Jeff Jernigan, a United Methodist layman and General Conference delegate long active in the denominations traditionalist movement, has been among those speaking at churches making a case for disaffiliation. Further, the motion asks the court to order that pastors named in the suit not have their clergy moved without the consent of the clergy and local congregation. May 18, 2023 By Emily McFarlan Miller (RNS) The North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church can't just press "pause" on disaffiliations from the denomination by churches in. In the meantime, Alabama-West Florida Conference Bishop David Graves is asking churches to postpone any vote on separation from the denomination until after the 2024 General Conference. Jernigan said he is hoping that cooler heads will prevail and the conference leadership will soon revisit its hold on church exits now that North Georgia has a new bishop. GA churches vote to disaffiliate from United Methodist Church "Last year we officially adopted that process.". Judge lifts North Georgia disaffiliation pause - United Methodist News Dalton Rushing, senior pastor of Decatur First United Methodist Church and General Conference delegate, said that because of the misinformation, the conference didnt have much of a choice but to call a halt. "It was a sad, sad moment regardless of what persuasion you were," Porterfield said. ", Dease went on to say the information presented to local churches about disaffiliation was "outside the bounds of normal and acceptable civil disclosure.". To comply with a recent court order, the North Georgia Conference bishop has announced a timeline between June and August during which congregations can vote on whether to leave the. All rights reserved. He told United Methodist News that so far two churches where he was scheduled to speak have now cancelled his events. My heart aches to share that a lawsuit has been filed against the North Georgia Conference, its board of trustees, our district superintendents, as well as your previous bishop, and me, your present resident bishop, she wrote. We reaffirm our commitment to honor and uphold the Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church. NGUMC | Districts More than 180 Georgia Methodist churches sue to disaffiliate Editor's note: The initial publication for this story used an incorrect spelling for Greg Porterfield. Others will remain independent, which means they are not obligated to follow any type of doctrine. Stay Each summer a number of North Georgia Conference clergy pack their belongings and make the move to their next appointment. Contact Editor A handful of churches in Northeast Georgia are among the 70 severing ties with the United Methodist Church over the issue of inclusion of members of the LGBTQ community. During an annual conference held this week in Athens, 70 churches' wishes to abandon its affiliations with the North Georgia Conference were granted, noted the conference's website. She reaffirmed past conference positions that pro-disaffiliation campaigns had spread misleading information and failed to operate in good faith. North Georgia Conference is unique in U.S. Methodism as the only regional UMC unit to suspend the disaffiliation process. The North Georgia Annual Conference initially expected to take up more disaffiliation resolutions again this June. Brian Tillmanintroduce the North Georgia Conference's5 areas of focus. Local congregations voted on whether or not to disaffiliate, he said, and the vote on Thursday formally ratified their decisions. NGUMC | Home "The cabinet discovered and observed that many local churches have been misled about the disaffiliation process and have been presented with information about the process, and about The United Methodist Church and its leadership, that is factually incorrect and defamatory. Although UM News' numbers include all churches that have been granted the right to disaffiliate since 2019, there was a strong uptick in departures beginning last year, with around 2,000 congregations having their disaffiliation votes approved in 2022 and over 3,000 so far in 2023. Our hearts are with those who desire for their congregation to remain a part of the denomination, and also with those who choose to leave. So far, U.S. annual conferences have approved the departure of 2,095 local churches since the provision was enacted by the 2019 General Conference, the only body authorized to create laws for the denomination. Advertisement The Appointive Cabinet Because of the time limit, the 186 churches lawsuit contends North Georgia leaders acted wrongfully, in bad faith, andbeyond the limits of their power, thus depriving the churches of the right to vote on withdrawal from the UMC with their property intact, according to a report by Heather Hahn of UM News. The statement further said the church is thankful for the provisions that allow amicable separation. Cobb County Superior Court Judge J. Stephen Schuster, at the end of a daylong hearing, rules from the bench that more than 180 churches in the North Georgia Conference can proceed with The United Methodist Church's disaffiliation process. May 23, 2023 Message from Bishop Dease Bishop Dease to Call a Special Session of the Annual Conference Bishop Robin Dease shares that she will call a special session of the North Georgia Annual Conference for Saturday, November 18. But Parr said the number is substantial; he said he's heard from more than 20 churches many rural that were not party to the lawsuits. We give thanks for all North Georgia United Methodists in all our varied contexts. Already, U.S. annual conferences have approved the disaffiliations of more than 2,000 congregations since the church law took effect in 2019. Our denomination has a clear process for disaffiliation and we are walking alongside the churches that want to take this path, Conference communications director Sybil Davidson said. In a statement supplied byExecutive PastorSarah MacDonald, the churchsaid"the intensifying division in our denomination has become a significant distraction from Quest Churchs primary mission and purpose in our community and world, thus the reason for our disaffiliation." The churches requested the North Georgia Annual Conference restore the processes that were already in place allowing churches to disaffiliate while keeping their property, according to previous reporting. Were committed to that mission.. The current disaffiliation process is set to expire Dec. 31, although churches still will be able to leave the denomination starting Jan. 1, 2024, using a previously adopted, but more complicated, procedure. Updated: 11:52 AM EDT June 6, 2022. The process takes time, so churches started to panic as they began to feel a time crunch. ResourceUMC.org/GiveUMCom. North Georgia Conference of The UMC 1700 Century Circle NE Atlanta, GA 30345 (678) 533-1399 Connect with us. The appointive cabinet, board of trustees, and bishop recognize the significance of this action. That total, representing less than 7% of U.S. United Methodist churches, includes 71 church disaffiliations that the North Georgia Annual Conference approved this past June. Hannigan said Sundays church service will be the same United Methodist Church that its always been. Visithttps://www.ngumc.org/newsdetail/disaffiliations-16505564for a list of the churches soon to leave the conference. It has not only been false and misleading but has been antithetical to the concept of a gracious exit or a commitment to honoring the mission and ministry of all Christians. This is the second time in less than a month that a Georgia court has ruled in favor of United Methodist churches seeking to disaffiliate. . United Methodists Respond to North Georgia's Disaffiliation Pause . While we do not wish to see any church disaffiliate, we are committed to a clear and healthy process. Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson "The goal of our district superintendents is to move through this process with a gracious spirit," Dease said. Beyond defamation allegations, the issue underlying the churches lawsuits is the UMCs longstanding trust clause, a legal covenant dating back to the 18th century and Methodisms founder, John Wesley. In a new lawsuit, roughly 185 United Methodist churches claim North Georgia Conference leaders conspired to deprive the congregations of their property rights by halting the disaffiliation process late last year. Your support ensures the latest denominational news, dynamic stories and informative articles will continue to connect our global community. 187 United Methodist churches sue North Georgia Conference to re-start Churches holding secret meetings on this matter to which not all members are invited or equally informed. Superior Court Judge Steven Schuster ruled the churches should be able to vote to disaffiliate from the UMC. Trinity on the Hill UMC in Augusta in February took legal action of its own, filing a lawsuit against the North Georgia Conference of the UMC and a number of conference leaders. 478-738-0048 Both Gordon and Jernigan and their families are members of McEachern Memorial United Methodist Church in Powder Springs, Georgia, which had been engaged in the disaffiliation discernment process and is still considering next steps. "The North Georgia fact pattern is truly unique in that there is no way out," Gibbs said. Judge Lifts North Georgia Disaffiliation Pause WATCH VIDEO MESSAGE March 31, 2023 12:14 PM by Wendy Parker. Its our goal to hold onto the Methodist doctrine. Georgias Methodists face growing divide over tradition, LGBT inclusion, Trinity Methodist church sues to disaffiliate, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Our denomination has a clear process for disaffiliation and Conference leaders are walking alongside the churches that want to take this path, Conference Communications Director Sybil Davidsonsaid in a statement. Judge clears way for disaffiliations from United Methodist Church in In a solemn moment, members of the 2022 North Georgia Annual Conference ratified the disaffiliation agreements of 70 churches. More than 100 churches in Florida and 38 in North Carolina are suing United Methodist regional bodies in . Support the ministry of UM News! . Thats what is so heartbreaking with us, is that we are perceived as being anti-gay or anti-LGBT. The lawsuit says the move to stop disaffiliation emerged after it became clear hundreds of conference churches intended to leave. What Happens If We Do Nothing? At the same time, he said, he was saddened that the conference felt it needed to take this action. Her congregation, Triplett UMC in Mooresville, voted to disaffiliate anyway. Robin Dease, resident bishop for the North Georgia Conference, posted a statement to the conference's website on Friday addressing the lawsuit. The churches on Thursday filed a lawsuit in Cobb County Superior Court. In June, the North Georgia Conference ratified the disaffiliation of 70 of its churches. Church leaders communicating to members that "The UMCs theological impasse is rooted in our differing beliefs regarding the authority of the Bible, the interpretation of the Bible, its impact on how we live out our faith, and the Lordship of Jesus." Important Information from Trustees for Churches Considering Disaffiliation. North Georgia Annual Conference The Classic Center, Athens, Georgia June 2-4, 2022 Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson, presiding The 2022 North Georgia With hands held high in affirmation, the members of the 2022 North Georgia Annual Conference endorsed the Rev. I also hope that the pause gives churches in North Georgia the chance to focus less on denominational politics and more on evangelism.. 187 churches sue North Georgia Conference - United Methodist News Service The North Georgia Conference voted last Thursday to allow the churches, most of which were in rural areas, to disaffiliate from the UMC. Contact Andrew Schwartz at aschwartz@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6431. Then a Dalton Methodist pastor left his church behind -- and started a new congregation). We appreciate the step that they're taking to promote peace in North Georgia and let everyone live out their faith, and then be blessed and bless each other and move on.". During an annual conference held this week in Athens, 70 churches' wishes to abandon its affiliations with the North Georgia Conference were granted, noted the conference's website. The conferences halt also comes as the clock is ticking on a church law that allows U.S. congregations to leave with property if they meet certain conditions. leaders of the United Methodist regional body announced in a Dec. 28 statement, what a number of church leaders decry as false, negative rhetoric about the future United Methodist Church, Paragraph 2553 in the denominations Book of Discipline, have approved the disaffiliations of more than 2,000 congregations, The North Georgia Conference announcement, The Matter at Hand A United Methodists Laity Perspective About Whats Really Going On., subscribe to the free Daily or Friday Digests. NGUMC | Annual Conference 2022 This is untrue. 2023 www.augustachronicle.com. "I remind you that the doctrinal standards of the United Methodist Church have not, and will not, change.". Ga. Trial Courts Weigh Separation of Church and State as Methodist Amid a historic schism, the conference's move to abruptly halt all further disaffiliations in late 2022 drew multiple lawsuits joined by more than a quarter of its local churches, though the many plaintiffs did not necessarily include every congregation mulling leaving the denomination. However, the cabinet has discovered and observed that many local churches have been misled about the disaffiliation process and have been presented with information about the process, and about The United Methodist Church and its leadership, that is factually incorrect and defamatory. A Georgia county judge ruled from the bench that 185 churches in the North Georgia Conference can move forward with The United Methodist Church's disaffiliation process. District Superintendents have held more than 200 information sessions over the past year. In an email Friday evening, conference spokeswoman Sybil Davidson said more information would be forthcoming next week. Church leaders presenting disaffiliation as an opportunity to "own" church property. Leaders are prayerfully exploring the best methods for moving forward and next steps available as set forth in the Book of Discipline," she wrote in the statement. Now any such disaffiliation votes are on indefinite hold. Contact Andrew Schwartz at aschwartz@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6431. Jun 02. . The churches requesting disaffiliation made up approximately 9% of the churches in the North Georgia Conference and represent about 3% of the membership of the United Methodist Conference as a whole. Frustrated in turn with what they see as a wayward denomination incapable of enforcing its rules, theological conservatives say these issues are the flash point for a far more profound disconnect having to do with the authority of scripture. We pray for you and your ministry daily as together we make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Churches in the nation of Estonia have completed the needed steps to leave The United Methodist Church and form their own denomination. Clergy making presentations to congregations that are not their own, without the appointed pastors permission, and in many cases without their knowledge, therefore, undermining their ministry. We hope you will! This is not the purpose of paragraph 2553 and it is an inappropriate use of this process. "In my role as your bishop, I am calling a special session of our annual conference," Dease said in the video. Make a tax-deductible donation at SGAUMC | Disaffiliating Churches - May 2023 Page Estes, the congregations director of stewardship and development, said the church is still digesting the news and hopes more information will be forthcoming. North Georgia Conference of The UMC 1700 Century Circle NE Atlanta, GA 30345 (678) 533-1399 Connect with us. Cruz said it was sad to see congregations that had been part of the Methodist Church for many years move away from the movement. Citing widespread defamatory misinformation, the North Georgia Annual Conference leadership has suspended the process for its congregations to exit The United Methodist Church. First United Methodist Church in LaGrange was among the churches in the discernment process. #BeUMC | Learn More About The United Methodist Church It is unclear how many North Georgia churches that did not sue the conference are interested in leaving it. "Finally in 2019, at a global level, there was a path created for churches to disaffiliate," Cruz said. St. James Methodist Church, New Prospect Church and Young Harris Memorial Church, all in Athens, also joined the suit.
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