Posted on 03/01/2022 10:39:43 AM PST by lightman
What I wonder is this: if only a few churches in each annual conference leave the psUMC to join the GMC, an annual conference will be able to absorb those costs. What if 100 or more churches leave? That is a lot of property and overhead for an annual conference to absorb. At some point, each psUMC Annual Conference will have more property than they can support. Will the local churches then be able to "buy themselves back" for pennies on the dollar, or less? Only time will tell.
They should leave in bulk and take prospective donations with them. There are more church buildings than congregations but they may just sell the buildings for the real-estate.
I’m sorry for you guys. But please fight. Don’t let the leftists completely take over. There is always hope
The official split is dependent on the 2020 general conference meeting. Those elected delegates were sure to have voted to split. However, the bishops have twice now used covid to prevent that meeting taking place. In 2021 it was a valid reason with many delegates being overseas and travel being tightly restricted.
However, I believe the powers running the denominational hierarchy saw in that a subterfuge to prevent the loss of buildings and cash, for I believe that to be their motive. So, they declared 2021 unable to meet due to covid. They're preparing to do it again for 2022.
Realizing the plot, the conservative caucuses have enabled vaccines, visas, passports for all overseas delegates. Not expecting that, the principalities declared the conservative caucuses to be colonialist supremacists.
The vote to hold the conference will shortly take place.
I imagine it will be blocked, but I pray it won't be. The powers will probably plead covid, and maybe even world war.
Correction 2d paragraph
Should read “in 2020 was a valid reason”
“The UMC merger ruined a strongly conservative church.”
Precisely: a poor plan poorly executed. My family (the Swedish side) was ME for generations here in Texas and in the Old Country. My dad was confirmed ME and then went to another church because his church still conducted all services in old Swedish and had no youth program.
Oh, my word. Shocking. Our once-great country that supplies a new generation is down the tubes with this once-great Christian denomination.
As predicted, the denomination has again postponed the annual conference that likely would have split the denomination. It is scheduled now for 2024, the normal general conference schedule, so those delegates that likely would have voted to split the denomination will likely be replaced with a new slate more amenable to the compromised leadership.
Recognizing the bad faith involved in this wile of the hierarchy, the major conservative groups have decided to go ahead with the new denomination, The Global Methodist Church, which will launch on 1 May.
Global Methodist Church Sets Official Launch Date - Making Disciples of Jesus | The Global Methodist Church
https://globalmethodist.org/global-methodist-church-sets-official-launch-date/
Thanks for the link, xzins! The website is good, and thankfully includes all the founding history and Wesley’s principles. There have been so many departures from them!
I wish the new group well. The opening letter is distressingly full of churchy language that is overwrought and sometimes divisive, in my opinion. Who announces their humility, and does so in the first sentence? I hope for a soul-cleansing of the pretentiousness and elitism that has infected many in the clergy class (you personally not included), and not just in the UMC—the ECUSA’s and ELCA’s humble-bragging and liturgical dramatics drive me nuts as well!
One thing I love in my present church is a frequent recitation of various statements from our Small Catechism, often accompanied by some commentary from the pulpit. I think it would benefit true Methodist church to focus on the simple principles and inculcate them often.
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