Dear Friends,
The United Methodist Church has been much in the news over the last few months and there have been new developments in South Carolina. I, as well as Meg and Ann, feel it is important for us to be transparent with you and share our understanding of the situation.
It is helpful to review how we got to this point. The story starts at General Conference, the world-wide gathering of United Methodists which meets every four years. Only the General Conference can speak for the entire United Methodist Church and only the General Conference can change our Book of Discipline. Think of the Book of Discipline as the UMC’s rule book. In 2019, there was a special session of General Conference to deal with issues related to human sexuality. The 2019 General Conference also created an avenue by which congregations could separate from the UMC. It was assumed that at the next regular General Conference, which would have been held in 2020, that some congregations, who felt they could not remain in the UMC with potential changes to the Book of Discipline, would choose to leave the denomination. Like many things set to take place in 2020, General Conference was rescheduled multiple times. It was decided to suspend meeting until the next regularly scheduled General Conference in 2024. Rather than wait until 2024, those working to form a new expression of Methodism responded by proceeding with the launch of the Global Methodist Church on May 1st, 2022. In response to pressure related to the launch of the new denomination, the South Carolina Conference Board of Trustees, near the end of 2022, released a process by which local congregations can disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church and seek affiliation with another expression of Methodism. In other words, congregations have a process by which to join the newly formed denomination or affiliate with another form of Methodism.
Although a process now exists, we your pastors are certain that now is not the time for Central to consider disaffiliation from the United Methodist Church. Other congregations have entered the discernment process, but we are not at that point. From a purely financial standpoint, the process is prohibitively expensive. From the standpoint of polity, the United Methodist position on human sexuality has not changed. Congregations who are disaffiliating are doing so based on what they think may happen at General Conference in 2024. Until we know what changes may or may not come out of General Conference 2024, I firmly believe that any decision for Central to disaffiliate would be premature. In addition to the enormous financial burden disaffiliation would place on Central, we would be making a decision before having all factors known.
You may hear about United Methodist congregations in South Carolina who have begun the discernment process, but we should only be influenced by what is right for Central. We cannot allow ourselves to be manipulated by people who do not know our church and are not familiar with our ministry context. We must do what is right for Central. Most of all we must focus on the mission and ministry God had given us. Now is the time for us not to focus on division but to focus on unity and our mission to follow Jesus by loving God and loving our neighbors. God has given us a mission and ministry and we must not allow ourselves to be distracted from the work God entrusts to us.
Here is the disaffiliation discernment process in summary:
A congregation’s Church Council can vote to initiate a season of discernment lasting a minimum of 30 days.
At the end of this discernment period, a Church Conference would be convened at which every professing member of a congregation is eligible to vote.
A resolution to disaffiliate must be approved by at least a two thirds majority.
Additionally, disaffiliating congregations would also have to pay the Conference:
10% of the appraised value of all church property and liquid assets
All unpaid apportionment giving for the prior year
Apportionment giving for the year of closure up to the date of the Annual Conference vote to close the church
An additional 12 months of apportionment giving
All unpaid salary and benefits due to clergy appointed to the church
A withdrawal liability equal to the church’s proportional share of any unfunded pension obligations
You can view details the full details of the discernment process here: https://www.umcsc.org/discern/
I will make a presentation to our Church Council at its February 28th meeting about this process as it relates to Central. Rev. Ann Kovan, Rev. Meg Jiunnies, and I will also be holding a video question and answer session. You can submit your questions through this link https://centralumcflorence.wufoo.com/forms/k1ylhji31rcvm5e/ or by the paper forms located in The Commons and Well greeter tables.
Back in May of 2022, I shared a quote with you from John Wesley. “For opinions, or terms, let us not ‘destroy the work of God.’ Dost thou love and serve God? It is enough. I give thee the right hand of fellowship.” Wesley’s antiquated language reminds us that we do not have to agree on everything. People can disagree on important issues and still love one another. Let us commit ourselves to love and serve God together and to love one another. God calls us to be one in Jesus Christ, even when we disagree on important issues.
Most of all, let us pray. Please pray for Central and her leaders and please pray that God keep us faithful to the mission God has entrusted to us.
Yours in Christ,
Thomas Smith, Senior Pastor