When John and Charles Wesley began the revival movement that would become Methodism, they did so with no intention of ever breaking away from the Anglican church. Both ordained priests, neither wanted to start a church, they simply saw a need for renewal within their own church. But, movements sometimes have a mind of their own and although John was able to fend off division within his own lifetime, just after his death in 1791 his followers broke away from the Church of England and formed the Wesleyan Methodist Church in his name.
Ideology mixed with enthusiasm has a way of running roughshod over relationship.
Now, three hundred and thirty one years later it is no secret that the United Methodist Church is deeply divided once again. We are divided over issues of governance, autonomy, scriptural interpretation and inclusion. How shall we relate to one another? How much autonomy should the local church have? How do we read and interpret the holy scriptures? Who is welcome and how far does that welcome extend?
These are all big questions with no easy answers.
On May 1, 2022 the Global Methodist Church officially launched as a separate entity from the United Methodist Church. Although this new expression of Methodism shares many theological commonalities with the United Methodist Church, there are significant differences in matters of practice and polity that mark this new denomination. Most notably, the GMC will place more autonomy with the local church, do away with the itinerant appointment system, and solidify their prohibitive stance on the ordination of LGBTQ clergy.
The Global Methodist Church exists as an alternative for those churches wishing to disaffiliate from the United Methodist Connection.
In lieu of the decision on disaffiliation from General Conference which was scheduled in 2022 but will now be postponed until 2024, Annual Conferences throughout the world are currently working to craft plans of disaffiliation for individual churches who wish to leave the denomination. The North Carolina Annual Conference intends to issue their plan on May 17, 2022 and our Bishop, Leonard Fairley, has issued a statement on this upcoming announcement.
The leadership of Ayden United Methodist Church does not intend to pursue disaffiliation but I am certain we will see other churches leave the United Methodist Church in the near future. Some of these will be churches you drive past every day. Some of the members of those churches may be your friends, neighbors, co-workers and family.
I share this news with you now as something of a prayer for all of our brothers and sisters in faith across the connection that we might disagree without disparagement, choose humility over hubris, and offer grace to one another as we seek out the future God has in store for us.
Jesus tells his disciples that others will recognize us because of the way we love one another, so let us do that well.
Pastor Jim