United Methodist Church Archives

Over 100 Methodist Churches in Florida Leave Denomination over LGBTQ Stances

July 25, 2022July 24, 2022 Admin

In Florida, over 100 churches formerly affiliated with the United Methodist Church (UMC) have filed a lawsuit against a regional UMC group to negotiate fair terms for formally departing the denomination.

According to The Daily Wire, the lawsuit was filed on July 14th in the Circuit Court for the Eighth Judicial Circuit for Bradford County, Civil Division; the suit was filed against the UMC’s Florida Annual Conference. The lead plaintiff is the Grace United Methodist Church in Lawtey, which argued that, in the process of splitting from the church, it should not be forced to purchase its property from the regional body since the church itself already bought the location before the denomination was founded in 1968.

Seventy Georgia Churches Split from Methodist Church over LGBTQ Stance

June 7, 2022June 6, 2022 Admin

Last week, at least 70 churches in the state of Georgia announced their intentions to split from the United Methodist Church (UMC) over the church’s stance on the LGBTQ community.

Fox News reports that the split marks one of the biggest fractures in recent memory for the UMC, which is the third-largest Protestant denomination in the country. Last Thursday, the North Georgia Conference voted to allow the churches in question to disaffiliate from the broader church. The departing churches will be following the disaffiliation process that was first laid out in 2019 by the UMC’s General Conference, rules that are in effect until the next conference in 2023.

United Methodist Church Proposes Historic Split Over Divisions on Gay Marriage

January 4, 2020January 3, 2020 Admin

Leaders of the United Methodist Church announced a plan Friday for the church to split over divisions on gay marriage.

United Methodist Delegates Reject Recognizing Gay Marriage

February 28, 2019February 27, 2019 Admin

The United Methodist Church, America’s second-largest Protestant denomination, faces a likely surge in defections and acts of defiance after delegates at a crucial conference voted Tuesday to strengthen the faith’s bans on same-sex marriage and ordination of LGBT clergy. Emotions were high throughout the third and final day of the…

United Methodist Church Top Court Rules Against Gay Bishop But Future Unclear

May 3, 2017May 3, 2017 Wendy Wilson

The top court of the United Methodist Church has ruled that the consecration of an openly gay bishop violates church law but the bishop for now still has her job. In a somewhat convoluted decision, the judicial council, convening in Newark, New Jersey, said that Karen Oliveto “remains in good…