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Disaffiliation
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OLD CAPITOL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Information concerning our ongoing relationship with the United Methodist Church
and the option of disaffiliation.
**Please be aware that we have not voted to disaffiliate. A change in our relationship with the United Methodist Church has not been determined. Any work that has been put forward to date that relates to the process of disaffiliation is at the request of the United Methodist Church in anticipation of the possibility of disaffiliation.
I. History
- For close to 50 years the United Methodist Church has been dealing with the issue of human sexuality as it relates to the Christian faith.
- General Conference, which is the decision-making body of the United Methodist Church, has traditionally voted to maintain the position that the practice of homosexuality is inconsistent with Christian teaching. As a result, self-avowed and practicing homosexuals were not eligible for ordination, and same-sex marriages were not allowed in United Methodist Churches. However, efforts continued to be made to overturn this position, with support increasing with each vote.
- In 2016, the General Conference declined to vote on petitions which would overturn the traditional stance regarding human sexuality. Instead, a special General Conference was called for the specific purpose of dealing with this one contentious issue.
- In 2019, the Special General Conference was held. The Traditional Plan was upheld by a vote of 438 to 384. Since that time there have been judicial rulings which struck down individual parts of the Traditional Plan and some challenges to the outcome of that vote. There has also been a clear position by Bishops and leadership that any consequences for violating the Book of Discipline on this issue of human sexuality should be suspended until a firm resolution can be decided. The General Conference of 2020 was delayed, and has been further pushed back until 2024.
- While nothing official has changed, there is ample evidence to suggest that the leadership of the UMC is pushing towards changing the traditional stance currently stated in our Book of Discipline. This has prompted the Global Methodist Church, which is a new denomination based on Wesleyan Theology that holds to the traditional view, to launch as an alternative to what now appears to be a changing UMC.
II. The Problem
- While the source of the division appears to be over the issue of human sexuality, it is primarily about the authority of scripture and how we develop our theology.
- Traditionally, Wesleyan theology uses the quadrilateral principle of Scripture, Tradition, Reason, and Experience to determine scriptural doctrine. A key element in this theological approach is that scripture is primary. Reason, experience, and tradition all serve to help fine-tune our theology, but it is scripture that is the final authority. With the issue of human sexuality there has been an elevation of reason and experience to the level of authority equal to scripture (if not superseding it).
- This issue then is if we as a church are compatible with a denomination which uses scripture but does not see it as authoritative. Instead the denomination utilizes human tradition, reasoning, and experience in equality with scripture.
III. The Complication
- Every United Methodist Church has a Trust Clause attached to their property deeds and assets declaring that the property and assets of a local church or United Methodist body are held “in trust” for the benefit of the entire denomination. The Trust Clause is as follows:
- "In trust, that said premises shall be used, kept, and maintained as a place of divine worship of the United Methodist ministry and members of The United Methodist Church; subject to the Discipline, usage, and ministerial appointments of said Church as from time to time authorized and declared by the General Conference and by the annual conference within whose bounds the said premises are situated. This provision is solely for the benefit of the grantee, and the grantor reserves no right or interest in said premises.”
- Thus, any church leaving the denomination forfeits their property and assets to the UMC unless a different agreement can be reached.
- FOR A LIMITED TIME – There is a path open for churches to disaffiliate and still maintain ownership of their church property in accordance with paragraph 2553 of the Book of Discipline. This provision is only in effect until December 31st, 2023.
III. The Decision
- Disaffiliation is only possible for reasons of conscience regarding a change in the requirements and provisions of the Book of Discipline related to the practice of homosexuality or the ordination or marriage of self-avowed practicing homosexuals as resolved and adopted by the 2019 General Conference, or the actions or inactions of its annual conference related to these issues.
- There are four choices available for Old Capitol to choose from.
- Stay affiliated with the United Methodist Church.
- Wait to make the decision in the future.
- Disaffiliate and join the Global Methodist Church.
- Disaffiliate and become an independent, non-denominational church.
- A special Charge Conference of Old Capitol UMC will be held to determine our affiliation with the United Methodist Church. At that time, the only decision being made will be whether to disaffiliate or not. ‘Waiting’ will become a vote to remain affiliated. Whether we become independent or a part of the GMC, that vote will become simply a vote to disaffiliate.
IV. The Consequences
- Stay affiliated with the United Methodist Church
- Be prepared to have pastors appointed to serve the church that may encourage and support a more liberal agenda.
- Be yoked to a denomination that supports and ordains LGBTQIA++ people and agenda.
- Be prepared to adopt a more progressive social justice agenda.
- Wait and make the decision in the future.
- Be prepared to have pastors appointed to serve the church that may encourage and support a more liberal agenda, at least for a time.
- Be yoked to a denomination that supports and ordains LGBTQIA++ people and agenda, at least for a time.
- Be prepared to adopt a more progressive social justice agenda, at least for a time.
- Take the chance that disaffiliation might be harder to do in the future than it is now.
- Disaffiliate and join the Global Methodist Church
- Accomplish all the work required of the disaffiliation process, which includes but is not necessarily limited to:
- Application to the state of Indiana for Not-For-Profit Certification.
- Inventory and list of assets.
- Historical documents placed into digital format and submitted to the Indiana Conference.
- New Bylaws and Constitution.
- Costs
- Unpaid portion of Conference and District tithes for the 12 months prior to disaffiliation and an additional 12 months of apportionments. Old Capitol is up to date with its tithes, so this can be approximated at about $40,000.
- Unfunded pension liabilities. This is a complicated computation based on numbers yet to be given to us by the annual conference. We can estimate this cost to be approximately $225,000.
- Legal fees up to $15,000.
- Clergy compensation which is already budgeted.
- What to know about the Global Methodist Church
- No Trust Clause.
- Traditional Wesleyan Theology.
- There are no fees to be paid to the Global Methodist Church as part of the process of becoming a member congregation.
- If the congregation is served by a clergyperson who wants to become a member of the new church, and both the congregation and the clergyperson desire to continue in relationship, the appointment will remain the same as the congregation and the pastor join the Global Methodist Church together.
- Similar itinerancy and appointment process.
- Apportionment system with a projected goal of a 5% tithe.
- New Book of Discipline.
- Accomplish all the work required of the disaffiliation process, which includes but is not necessarily limited to:
- Disaffiliate and become an independent, non-denominational church.
- See prior section on disaffiliating to the Global Methodist Church.
- Choosing this option does carry with it some risk as we lose the advocacy of the Global Methodist Church in our process. It could also be possible that the United Methodist Church may impose further costs if we do not disaffiliate to an approved Wesleyan denomination.
- Independent church considerations regarding hiring of clergy, compensation, insurance, etc.
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