Is The United Methodist Church Disaffiliation Plan A Bitter Pill To Swallow?

Are the Methodist clergymen or laymen shaking the gates of Hell and setting up the kingdom of Heaven on Earth in the 21^st century? If so, why did the United Methodist Church (UMC) clergymen and laymen not shake the General Conferences (GC) with fear in 2016 and 2019?

Aren’t there at least one hundred clergymen who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God so that they can shake up the UMC, and revive the Methodist denomination once again?

Do you ever wonder if the entire UMC’s clergymen and laymen as a team had “Feared nothing but sin and desired nothing but God,” surely in the 21^st century no UMC leader would have entertained the church members with a thought of separation in 2019?

Imagine if John Wesley, the founder of Methodism were alive today what would he be thinking about the 21^st century Methodists’ conflicts, disunion, or division?

How did conflicts within the UMC start? Whose plan is to destroy a 260-year old denomination? How did we get here? Did we get thus far just alone as “The Methodist Episcopal Church,” “The United Methodist Church,” or an “Affiliated Methodist Church?” Who is to blame for a division in the church, denomination, and country as a whole? Can a divided house or family survive (Mark 3:24-26)? Is separation work of God (Matthew 28:19) or devil (1 Peter 5:8)?

Are the United States of America (“American”) Christians being indoctrinated by the social media, special interest groups, political parties, colleges, universities, or theological seminaries to believe that the Holy Bible is not an authoritative book to follow?

If the Holy Bible is not an authoritative book for some, then why can’t they follow whichever book, group, community, or religion they like leaving Bible-believing Christians alone?

I think, if Apostle Paul were alive today, based on the current condition in the country, he would react and say to the American Christian leaders and church members the way he did to the Galatians “You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified (Gal.3.1 NIV).”

Didn’t Jesus Christ warn us by saying “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves (Matthew 7:15 NIV)?”

Don’t you think problems arise when religious leaders and theological seminaries try to reverse Wesleyan theology and doctrine according to their conveniences and compromise the Scriptural authority and Lordship of Jesus Christ?

Why didn’t the UMC’s clergies, laymen, and bishops identify and separate camouflaged wolves among sheep early in the 20^th century? It appears that senior leaders knew the UMC had been infiltrated by the special interest groups and political activists since 1968, but due to various reasons I think they could not separate them, and now we’re all aware of the consequences!

As you may know that for John Wesley there was no place for “Almost Christians” as he considered the church membership seriously. Therefore, he frankly stated that “I learned more about Christianity from my mother than from all the theologians in England.”

This is just as true in John Wesley’s life as it is also true in our forefathers and fathers including many baby boomer generations who grew up in God-fearing and Bible-believing families, especially in the “Methodist” denomination.

As you may know that after two years of gap due to the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, once again most of the UMC’s 2022 annual conference session either began with a heated discussion or ended up in an unpleasant atmosphere due to various critical issues.

Is it fair to ask ourselves a question as members of the UMC whether the denomination is in jeopardy? If so, why the UMC is at stake? Why it appears to be the sign of a dysfunctional leadership team turning on itself? Do you think the UMC can survive in the 21^st century?

What are the options UMC members have in America who believe in the divinity, that is, Jesus is God and man, and the second person of the Trinity, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and follow the strict rules as stated in the Book of Discipline (BoD) that is originally guided by a set of General Rules adopted at the Christmas Conference of 1784?

In 2022, do the UMC members (“We”) have an option to be a member of the original Methodist church in which Wesleyan theology, doctrine, and BoD are being followed and practiced? The church where the Holy Bible is considered an authoritative book, and clergy and members believe in the virgin birth of Jesus Christ and the Trinity?

On the contrary, most members have a notion that other groups within the UMC appear not to follow Wesleyan theology, doctrine, “The Articles of Religion of the Methodist Church,” and the BoD, respectively.

If so, how the other groups would make disciples of Jesus Christ, if they don’t follow the Scripture and Jesus Christ’s teaching?

Moreover, if they don’t believe in the Trinity and the Holy Bible, how are they going to make disciples of Jesus Christ since it requires baptism because He said “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19 RSV)?”

Can anyone be a witness and make disciples of Jesus Christ, without the Holy Bible, which teaches “Sin and Death (1 John 5:17),” and “Everlasting Life (John 3:16)?”

Long time ago, I heard a well-known preacher saying “Church is the hospital for a sinner.” Meaning, sinner goes to a church for spiritual healing and worship! If a church can’t identify and recognize each person’s sin, how is it going to diagnose and treat a person? 

“In all cases, the Church is to be judged by the Scripture, not the Scripture by the Church.” -John Wesley

I think as the UMC members now we are at an important crossroad in the history of Methodism, and we have to make a wise choice before December 31, 2023 deadline.

“To be, or not to be, that is the question.”

Hamlet in William Shakespeare’s play does not say “that is a question” rather for him there is only one question at that moment, and that is, “To be, or not to be” is the question?

Even though Hamlet’s play scene may be different, I think the phrases can also apply to a situation when we’re faced with a tough and serious decision to make, and end up contemplating whether it is the right choice.

Especially, when a person is faced with an unavoidable situation to make a decision, which requires separation from the ancestors’ believed and trusted community of God’s people in which he or she grew up, and believed there is no distinction between rich and poor, and Jew and Gentile since same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him (Romans 10:12).

As you may know that since 2016 the UMC members, clergies, bishops, and annual conferences are faced all kinds of challenges with no right choices. I’m not sure whether all members of the UMC know and understand the current BoD, which is the book of law of the UMC’s new paragraph (¶) 2553 (i.e., page #776), and Section VIII “Disaffiliation Of Local Churches Over Issues Related Human Sexuality,” which the UMC’s Judicial Council and Council of Bishops (CoBs) affirmed and added to the BoD (2016).

Sadly, soon after “The Methodist Episcopal Church” became the “United Methodist Church” in 1968 as a merger of the Evangelical United Brethren and Methodist denominations, conflicts started within the UMC around issues of human sexuality.

To most members it seemed unthinkable that when the Scripture, the unchangeable word of God (Revelation 22:18-19 NKJV) strongly condemned human sexuality as “Sin” (Leviticus 18:22 NLT, 1 Corinthians 6:9, and 1 Timothy.1:10 ESV), but the UMC’s BoD, humans tried, customized and amended document used a sentence stating that “The United Methodist Church does not condone the practice of homosexuality and considers this practice incompatible with Christian teaching,” instead of sin contradicting what the Bible teaches us!

Finally, after 50 years of conflicts, in 2019 during the Special GC session in St. Louis, Missouri, “American delegates” who support practicing “Homosexual,” or “Same-sex marriage” with a majority vote decided to amend the current BoD’s (2016) rule, which currently prohibits practicing homosexuals or same-sex marriage.

As you may know that the GC is a legislative body composed of less than 1,000 delegates, one-half of whom are clergies and one-half are lay members elected by the annual conferences. This body makes rules and changes to the BoD with a majority of the vote under the leadership and guidance of the UMC’s CoBs and Judicial Council.

In 2019, the BoD (2016) was amended with a new paragraph (i.e., ¶2553), and under the provisions of this paragraph, a local church can disaffiliate from the denomination for reasons of conscience regarding a change in the requirements and provisions of BoD related to the practice of homosexuality or the ordination or marriage of self-avowed practicing homosexuals as resolved and adopted by the GC.

To that effect, a protocol is known as the “Protocol of Reconciliation and Grace through Separation” was issued in January 2020, and was supposed to be voted on and adopted in the GC (2020). So far it didn’t happen; however, the local churches under the new provision (i.e., ¶2553) which opt to disaffiliate and not become part of the UMC denomination must comply with ¶2553. The process of disaffiliation expires on December 31, 2023, and it shall not be used after that date.

Even though the protocol is not adopted in the GC due to the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, and three times postponement of the conference until 2024, the disaffiliation deadline of December 31, 2023, has thrown the local, especially small congregation church members into bitter turmoil.

The postponement decision became unpopular and reflected increased tension between the Traditionalists who follow both Wesleyan theology and BoD, and Progressives who support same-sex marriage. However, under the new paragraph clause, a few large churches have already disaffiliated with the UMC during 2022 annual conference session.

In my opinion for most Bible-believing Christian and members of small local churches, complying with the BoD’s new ¶2553 before December 31, 2023, coupled with lingering thoughts on the protocol status, and the consensus of the next GC’s unpleasant feelings and expected hostile environment, created bitter pills to swallow, if you will!

Moreover, it appears that most of the churches are facing some uncertainty about their congregation as December 31, 2023, deadline approaches, and the UMC’s 2022 annual conferences session are ending with mixed emotions, reactions and results. However, no one knows as to how may families and members would change their mind and move on to other denomination before the deadline due to an amended “human sexuality” clause in the UMC’s BoD.      

How about the World Methodist Council (WMC), a successor to the Ecumenical Methodist Conferences of 1881? I think even for an Affiliated Autonomous Methodist Church, Autonomous Methodist Church, and Affiliated United Church members this plan and protocol of separation would be bitter pills to swallow, as the WMC is made up of 80 Methodist, Wesleyan, and United Churches representing over 80 million members in 138 countries either directly or indirectly affiliated with the UMC because of John Wesley’s ministry.

As you may know that mother church of the “Methodism” is Great Britain because of John Wesley (1703-1791) and his brother Charles Wesley (1707-1788). This mother’s oldest child, in my opinion, is America (1760), and the umbilical cord of this mother and her children, if you will, is connected throughout the world.

As a result of this mother’s given birth child “Methodism,” today we have the WMC connected with the UMC either as an Affiliated, Affiliated autonomous, or United with estimated delegates to the GC after American (55.9%) are other countries, such as Africa 32%, Philippines 6%, Europe 4.6% and other regions 1.5%, respectively.

Why the WMC is important? Because America is a nation of immigrants, today most of the UMC members’ ancestors and family members first time came to know about the true and living God of the Bible, and were brought up either directly or indirectly in the Methodist denomination because of John Wesley’s ministry and his fulfillment of “The World is my parish” declaration.

For example, as an immigrant, I was born, baptized, and grew up as a child in an Affiliated Methodist Church in India (MCI), which was started in 1856 by great American missionary William Butler at Bareilly in North India, followed by Women’s Foreign Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1870.

Moreover, I am a product of an American great Methodist missionary to South India known as Earl Arnett Seamands (i.e., E. A. Seamands), an engineer who became missionary and he was also known as (a.k.a.) “Tha, Tha Seamands,” a nickname which means grandfather Seamands in my mother tongue Kannada, which is one of the South Indian languages.

In addition, his two sons Rev. Dr. John T. Seamands and Rev. Dr. David Seamands were also Methodist missionaries in South India, and Rev. John T. Seamands baptized me in India when I was an infant, and he also baptized our daughter Rebekah in Wilmore Methodist Church, Wilmore, Kentucky in early 1990s, when she was a very young child.

In fact, I was born in a hospital built by the Holston Conference, then known as The Methodist Episcopal Church (i.e., Holston Annual Conference) in America with their financial and prayerful help and support under the leadership of  Tha, Tha Seamands, known as the Holston Hospital in Yadagiri, Karnataka State, South India. 

During my childhood in South India, as an adopted infant son of an American mother, metaphorically speaking, if you will, and member of the MCI, which is part of the Central Conference of Sothern Asia and GC either directly or indirectly connected to the UMC. That is, before The Methodist Episcopal Church merger in 1968 and became the UMC, and the MCI became an Affiliated autonomous in 1981, in which my biological parents Rev. and Mrs. N. Mark were country preachers, who since 1942 worked with Tha, Tha Seamands, and his son John Seamands, before Indian Independence (1947). Even my father-in-law Rev. Solomon Sabana worked as a preacher with Tha, Tha, John, and David Seamands, respectively.

As a member of both the MCI and now the UMC since 1988 (i.e., 34 years), I have witnessed the conflicts across the Methodist denominational spectrum. Therefore, you can imagine the pain of this separation, which I feel like a child of divorce parents in a family where both parents and children would suffer with severe emotional, spiritual and financial consequences!

I understand a few senior leaders in the UMC are considering and treating this separation as not uncommon situation based on their interpretation of the Methodist Church’s history.

However, my research studies indicated that soon after the Second Great Awakening, through revival and camp meetings sinners were brought to an experience of conversion. Like John Wesley, circuit-riding preachers and lay pastors knit believers into a connection, and this style of Christian faith and discipline facilitated the growth of “Methodism.”

In the 21^st century forget of circuit-riding preachers, but the same leaders, with a few exceptions, who are separating the denomination, are not in a position to utter the word “Sin” from the pulpit, when the Scripture clearly and openly defines it for a common person!

Yes, the American Revolutionary and Civil wars profoundly impacted the Methodism. However, the Methodist Episcopal Church did not suffer as harshly as southern Methodism did during the Civil War due to slavery issues, and John Wesley was an ardent opponent of slavery.

I am sure if John Wesley were alive today, he would also be an ardent opponent of racism, since to this day most of the UMC’s services every Sunday morning, with a few exceptions, are segregated due to the color of a person for various reasons. As a result, most ethnic (i.e., non-Caucasian) children when grow up are not comfortable of joining the UMC as members.

In my opinion, racism should have been a major topic and issue at the UMC’s GC that needed to be discussed and voted on, rather than human sexuality, which the Bible condemns both!

As members, you may sometimes wonder whether the UMC denomination’s disunion protocol complies with the BoD of the UMC (2004) – “The Confession of Faith of the Evangelical United Brethren Church (i.e., Article VIII) – “Reconciliation Through Christ[i],” and “The Articles of Religion of the Methodist Church (i.e., Article XIII) – “Of the Church[ii],” which states “The visible church of Christ is a congregation of faithful men in which the pure Word of God is preached?”

Moreover, the question arises whether or not the “Social Principles” as stated in the BoD (i.e., ¶161.C and G) that “We affirm the sanctity of the marriage covenant that is expressed in love, mutual support, personal commitment, and shared fidelity between a man and a woman[iii],” and “The Ministry of the Ordained,” as stated in Section 1 (i.e., ¶304,3) “The practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching. Therefore, self-avowed practicing homosexuals are not to be certified as candidates, ordained as ministers, or appointed to serve in The United Methodist Church[iv],” are being violated or compromised with this new ¶2553?

I think most baptized UMC members may also wonder if our Confession of Faith is “Reconciliation Through Christ,” and the “Pure Word of God is preached,” then why do we have a separation? Isn’t the pure Word of God saying that “Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ (John 1:17 NKJV)?”

Didn’t Jesus say “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me (John 14:6 NKJV)?” He also said “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth (John 17:17 NKJV).” Is it possible for humans to separate Grace from Truth?

Don’t you think that grace and truth appear to be two sides of the same coin? If that is the case then “Reconciliation” requires His word, and Jesus also said “If you abide in My word, you are my disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (John 8”31-33 NKJV),” that is, in my opinion, free from the bondage of sin, but not physical separation.

The question arises as to if grace and truth came through Jesus Christ, don’t you think “Reconciliation” and “Grace” is only through Him, that is, “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. Not only so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ through whom we have now received our reconciliation (Romans 5:10-12 RSV).” Why separation? Are we contradicting ourselves on the pure Word of God?

We, believers, know the separation based on Jesus Christ’s teaching from the Parable of the Weeds stating “No, he answered, because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn (Matthew 13: 29-30 NIV).”

“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left (Matt. 25:31-32 NKJV).”

According to the BoD, if self-avowed practicing homosexuals are not to be certified as candidates, ordained as ministers, or appointed to serve in the UMC, then why do we have a disaffiliation plan? Isn’t the pure and true Word of God says that “Let your Yes be Yes, and your No, No. For whatever is more than these is from the evil one (Mat. 5:37 NKJV)?”

Moreover, what does the “pure Word of God” in the Holy Bible say about homosexuality? Are not the following supporting Bible verses answer this question?

• “Do not practice homosexuality, having sex with another man as with a woman, it is a detestable sin (Leviticus 18:22 NLT);”
• “Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion (Romans 1:26-27 NIV);”
• “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor^]sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor.6: 9-10 NKJV);” and
• “For the law was not intended for people who do what is right. It is for people who are lawless and rebellious, who are ungodly and sinful, who consider nothing sacred and defile what is holy, who kill their father or mother or commit other murders. The law is for people who are sexually immoral, or who practice homosexuality, or are slave traders, liars, promise breakers, or who do anything else that contradicts the wholesome teaching that comes from the glorious Good News entrusted to me by our blessed God (1 Tim. 1: 9-11 NLT).”

If the pure and true “Word of God” is preached then why did the UMC’s leaders answer was “No,” to the disaffiliation plan, since believers know “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart (Heb. 4:12 NKJV).”

This may sound like preaching to the choir, but I am sure most of UMC’s members are faced with a terrible dilemma of “Pure Word of God and Faith (i.e., The Holy Bible)” versus human protocol and plan designed and customized according to their conveniences rather than God’s plan as provided in the Bible.

Don’t you think John Wesley; the founder of Methodism knew human sexuality as stated in both Old Testament and New Testament? Did he support human sexuality? I don’t think so!

As we know that John Wesley followed the Scriptures, and we know that “Life” and “Death” is stated in the Holy Bible. According to the Scriptures “Sin” is death, and “Life” is only through Jesus Christ. Therefore, John Wesley stated, “I judge all things only by the price they shall gain in eternity.”

At this juncture, one can be reminded of the great Martin Luther’s quote, which states that “You cannot keep birds from flying over your head, but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair.”

What happened? Did we simply watch the birds’ nest being built in our hair since 1973? Or, did we allow birds to build their nests in our hair?

“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil,

who put darkness for light and light for darkness,

who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.

Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight.

Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine and champion at mixing drinks,

who acquit the guilty for a bribe, but deny justice to the innocent.

Therefore, as tongues of fire lick up straw and as dry grass sinks down in the flames,

so their roots will decay and their flowers blow away like dust;

for they have rejected the law of the LORD Almighty

and spurned the word of the Holy One of Israel.

Therefore the LORD’s anger burns against his people;

his hand is raised and he strikes them down.

The mountains shake, and the dead bodies are like refuse in the streets.

Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away,

his hand is still upraised (Isaiah 5: 20-25 NIV).”

A state of uncertainty as related to the status of an old (¶ 162. G.) and new (¶ 2553) paragraph in the BoD, and the protocol exists among many members of the UMC with growing consensus as expected majority of American delegates in the next GC (2024), if held on-time, would vote accordingly the way they did it in 2019.

“Whosever will reign with Christ in heaven, must have Christ reigning in him on earth.” – John Wesley

In addition, the disaffiliation plan and the process are not simple and easy, and it is very time-consuming as each church, if decides to disaffiliate from the UMC must meet certain financial and procedural requirements and obligations, such as apportionments, property, pension liabilities, etc., before December 31, 2023, and also must be voted not only by the church members but also by the annual conference delegates for separation.

Imagine how can small Bible-believing congregational churches handle these legal matters without professionals, such as, attorneys, when they are unable to pay monthly bills on time when the inflation rate (8.6 %) is 40 years high with recession concern in everyone’s mind?

How about the UMC’s affiliated schools, colleges, universities, hospitals, clinics, and other institutions? What would be the implication on these institutions due to the disaffiliation plan?

How can the UMCs delegates, CoBs, and Judicial Council allow this to happen?

“The Church changes the world not by making converts but by making disciples.” – John Wesley

I think for Bible-believing Christians and members of a local church, there is no other way than to discern right from wrong through our daily meditation on His word and sincere prayers on knees with Godly fear! Because He has a better plan than the one we’re currently faced with!

 “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword (Romans 8:34-36 NIV)?”

“You have one business on earth – to save souls.”- John Wesley

Disclaimer: This Website (i.e., www. johnwesleyadmirer.com) on which I write and publish about personal opinions, activities, and experiences belong solely to the blog owner and do not represent others, unless explicitly stated.  Any views or opinions are not intended to be spiteful of any religion, individual, ethnic group, organization, or political party. 

Foot Notes:

[i]The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church (2004) –“The Confession Of Faith Of The Evangelical United Brethren Church (Article VIII)” – “Reconciliation Through Christ.”

[ii] The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church (2004) – “The Articles of Religion of the Methodist Church (Article XIII)

[iii]The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church (2004) – “The Nurturing Community (¶ 161.C)”

[iv]The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church (2004) – “Qualifications for Ordination (¶ 304,3)