Six years of Stormy Seas

38 Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?” 39 When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. 40 Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” 41 The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!” Mark 4:28-41 (NLT)

Since at least 2016, the UMC has been on a very predictable path of denominational schism. Like all of mainline, Protestant denominations in the U.S. before us, the disagreement over bedrock Scriptural definitions of marriage, sin, and the importance of personal holiness in the life of all believers has finally created a chasm that is far too great to be bridged within the UMC. The Baptists were the first to settle the issue by parting ways over the topic of marriage in 2006. The Church of England, on the other hand, remains one of the final "holdouts", although the Anglican Church in Australia and Central Africa experienced a split this year. Baptists, Presbyterians, Lutherans, Episcopalians, and now United Methodists have all eventually discerned that the differences and divergent Scriptural interpretations are too foundational to be able to continue in covenantal Christian connection. The chart at the end of this article illustrates the timelines of these denominational separations dating back to the early 2000s.

Many other sources have written in great detail regarding the milestone moments leading up to the current denominational separation within the UMC. My attempts here will be to merely summarize the highest-level developments which eventually led to the creation of the new Methodist denomination, the Global Methodist Church in May of 2022.

• 2016- A UM Bishop within the Western Jurisdiction of the UMC publicly announced she was actively practicing a homosexual lifestyle, a violation of the UM Book of Discipline. Since 1972, the UM Book of Discipline has been challenged and consistently held that marriage is between one man and one woman (rooted in both Old Testament and New Testament interpretations, including commentary from Jesus). Same sex marriages continue to be prohibited within the UMC as of today.

• 2016- In October, a group of 1,700 Methodists gathered in Chicago, IL and approved the creation of the Wesleyan Covenant Association (click to read more: Home Page - WCA). According to the WCA, they seek to connect "Spirit-filled, orthodox churches, clergy, and laity who hold to Wesleyan theology". In short, they advocate for and uphold the "traditional"/classic or Biblical view of marriage.

• 2019- No disciplinary actions formally took place to address open violations of the Book of Discipline. All bishops and clergy who have openly violated the UM Book of Discipline since 2016 are still serving the UMC and their local churches. At the 2019 General Conference (the worldwide governing body of the UMC), the classic Christian teaching regarding marriage and the prohibition of same sex marriages within the UMC was upheld, albeit by a fairly narrow margin. Paragraph 2553 was also adopted which allows local UMC congregations to disaffiliate/withdraw from the UMC while allowing them to keep local church property. Local churches would need to follow a disaffiliation process outlined by their Annual Conferences. The disaffiliation process includes members of the local church voting to disaffiliate by a 2/3 margin.

• Aug to Dec 2019- Mediated discussions took place from a diverse group of UMC leaders to include Bishops, pastors, and laity to help negotiate a possible solution to the ongoing divide within the UMC.

• Jan 2020- A final proposal was put forward which most refer to as The Protocol agreement (for more info: Protocol of Reconciliation and Grace through Separation). The Protocol would have allowed for the "gracious exit" of UMC Annual Conferences (large collections of local UMC congregations within a specified region) and/or local UMC congregations if they so choose to join a new "traditional" denomination in which the Biblical language of marriage (one man/one woman) would be upheld. This would require the Protocol to be introduced and passed at the 2020 General Conference of the UMC.

• March 2020- Two dozen Bishops, clergy, and laity representing UMC traditionalists met in Atlanta, GA to discuss the potential formation of a new ""Global Wesleyan movement" (article here: Global UM Leaders Reimagine a New Methodist Movement).

• May 2020-General Conference was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

• March 2021- The Formation of the Global Methodist Church announced (website: Global Methodist Church) as the upcoming General Conference of the UMC was expected to adopt and pass The Protocol agreement (thereby resulting in the creation of the new "traditional" Methodist denomination).

• Aug 2021- General Conference was delayed again amidst intense debate over the need for The Protocol to be "brought to the floor" and formally settled by the global governing body of the UMC.

• March 2022- General Conference delayed a third time (article: United Methodist Church Delays General Conference).

• May 2022- The launch of the new Global Methodist Church was made public (article: Launch Information | Learn More).

• 2024- The next planned session of the worldwide governing body of the UMC has an undetermined date or location (article: General Conference postponed until 2024). It is scheduled to occur sometime in 2024.

I know so many Christ followers who have called the UMC home for many years, and they are weary and burdened from the last several years of intense debates within the denomination. The Mark 4 passage above reminds us Jesus spoke to the winds and waves and brought about "a great calm" which was experienced by all in His presence. I pray you'll also remember and be encouraged by the promise of Jesus in Matthew 11:

"28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (NIV)

May the Lord continue to bless and keep you and your local churches as you discern His will for you in Christ Jesus,

Wes