Conference Votes to Allow 75 Churches to Disaffiliate
The Board of Trustees report carried a heavy weight this year as the first order of business on the agenda after the standard procedures of establishing the bar and approving the agenda, rules and procedures. The report included the report on church closures and the vote on the churches that have requested to leave the denomination and no longer be United Methodist.
Church Closures
Trustees Chair Rev. Jim Simpson reported that there are various reasons why local churches close.
“I want to remind the Conference that the local church conference votes to discontinue worship and votes on resolutions related to property (with the guidance of the District Superintendent and District Board of Church Building and Location),” Simpson said. “Generally, the trustees simply review and accept the recommendations made by the local church and district. Occasionally, property becomes the responsibility of the Conference trustees on behalf of the Annual Conference.”
In some cases, the property has been sold to groups that desire to continue some form of ministry. In other, the trustees have worked with the local communities in which they are located to find buyers.
“The trustees celebrate the way these congregations have been instruments of God’s grace and give thanks for their steadfast faithfulness,” Simpson said. “The churches listed have been a blessing and loving witness in their communities and worldwide.”
Book of Discipline paragraph 2549 provides the process to close churches. All the closed churches listed have either already held their final worship service or will prior to July 1, 2023.
Before voting on the list of closed churches, the Conference had a moment of silent prayers of reflection and thanksgiving for the witness of these congregations.
707 voted yes, and 11 voted no on the church closures.
Disaffiliations
Churches have been disaffiliating in the Missouri Conference since the provision to do so was added to the Book of Discipline at the 2019 Special Session of General Conference. Still, it has only been a few per year. This year 74 churches chose to exit the denomination using this provision.
Paragraph 2553 states churches may disaffiliate due to reasons of conflict related to sexuality, and it provides a formula for them to do so. This relates to the trust clause and the transfer of assets covered by the trust clause to the disaffiliating church. Further, the conference may develop additional terms to those listed. Missouri requires churches to complete the following:
A church Conference must be conducted by the appropriate district superintendent at which the professing members present and voting approve disaffiliation by a 2/3 majority vote;
The local church must enter into a standard disaffiliation agreement with the Annual Conference, which includes the following:
Payment of the current apportionment plus one more year of apportionments;
Payment of a “withdrawal liability” in the amount of the church’s pro-rata share of any aggregate unfunded pension obligations as calculated by Wespath using “market factors similar to those a commercial annuity provider” (Missouri’s share is currently about $18.4 million); and
Satisfaction of other debts or liabilities.
Some churches sued to disaffiliate to not comply with the requirements in the Book of Discipline.
“We were blessed by the leadership of Jordan Ault, Nate Berneking, and Larry Tucker, along with a litigation subcommittee, to successfully mediate several lawsuits. In response to those settlements, the trustees resolved not to seek anymore, nor accept any less, than the minimal requirements of paragraph 2553,” Simpson said. “It is important to note that the trustees have never asked any disaffiliating church to pay for their property. We have sought to be fair, gracious and prudent in the exercise of our responsibility and authority.”
After Simpson’s report and the presentation of the list of churches requesting disaffiliation, which had also been made available online weeks ago, Bishop Robert Farr opened the floor for discussion, but no one asked a question.
699 voted yes, 45 voted no and the motion passed, completing the disaffiliation process for 75 churches as soon as they made their agreed payment. The number is approximately 11% of the United Methodist churches in Missouri.
Conference staff engaged in 350 individual church conversations around disaffiliations in the last year. A small number of other churches are in the process of entering into a disaffiliation agreement. As all the decisions and conditions are completed, the Annual Conference approval will be sought later in the year at a special called Annual Conference Session.
“While Wesley was an adamant advocate for his understanding of the Gospel and church discipline, he also shared an often-quoted value: in essentials unity, in matters of opinion, liberty,” Simpson said. “We have a core value of respect and care for people in other communities of faith. As Jesus said, I have other sheep that are not of this fold … John 10:16.”
Following the vote, there was a service of Parting Rite and Commendation led by Bishop Farr.
“There’s a lot of grief in this,” Bishop Farr said. “It’s been the hardest year to be in ministry. Let us be mindful there are more of us staying than leaving, and we’ve done this as faithfully as possible.”
Bishop Farr had difficulty making it through the liturgy for the service, and the Conference read it in unison. Connectional Ministries Executive Assistant Heather Dease sang God Be With You Till We Meet Again while Missouri Conference Chancellor Jordan Ault accompanied her on the piano.
Closing Churches
NORTH CENTRAL
New Horizons (Columbia)
Mitchelville
Court Street (Fulton)
NORTHEAST
Makin Memorial
Downing
Vandalia
NORTHWEST
Atherton
Central (Kansas City)
SOUTHEAST
Parma
St. Luke (Hayti)
Centenary (Cape Girardeau)
Birch Tree
SOUTHWEST
Jerico Springs
Hazelgreen
Broadway (Springfield)
Dry Valley
Mt. Carmel