The Battle Hymn of the United Methodist Church
The Great Banana Spilt
UMC Schism for Dummies
After a three-day intense debate at the 2019 General Conference[1] in St. Louis, the United Methodist Church [UMC] delegates from all over the world voted to divide the church. The vote served as a rejection of a push by progressive members and leaders to open the church to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people. The current policy states that “the practice of homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching.”
[1] General Conference is the top policy-making body of The United Methodist Church.
The assembly meets every 4 years.
While the vote brought an impasse on this hot topic, there were no official plans on how to go forth. It is imminent the worldwide 12 million members will have to pick a side. There are:
conservatives or traditionalist side,
the progressive side, or
statue quo or “just as is” side.
Had there been no coronavirus pandemic, United States’ largest mainline Protestant denomination would have convened last August[2] for a likely vote to break up over differences on same-gender marriage and ordination of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer [LGBTQ] pastors.
Instead, the UMC was forced to postpone the potentially momentous conference, leaving its various factions in limbo. The deep doctrinal differences seem irreconcilable, but for now there’s agreement that response to the pandemic takes priority.
The differences have simmered for years and came to a head in February 2019 where delegates voted 438-384 for a proposal strengthening bans on LGBTQ-inclusive practices. Most United States-based delegates opposed that plan and favored LGBTQ-friendly options; they were outvoted by U.S. Conservatives Methodists teamed with most of the delegates from Methodist strongholds in Africa and the Philippines.
In the aftermath of that meeting, many moderate and liberal clergy made clear they would not abide by the bans, and various groups worked throughout the pandemic on proposals to let the UMC split along theological lines.
The “just as is” are those who liked how the UMC has been moving forward during the pandemic. During the Covid-19 year, there has been a moratorium on pressing charges against out LGBTQ clergy and same-gender marriages. It seems as if the UMC is one big happy family that is getting along instead of pressing charges and challenging different views of Jesus.
Caught in a 50-year battle over LGBTQ issues, dozens of conservative and progressive churches are leaving the UMC without a tidy exit plan. When the General Conference finally meets, a protocol will be made how to split our domination.
Pick a side
by clicking the image below
and see how those UMC members are moving toward
The Great Banana Spilt
a special general conference was called in february 2019 and a month later the church, along with the country, shut down due to covid-19.
schism
[ siz-uhm, skiz- ]
noun
division or disunion, especially into mutually opposed parties.
the parties so formed.
Ecclesiastical.
a formal division within, or separation from, a church or religious body over some doctrinal difference.
the state of a sect or body formed by such division.
the offense of causing or seeking to cause such a division
[2] General Conference is the top policy-making body
of The United Methodist Church.
The assembly meets every 4 years.
[2] April 2020 General Conference was postponed to 29 August – 9 September 2021 due to Covid-19. This global gathering has again been postponed to 29 August – 6 September 2022. It is now scheduled to take place August 29 to September 6, 2022, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
UPDATE - As of 3 March 2022 - General Conference now postponed till 2024. Click here to see more. link goes to UMC website
