After leaving the United Methodist Church (UMC) last year, White's Chapel, a Texas congregation with an average weekly attendance of roughly 2,000, has announced its affiliation with the Methodist Collegiate Church.
White's Chapel is now the only member of the Methodist Collegiate Church, which distinguishes itself from the greater trend of UMC dropouts joining the conservative-leaning Global Methodist Church (GMC) by rejecting "extreme positions."
New Methodist Denomination Focuses on Connection and Accountability, Shuns Hierarchical Structure
According to the article in Christian Headlines, White's Chapel's pastor, Rev. John McKeller, stated last year that his church would not be joining the GMC, which has experienced a substantial infusion of roughly 2,000 churches among the close to 3,000 churches that have formally disaffiliated with the UMC since 2019.
Rev. Larry Duggins stressed the Methodist Collegiate Church's specific commitment to fostering a diverse community in his capacity as chancellor. He emphasized their concerted efforts to create congregations that welcome many viewpoints and promote candid discussion about these differences.
The new denomination is already generating interest. The Methodist Collegiate Church has received interest from about 50 churches in six different states. Before formally inviting other churches to join its new denomination, White's Chapel must first receive official sanction for disaffiliation. The Central Texas Conference is going to meet in Waco from June 4–6 and is anticipated to approve pending disaffiliation requests, including that of White's Chapel.
The Methodist Collegiate Church will be divided into regional colleges to replicate UMC conferences. White's Chapel will act as the "Cathedral Church" for the first of these colleges, Trinity College. Each of these colleges will elect a dean, a position similar to a bishop in the UMC but with more of an emphasis on direction and advice than on authority.
As part of the UMC's disaffiliation plan, departed congregations are permitted to keep their real estate as long as they pay certain amounts toward clergy pensions and apportionments, which are similar to tithes. In the article in Religion News Service, in accordance with this strategy, White's Chapel made a choice to sever ties with the UMC in November of last year.
White's Chapel is the only member of the Methodist Collegiate Church which intends to depart from conventional denominational institutions. Unlike the UMC or other Methodist offshoots like the Global Methodist Church, the new denomination has no plans to establish a comparable ecclesiastical or financial infrastructure. Instead, it seeks to promote a sense of "connection and accountability," according to Rev. Larry Duggins, the Chancellor of the Methodist Collegiate Church.
United Methodist Bishops Propose Global Conference Amidst Mass Disaffiliations
The bishops of the United Methodist Church have suggested a five-day General Conference in May 2026 to address community reconciliation and unity in response to the ongoing flight of United Methodist churches from the United States. According to the article in The Roys Report, the conference's objectives include redefining the church's mission and taking into account a regional governance structure for greater assistance while navigating the disagreements surrounding the ordination and marriage of LGBTQ members.
Concerns have been expressed regarding the survival of one of the greatest Protestant groups in the world, which currently has around 30,000 congregations in the United States, as a result of the departure, which involved hundreds of churches. The Council of Bishops' president, Bishop Thomas Bickerton, has stressed the importance of taking a forward-looking attitude and emphasizing the need to focus on the existing churches and the future. The Commission on the General Gathering must still approve the plan for the gathering in 2026.
Related Article: 33 Churches Set to Separate from Rio Texas Conference of United Methodist Church
