed before the end of 2023.
What if a church didn’t meet the requirements of Para. 2553?
There are some churches that wanted to disaffiliate but were unable, either because they did not reach the two-thirds vote of their professing members threshold or could not afford the costs or were unable to meet all the requirements before the deadline. These churches have several options available to them. No one is being forced to remain in a church or denomination if they cannot abide by its theology. Laity and clergy may withdraw their membership from the UMC at any time.
What are the consequences of disaffiliating from the UMC?
A church that disaffiliates will have no official connection to the UMC. Its members will no longer be United Methodist. The bishop will no longer appoint clergy to serve as its pastor, and its pastor and members will no longer participate in Annual Conference teams or sessions. Additionally, the pastors will not be eligible to participate in the conference health plan or benefits, and the congregation will not be eligible for any grants or assistance from the conference.
What if a lay member of a disaffiliating church wants to remain United Methodist?
Any member who does not wish to leave the UMC will need to transfer their membership to another UMC prior to disaffiliation.
What should lay members who wish to remain in the UMC consider?
For those who wish to stay, it is important that they transfer their membership BEFORE the final date of disaffiliation, otherwise, their membership in the UMC will be terminated. Bishop Easterling has stressed to these members that, “There is a place for you in the UMC. While it regrettably is not with the congregation you’ve called your church home, there are hundreds of other United Methodist churches ready to receive you.” If someone cannot find a church near them, they should speak with their district superintendent who can help them find a new community of faith. Learn more in Beginning Again: A Guide for Remaining in The United Methodist Church.
What is a Lighthouse Congregation?
For those who need a little time to adjust to the sudden change, the BWC has identified several Lighthouse Congregations, where United Methodists who wish to remain in the denomination can move their membership temporarily until they are ready to decide where they would like to become active participants. See a list of Lighthouse Congregations.
What happens to the pastors of disaffiliating churches?
Clergy cannot hold membership in more than one denomination. If the current pastor of a disaffiliating local church wishes to remain with that local church, they will need to withdraw their membership from the UMC. Active and retired United Methodist clergy who remain in the UMC will not be appointed to churches that disaffiliate.
For those clergy who do NOT intend to disaffiliate, the BWC owes them an appointment, and because the appointment cycle begins July 1, to ensure there are placements for these clergy, it is necessary to move clergy into new appointments by July 1. This means that the local church that plans to disaffiliate may have to provide for coverage in the ensuing months between July 1 and the actual date of disaffiliation as they prepare to take on full responsibility for pastoral coverage in the future.
Can a pastor be a member of both The United Methodist Church and another denomination, such as the new Global Methodist Church?
No; a clergyperson cannot hold credentials in The United Methodist Church and another denomination. Judicial Council Decision 696 asserts: “There is no disciplinary provision authorizing an ordained United Methodist minister to hold membership simultaneously in another denomination. Upon joining another denomination, membership in The United Methodist Church is terminated.”
Will clergy credentials be transferable to another denomination? What is the process?
The United Methodist Church does not transfer United Methodist credentials to other denominations.
United Methodist clergy who choose to leave the denomination do so by notifying their district superintendent and working with the Board of Ordained Ministry to follow the steps outlined in Book of Discipline ¶360.1 and ¶360.2.
Another denomination may recognize the ordination that occurred in The United Methodist Church and records of that action would be provided by the UMC if requested. The receiving denomination could have additional ordination or licensing requirements.
Can a clergyperson join another denomination and later return to The United Methodist Church?
Yes, the Book of Discipline currently contains processes for reinstatement of orders or licenses for ministry. These processes are not quick nor automatic, but they do exist and have been used previously.
If a clergyperson leaves the denomination, do they lose their pension earnings?
Clergy who withdraw from membership in the UMC will not lose their pension earnings, and they can keep those funds invested at Wespath, though they will not receive distributions in the same way (rather than monthly payments, the payout will be a lump sum transferred into a UMPIP account.) The Wespath website has a very helpful guide with more details.
What, specifically, will Elders, Deacons, provisional members, associate members, seminarians, local pastors, retirees and others give up if they leave The United Methodist Church?
This helpful chart outlines details.
Can the churches seeking to disaffiliate that sued the BWC still do so?
Several churches seeking to leave the denomination have pursued legal action against the conference to bypass the process outlined in Para. 2553. By suing the conference, they have surrendered the possibility of disaffiliation. Even if the court rejects these lawsuits, disaffiliation will not be an option as Para. 2553 is a temporary option that expires this year. The upcoming annual conference session is the only option for ratifying a church’s vote to disaffiliate under Para. 2553.
Is there a chance a new process for disaffiliation will be adopted at the 2024 General Conference?
We do not know what the future holds, but it is possible that a future General Conference may provide additional avenues to depart the denomination with or without one’s property. However, the only current provision for disaffiliation expires this year.
In the meantime, we encourage clergy, laity and congregations to continue to deepen their faith and seek to live in love with Jesus, serving the needs of our communities with God’s transforming, redeeming, and liberating grace.
What if a church that disaffiliates wants to return to the UMC?
If a congregation disaffiliates from the UMC and later desires to return to the UMC, they would need to go through a chartering process that all new churches must follow, per the instructions in the Book of Discipline.
For more information: