This is the time of year when we start planning for and praying over the Western PA Annual Conference. This year, we will gather in Erie on June 14th through the 17th. I am asking you to join me in prayer, now more than ever, for this meeting of the Annual Conference. On Wednesday, June 14th, we will have a Special Session to vote on the churches that are choosing to disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church. This means they will no longer be governed by the polity of the United Methodist Church as found in the Book of Discipline. They will no longer be labeled as, or identify as, a United Methodist congregation. Some will choose to join the Global Methodist Church, some will go non-denominational, and some are still figuring out where God is calling them to next. Each of these churches met with their District Superintendent and held a special Church Conference where the members of the congregation voted to stay or to leave the UMC. As of now, out of 766 churches that make up the Western PA Annual Conference, approximately 300 churches have voted to disaffiliate. Some churches have voted to close instead of disaffiliating. There are a few things I want you to be aware of.
God is still in control. The church is still the body of Christ. The UMC might be splitting, but the Body of Christ will remain until one day when Christ comes again and tells us differently. We will still be in connection with our siblings in Christ no matter what denomination they identify as.
With that said, the UMC will look different. As churches leave, the reality is that finances leave our conference. The conference staff will change, and our districts will reorganize. Pray for our conference leaders as they faithfully decide how to be good stewards of the people and of the resources that remain in our Annual Conference.
Not every church took a vote to disaffiliate. This vote was not a requirement. Only those churches who were considering the possibility of disaffiliating took a vote. We held a meeting last year to talk about what was happening in the UMC, and I did not gauge nor hear any feedback that there was interest in the possibility of disaffiliating.
If you have any questions, comments, or concerns that you would like to discuss regarding what is happening, please do not hesitate to reach out to me. Laura Powell, our Congregational Leader, is also available to answer any questions you might have.
Please continue to faithfully be in prayer as the time draws near to gather one last time with so many who have long been our United Methodist kin. This is a sad time in our life together. Many are speaking harsh words to others out of a grief that has not made us the best we can be. Many who are choosing to stay United Methodist will say goodbye to churches they were raised in or have committed their time and resources to for a season of their life. Many of these folks will find themselves looking for a new church home. Please be in prayer for all who are affected by this time in our life together.
I cannot leave you with this word of sorrow. Regardless of what we face, with Christ, there is always hope. 1 Peter 2:10 reminds us, “Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.” We (all who belong to the UMC and all who do not) ultimately belong to God. Our life is in God’s hands, and there is no better place for them to be.
From one light to another,
Pastor Hannah Loughman
Photo by Ashok Boghani