Fellow United Methodist here.
I’m also deeply ashamed and troubled by this. The reality is that the majority of Methodists I know have no idea what is contained in the denominations Social Principles.
What I do know is that my local congregation runs directly counter to many of those stated positions, and that is why I’m still a member.
The UMC position is pro-life
I agree with your post, and my church is similar to yours regarding adherence to some of the social principles contained in the Discipline. I was a Baptist until I met and married my wife. We attended and were active in the Presbyterian Church (USA) that my wife and in-laws had attended all their lives. We moved to Winston-Salem and joined a Presbyterian church here, but left when a new minister came in and demanded all of the staff’s resignations for him to hold “until needed.” (We are neighbors and good friends with the former choir director/organist.) We joined the Methodist Church in our small town (Lewisville, NC) and have been very happy for the last 14+ years. There are liberals and conservatives in our church, but I don’t know of anyone who espouses everything in the Discipline.
For many, I believe, denominational labels are ignored these days. People have differences in their faiths, even within denominations. We, as many, chose our church because of the people and programs there. “Do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with your God” is the byword for most people. How that humble walk is performed varies among people, but we all believe in the same God.