The United Methodist Church's highest court is set to determine whether congregations can continue to leave the denomination in response to its progressive stance on LGBT issues.
From 2019 to 2023, approximately 7,500 congregations utilized a temporary provision in the UMC Book of Discipline to disaffiliate over the ongoing debates regarding sexual ethics.
Recently, The Kentucky and Alabama-West Florida conferences have asked the United Methodist Judicial Council whether another provision in the Book of Discipline can be invoked to exit the denomination. The Kentucky Conference has stated that the Judicial Council will address this matter during their upcoming meeting in Los Angeles, California, from October 23 to 26.
The UMC has engaged in discussions for decades about modifying its rules to permit the blessing of same-sex unions, the ordination of noncelibate homosexuals, and the funding of LGBT advocacy groups. Although attempts to amend these regulations during the General Conference have consistently been voted down, progressive leaders within the UMC often refused to follow or enforce existing rules.
In February 2019, during a special session of the General Conference, delegates voted to add Paragraph 2553 to the Book of Discipline. This measure, which was set to expire at the end of the previous year, established a process for congregations to depart from the UMC in light of the ongoing debate surrounding these issues.
Despite the expiration of Paragraph 2553, churches have continued to disaffiliate using Paragraph 2549 of the Book of Discipline. This paragraph states that a district superintendent can recommend the closure of a local church if it “no longer serves the purpose for which it was organized or incorporated.”
Following this recommendation, conference leadership may declare the property closed and “may retain, sell, lease, or otherwise dispose of the property of a closed local church in accordance with the direction of the annual conference, if any.”
The South Carolina Conference of the UMC utilized Paragraph 2549 to facilitate the departure of churches during and after the application of Paragraph 2553; they adopted a measure called the “Local Church Discernment Process.”
Dan O’Mara, a spokesperson for the South Carolina Conference, explained to The Christian Post in a previous interview that the disaffiliating churches implemented this Paragraph 2549-inspired process, “which is typically employed when a local church is closed because it no longer serves the purpose for which it was organized.”
On June 6, 2023, members of the 2023 South Carolina Annual Conference approved the closure of 113 local churches whose members had voted to separate.
