Hundreds of churches in North Carolina seek to break away from the United Methodist Church (UMC) due to the congregation's beliefs towards LGBT rights issues. They also want to talk about the financial conditions of UMC to release the deeds of their church property.
North Carolina's Churches Separation from UMC
Church members who got married and prayed in the same chapel where they learned Bible verses and the song "Jesus Loves Me" are now leaving the congregation. As per Fox8, it is because of the denomination's stance on same-sex marriages and appointing LGBTQ clergy, which some churches have routinely disregarded.
Under Paragraph 2553 of the Book of Discipline, these groups have submitted an appeal to the conference requesting to discontinue their relationship with the United Methodist Church. Even though this procedure was authorized in February 2022, the disagreement concerning the doctrine, property, and exit terms still needs to be resolved.
On Saturday, May 6, approximately 69 churches in the Piedmont Triad will be one of 192 churches in the North Carolina Western Conference seeking to approve their request to withdraw from the church's structure. Also, they hope to be permitted to continue meeting in buildings where some have performed worship services and offered prayers for decades.
The applications for disaffiliation will be heard and considered by a group comprising the authorized religious leaders of each church as well as an equivalent number of its members. This group will also examine the financial need the United Methodist Church must fulfill to compensate the churches for relinquishing the deeds to their property.
Moreover, the yes-and-no votes of the representatives need to be documented by 5 p.m. on that day, or they need to be stamped by Monday, May 8. The findings will be communicated through a letter written by Bishop Ken Carter of the NC Western Conference and published on the same website on Friday, May 12.
Also Read: Eagle Lake Methodist To Pay $25,000 For Disaffiliation From United Methodist Church
Disaffiliation of UMC Churches
In 2022, the church headquarters of the United Methodist Church granted permission for 249 United Methodist Churches in eastern North Carolina to separate from the church, WRAL reported.
A significant number of the churches that wished to leave were opposed to marriages between people of the same sexual orientation as well as other regulations addressing sexuality. Churches were allowed to vote on their future during a special meeting held at Methodist University and streamed online.
When Leonard Fairley, the Interim Bishop who headed over the special meeting, announced the findings of the vote decisively favorably permitting disaffiliation, he cautioned those in attendance not to celebrate the outcome. The vote was nearly unanimous in its support of the motion.
On the other hand, a recent report from UM News stated that to separate from the congregation; churches must meet specific financial standards, have a vote of at least two-thirds of their members in support of disaffiliation, and receive a majority approval vote from their annual conference. An annual conference is a regional church organization that consists of voting members from various congregations.
Additionally, Paragraph 2553 of the Book of Discipline, which is the rule that allows for this sort of departure, will only be in effect for 2023. According to the findings of an investigation conducted by United Methodist News, annual conferences have, up to this point, granted permission for the separation of 2,036 parishes in their congregation.
Related Article:United Methodist Church Renounce Disaffiliation Process, 186 Churches Filed Lawsuit
