Disaffiliation
About
As members in The United Methodist Church continue to hold differing views on how to address homosexuality, a process of disaffiliation has been established in Paragraph 2553 of the Book of Discipline for churches wishing to leave the denomination. Each Annual Conference has also been instructed by the denomination to put together their process of disaffiliation.
Paragraph 2553 was added to the Discipline by the 2019 Special Session of the General Conference. It provides provision by which a local church may seek a limited right to disaffiliate from the denomination for reasons of conscience over issues related to human sexuality.
Resources
- The Baltimore Washington Conference has a web page devoted to the topic of disaffiliation
- The Recap: Episode 4. We find hope even in the midst of local church disaffiliations. Amongst grief and sadness, there is also opportunity. Learn more about recent local church departures and what’s next for United Methodism
- In the spring of 2022, Bishop Easterling and several guests, representing various “sides” of the issue, hosted a webinar on disaffiliation. Watch it below, or see the FAQ here.
- Report on Disaffiliating United Methodist Churches through 2022: Comparing Similarities and Differences
- Disaffiliation in the Book of Discipline
Disaffiliation Timeline & Deadlines
The Baltimore-Washington Conference will vote on all disaffiliations under paragraph 2553 at this year’s Annual Conference Session, held May 31-June 3 in Baltimore. There is no plan for a special session for such votes to be held later. Therefore, any church considering disaffiliation must complete the discernment process and have their special church conference no later than April 30, 2023. As the process requires both an information session led by the district superintendent as well as the church conference scheduled by and led by the district superintendent, if your church desires to proceed with the discernment process, even if you are still working through the discernment process, please contact your district superintendent as soon as possible.
If you have any questions about the discernment process or the timeline as outlined by the BWC Trustees, please contact Pastor Erik at erik@cumc.net, or click here.
Community Town Hall: Discerning the Future
Hosted by Community UMC on Tuesday, February 28, 2023, this virtual Town Hall Meeting addresses questions about the pending splintering of The United Methodist Church.
