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Why thousands of U.S. congregations are leaving the United Methodist Church
Cbsnews ^ | 09/09/2023 | SARAH MADDOX

Posted on 09/09/2023 2:53:14 PM PDT by ChicagoConservative27

Bishop Karen Oliveto sees her consecration in 2016 as a breaking point for some of the thousands of people who have made the once unthinkable decision to leave the United Methodist Church.

Oliveto is the church's first openly gay bishop and oversees congregations in Colorado, Montana, Utah, Wyoming and one church in Idaho. Her service defies long-standing rules in the denomination. Disregard for those church laws is fueling divisions that have already led to the exodus of about 20% of the United Methodist Church's congregations across the U.S. since disaffiliations began in 2019. The number of members who have left with their congregations isn't as clear, as the latest figures from 2021 don't reflect the total number of departures.

(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; News/Current Events; Your Opinion/Questions
KEYWORDS: apostasy; church; congregations; heresy; leaving; methodist; thousands
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To: farmguy

Indeed.


41 posted on 09/09/2023 4:36:19 PM PDT by Gaffer ( )
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To: ChicagoConservative27

I was baptized and confirmed in the Methodist church and my father was the music director at a Methodist church. The Methodist church that I attend still has a good music program—the electric guitar hasn’t driven away the choir and organ as it has at so many other churches—and that’s one of the reasons I still attend. But it’s getting increasingly “blue,” and I’m starting to shop around for another church.


42 posted on 09/09/2023 4:40:34 PM PDT by Fiji Hill
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To: Lisbon1940

They said METHODIST, not WESLEYAN.


43 posted on 09/09/2023 4:43:11 PM PDT by madison10
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To: aberaussie; Aeronaut; aliquando; AlternateViewpoint; AnalogReigns; Archie Bunker on steroids; ...
In August of 2009 the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) estabalished a "Full Communion Partnership" with The United Methodist Church

Therefore:



Lutheran (EL C S*A) Ping!

* as of August 19, AD 2009, a liberal protestant SECT, not part of the holy, catholic and apostolic CHURCH.

Be rooted in Christ!

The August 19 date refers solely to the adoption of the gaysbian agenda, NOT to the “Full Communion” agreement.

44 posted on 09/09/2023 4:44:03 PM PDT by lightman (I am a binary Trinitarian. Deal with it!)
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To: bigbob

“the Church of Christ which flies the flag and has all but painted the church in rainbow colors. Most especially on their electronic sign board, begging queers to show up.”

I assume that is the United Church of Christ denomination, which is very pro-homo. Not the Churches of Christ which have no central organization, each congregation being autonomous. Big difference.


45 posted on 09/09/2023 4:44:08 PM PDT by SharpRightTurn (“Giving money & power to government is like giving whiskey & car keys to teenage boys” P.J. O’Rourke)
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To: Tall Wall Texan

That is awesome!


46 posted on 09/09/2023 4:44:30 PM PDT by madison10
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To: frank ballenger

Catholics who leave over divorce and remarriage already left with their hearts long ago.

Seems like Methodists have long since said yes to whatever is popular.


47 posted on 09/09/2023 4:44:45 PM PDT by Texas_Guy
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To: Vlad0

I think her posts are excellent.

I admire her courage and willingness to defend the truth.

The shameless pandering for Putin is a conservative embarrassment.


48 posted on 09/09/2023 5:01:26 PM PDT by lonestar67 (America is exceptional)
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To: Vlad0

well, she does appear to support globohomo in ukraine


49 posted on 09/09/2023 5:03:12 PM PDT by imabadboy99
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To: ChicagoConservative27
I know a guy who used to worship at Asbury Methodist. He told me that congregation is no longer Methodist. Now it's just the Asbury Church.

I asked him why. He said it was because of the whole "woke, gender issues, trans" debacle.

50 posted on 09/09/2023 5:50:22 PM PDT by LouAvul (Daniel 4:17: "..the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will.." )
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To: Worldtraveler once upon a time

I’m a Methodist. Our church is still Methodist, just not UMC anymore. We don’ didn’t leave the UMC, it left us.


51 posted on 09/09/2023 6:06:04 PM PDT by jagusafr ( )
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To: LouAvul

The United Methodist Church US Council of Bishops began a vigorous move toward Marxism in the 1970’s. They divorced themselves from obedience to the formal Discipline of the church and began a process of ridding the ministry of clergy who were not obedient. They replaced Spirit centered ministries with doctrinally divergent pastors willing to enforce moral policies in conflict with the laws of the church.
This perversion of the Christian life led to increased dissatisfaction with Bishops who demanded obedience to their arbitrary authority. That authority never considered the spiritual life of local congregations but simply created edicts that were a violation of their Christian principles.


52 posted on 09/09/2023 6:20:56 PM PDT by Lou Foxwell (It takes a uniquely Marxist mind to deny Trump's call to patriotism.)
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To: ChicagoConservative27

A queer bishop is why I left the Episcopal “church “.


53 posted on 09/09/2023 6:22:02 PM PDT by ThePatriotsFlag (Accepting a false premise confirms defeat. Transgender? (No such thing, next subject))
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To: ThePatriotsFlag

Yep, my family too.


54 posted on 09/09/2023 6:29:03 PM PDT by AnAmericanMother (Ecce Crucem Domini, fugite partes adversae. Vicit Leo de Tribu Iuda, Radix David, Alleluia!)
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To: frank ballenger

All the 1950s majorities of observance by Americans have died out and many churches and synagogues have been closed.
Gallup website:

U.S. church membership was 73% when Gallup first measured it in 1937 and remained near 70% for the next six decades, before beginning a steady decline around the turn of the 21st century.Americans’ membership in houses of worship continued to decline last year, dropping below 50% for the first time in Gallup’s eight-decade trend. In 2020, 47% of Americans said they belonged to a church, synagogue or mosque, down from 50% in 2018 and 70% in 1999.

I can tell you exactly why this is. There is no outrage from the pulpit anymore. Why do I need to attend an Episcopal church (Where I was baptized and confirmed.) when it now embraces ideas that God is against?

I am of firm belief there are tens of millions like me that have thrown up their hands with the churches and synagogues they grew up in. While we are not athiests, we are not agnostics nor even questioning we have been alienated from our spiritual homes.

We can’t help but notice that our churches have become as big a problem in society as the government.


55 posted on 09/09/2023 6:31:41 PM PDT by PittsburghAfterDark (There is no one more racist than a white liberal.)
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To: frank ballenger

People don’t leave the Roman religion because of marriage and divorce rules. They leave because of Ephesians 2:8-9.


56 posted on 09/09/2023 6:33:32 PM PDT by Old Yeller
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To: Worldtraveler once upon a time

There are conservative Methodists and there are leftist Methodists. That is the divide.


57 posted on 09/09/2023 6:41:40 PM PDT by Blood of Tyrants ( "It is easier to fool people than to convince them they have been fooled."- Mark Twain)
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To: ChicagoConservative27

Probably for the same reason so many churches (and worshipers) are leaving the Baptist church organizations. Churches are becoming nothing more than social clubs where the goals are filling the pews and the offering plate. The morning announcements contain no notice of outreach to the unsaved or even group worship times. They instead announce the time and location of the next church team baseball game, men’s fishing trip, or women’s book-club get-together.

Churches no longer have hymnal books in the pews so everyone can raise their voices in joy for their Savior but instead the words to the “praise” lyrics are on a large screen and no one knows the tune. Every song selection is sang in a monotone voice in three notes with no change in rhythm or tune.

The pastor’s message is a canned one and speaks of being a “good” member of society and not “rocking the boat” as everyone is encouraged to strive to go along to get along. No Bible verses are read, studied, or expounded upon, and God’s words from the scriptures are left somewhere on the cutting room floor.

After 15 minutes of speaking about nothing that you can’t hear from a motivational speaker at an Amway conference, the pastor says a canned prayer. Next, a funeral dirge type song is played, and by rout he asks if anyone wants to take the “next step” and join the church. After one or two verses the service is over and everyone departs for home or to the closest restaurant for lunch.

And that’s a mild service that pretends to still be a worship experience. If you are unlucky you get the trans-GIBLET version which sometimes the media will attend in order to explain to others exactly what worshiping means to the “under-served” in the communities (or some such drivel).


58 posted on 09/09/2023 6:41:58 PM PDT by CFW (I will not comply!)
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To: UMCRevMom@aol.com

I don’t really understand your response. You have very long winded thoughts and opinions on other topics. Can you elaborate on this topic? Maybe let us know a bit more where you stand on this?


59 posted on 09/09/2023 6:56:28 PM PDT by wgmalabama (Censored !)
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To: ChicagoConservative27

Leaving the natural affection is a sign God has turned one over to maximal self-delusion. It says a lot about what now typifies our society. We’ve mainstreamed spiritual dysfunction, and the road back is humanly impossible apart from turning from self-worship to worshipping the Creator.


60 posted on 09/09/2023 6:57:09 PM PDT by Paraclete
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