Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to God, and your paths will be straight.    - Proverbs 3:5-6

A Call to Discernment and Renewal

Read Bishop Schol's Disaffiliation Discernment Messages to leaders in EPA:

Council of Bishops Best Practices Recommendations

The Council of Bishops during its August meeting affirmed best practices for disaffiliation. The practices focus on the terms of disaffiliation, clergy leaving the denomination and a discernment process. You will note that the best practices are for U.S. conferences because the newly added paragraph 2553 was added to The Book of Discipline as part of the traditionalist plan to address the disagreement in the U.S. about ministry with and by LGBTQ persons. The new paragraph is only in effect until December of 2023 and suspends the trust clause so that churches upon making payments may leave with their property. You may read the best Council of Bishop’s best practices and about disaffiliation by selecting the following link: Best Practices on Disaffiliation Matters.

Disaffiliation FAQs
Paragraph 2553 of the Book of Discipline

You can review paragraph 2553 and recent Judicial Council rulings about disaffiliation here.

Judicial Council Rulings Concerning Disaffiliation
    UMC’s Judicial Council rules U.S. Annual Conferences can't exit unilaterally

    The Judicial Council, the UMC’s top court, ruled that current church law does not allow annual conferences in the U.S. to withdraw from the denomination. The ruling answers questions from the UMC’s bishops, who are dealing with the ramifications of a splintering denomination... Read story. Read press release: Council of Bishops welcomes decision.

    Disaffiliation Information Webinar

    Watch on YouTube. Recorded August 1, 2022.

    Disaffiliation Discernment
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