A North Carolina judge has dismissed a lawsuit brought by 36 United Methodist churches seeking to leave the denomination without following its required exit process. The dismissal holds broader implications for the slow-moving splintering of the worldwide denomination, which currently…
Sociologists find LGBTQ United Methodists, allies stay in UMC out of hope
Sociologists Nancy Malcom and A.J. Ramirez, both United Methodists, hoped they might get at least 50 responses when they first started to research why LGBTQ church members and their allies stayed in a denomination that officially condemns “homosexual practice” as…
UMC agency asks to monitor bishop’s case as suspicion rises
A churchwide agency charged with monitoring the participation of women in the United Methodist Church has asked to observe the judicial process investigating complaints against Bishop Minerva G. Carcaño, who has been suspended from active ministry for a year without…
What has happened to suspended UMC Latina bishop?
March 8 marked a year since Bishop Minerva G. Carcaño, leader of the Sacramento, Calif., Area of the United Methodist Church, was suspended after complaints were brought against her. Her yearlong suspension is unprecedented in United Methodist history. Observers have…
Why it’s so hard to leave The United Methodist Church
Observers both inside and outside The United Methodist Church these days puzzle over a question: Why is it so hard for local churches to take their property with them if they leave the 12-million-member worldwide denomination? A March 4 special…
Most congregations exiting the UMC are white and located in the South
The shape of the current and future United Methodist Church took on clearer lines after events in the past month, topped by results from an analysis of the characteristics of departing churches. Disaffiliation developments included nine decisions and a memorandum…
Texas megachurch relents; follows United Methodist rules to exit denomination
One of the largest United Methodist congregations in Texas, which said it would circumvent the denomination’s process on leaving, has relented and allowed its members to vote on the exit. It also has agreed to pay the required departure fees…
United Methodists score 180,000 pounds of food for hungry people in Super Bowl challenge
Touchdown! Like a full-field kick-off return, United Methodists scored 180,000 pounds of food for hungry people in five states during a Super Bowl food drive challenge. United Methodists in four annual conferences — Great Plains (Kansas and Nebraska), Missouri, Eastern…
What happens when a UMC exit vote fails in a congregation?
“Disaffiliation” — the act of formally leaving The United Methodist Church — tops concerns for many clergy and laity these days as about 1,800 congregations out of 30,000 U.S. churches have left since 2019. However, not all the votes for…