The Holston Conference in Tennessee authorized the separation of 264 churches from the United Methodist Church (UMC) on Saturday, indicating that the UMC is still suffering the consequences of its continuing conflict over homosexuality. This comes after the loss of more than 1,800 congregations the year before.
At Central United Methodist Church in Knoxville's downtown, the Holston Annual Conference hosted a special session where 945 attendees from both remaining and departing churches met to worship and handle disaffiliation requests.
UMC Schism Grows as 264 Churches Disaffiliate in Tennessee
According to the report in Christian Post, the Holston Conference, which will now include 578 churches in East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and North Georgia, announced the beginning of a visioning and prayer campaign for the conference's future in a statement following the conference's completion.
The resident bishop, Bishop Debra Wallace-Padgett, acknowledged the importance of the day and the significant roles that are withdrawing pastors and disaffiliating churches have played in the lives of those who have remained in the UMC. She highlighted that the impact these pastors and congregations have had on the denomination would not change as a result of the conference vote.
Another source, WJHL, says that on Saturday, disaffiliation proposals for churches that completed a 90-day spiritual discernment process, obtained at least two-thirds of the vote for disaffiliation, and complied with specific financial responsibilities were approved. Most departures occurred within the last nine months at special conference sessions, and several conferences have yet to convene their special sessions.
East Stone Gap UMC's Jake Herron thanked the conference's leadership for their support throughout the process as the congregation left the denomination. The entire time, Herron says, the spirit led them to move into this new expression of Methodism. They worked through everything to reach this conclusion.
Despite the tight decision at the divisive 2019 national conference, which resulted in the adoption of a time-limited disaffiliation process to the denomination's governing rules, same-sex marriage and the ordination of openly LGBTQ clergy were still prohibited.
Over 21% of Members Depart United Methodist Church's Holston Conference
According to the United Methodist Church Holston Conference website, These congregations will join the 2,095 American congregations that have left the UMC since 2019, or about 7% of the country—churches of the Methodist faith.
According to Rev. Tim Jones, the Holston Conference's director of communications, the overall number of members will decline from 148,580 to 117,378, or 21% of the departing members. Jones pointed out that while 23 out of 25 Holston churches with more than 1,000 members would stay United Methodist, 66%, or 175 of the 264 disaffiliating congregations, have fewer than 100 members.
Rev. Kim Goddard, dean of the cabinet under Wallace-Padgett, spoke to the surviving church members about the future of the Holston Conference after the disaffiliations were approved and prayers were offered for the departing churches and members. According to Goddard, he sees that 578 churches now have the opportunity and the calling to set a new course on their beliefs.
Goddard stressed the remaining churches' potential for a new beginning and a rekindled path of fidelity. He said that while the previous chapter had been burdensome, it was over and a new chapter could now begin. According to Goddard, this time offers the opportunity to write a new story, giving the churches a fresh start and putting them on a new route.
Related Article: United Methodist Church Regional Bodies Explore Solutions as Congregations Depart
