Disaffiliation Movement
About the Disaffiliation Movement
How did the issue of disaffiliation originate?
The 2019 General Conference of the United Methodist Church was contentious one. During this general conference in February of 2019 – just as the pandemic was beginning – United Methodists in American met in St. Louis. In addition to worshipping together, the delegates reviewed complex issues. The most troubling was discussion regarding human sexuality. In what appeared to be a direct contradiction to the church’s mantra of “Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors,” the Conference adopted legislation that would be at the heart of the current disaffiliation movement.
This led to the labeling of two factions:
Traditionalists: This term refers to those who, despite acknowledging that all people are persons of sacred worth, adhere to the traditional teachings and provisions of the church regarding marriage and ordination for LGBTQ persons.
Progressives: This term refers to those who acknowledge that all people are persons of sacred worth and approve full inclusion for LGBTQ persons in marriage and ordination.
Missing: What the Conference failed to recognize was the group of those within the denomination who simply considered human sexuality irrelevant to decisions regarding appointment of clergy or the exclusion of marriage ceremonies. These members have simply believed that all humans – regardless of any subgroup to which they belong – deserve God’s grace and equal treatment by the church.
Some Methodists hoped that the issue would be more clearly discussed at a planned 2020 General Conference called for the sole purpose of implementing a plan of dissolution, allowing entities to “move forward in ministry as they are led by God.” Covid-19 prevented that gathering.
A disaffiliation provision was added to the 2016 Book of Discipline at the close of the 2019 General Conference. This provision was made to allow a church, the majority of which were Progressives as noted by the church vote, to disaffiliate from the United Methodist denomination. Human sexuality was the sole issue to be considered in the discernment and action of disaffiliation.
