UMC Disaffiliations in Wisconsin: What does it mean for Episcopalians?
Reposted from https://roodscreen.org/umc-disaffiliations-in-wisconsin-what-does-it-mean-for-episcopalians-c539769b8159
As the Ecumenical and Interfaith Officer for the Diocese of Milwaukee, I thought it might be helpful to bring Episcopalians up to date on what is happening in the Wisconsin Conference of the United Methodist Church (WCUMC). Most of you are probably aware of the extraordinarily painful moment the United Methodist Church (UMC) is in currently. While much of the conflict is couched in theological terms, the real crux is, unsurprisingly, issues of human sexuality. Despite the fact the UMC as a whole has many more openly affirming congregations than the Episcopal Church does, their Book of Discipline (think canons) currently does not allow for the celebration of Same-Sex Marriage or the ordination of members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Despite this, parts of the UMC (Which is a globe-spanning church) have acted in moral protest by carrying out such marriages and ordinations (WCUMC is one of those parts). Sometimes people will ask me why this is taking the UMC “so long.” My answer is for us to consider where we would be today if the entire Anglican Communion were voting members of our General Convention. The UMC is heading toward a General Conference in 2024, in which it is expected that the parts (Annual Conferences) of the UMC that wish to continue in a more “progressive” manner will begin that process. As a result, many conservative congregations throughout the UMC have indicated a wish to “Disaffiliate” from the UMC.
Some will join the new Global Methodist Church (GMC), which interestingly has many of the same outside financial backers as the Anglican Church of North America (ACNA) did at the time of its formation. One difference between this split in the UMC and ours with ACNA is that the pandemic has provided “Cooling” time, and most of the overseas conferences of the UMC have discerned that the GMC is using them as leverage to make political gains in the US. Therefore, the vast majority of African and Middle/South American Conferences appear to intend to stay with the UMC, leaving it more “Global” than the GMC. Other congregations are effectively becoming congregationally-governed Methodist churches, which is almost an oxymoron, as “connection” is at the base of the Wesleyan tradition and polity.
At the Annual Conference meeting this last weekend of the WCUMC, 43 Congregations (out of about 445) in Wisconsin were given the go-ahead to disaffiliate, which means that as of June 30, they will no longer be part of the United Methodist Church. What does this mean for us as Episcopalians in Wisconsin?
- In response to this, ANY language about “Coming Home” or “Returning to the Mother Church” is harmful, insensitive, and historically inaccurate. American Methodism and the Episcopal Church were both novel responses to the Ecclesiastical trauma that was part of the American Revolution. American Methodists were never part of the Episcopal Church. As Christian siblings, we should want to see Methodism flourish. See my blog post “How to Deal with Methodists at your Red Church Doors” at https://bit.ly/3CsevFB for more about this.
- Find out how this is playing out in your local ministry context. Is your local UMC staying with the denomination or disaffiliating? If they are disaffiliating, are they joining the GMC or doing something different? These decisions can affect joint ministries of all kinds and can bring up issues beyond moral theology around liability and property. If you are dealing with a congregation that is no longer UMC, be aware that they may no longer have meaningful accountability structures beyond their congregational board.
- None of our current national ecumenical agreements with the UMC “transfer” to churches and ministers that are disaffiliating. The Interim Eucharistic Sharing Agreement that allows Episcopalians and Methodists to celebrate the Eucharist together under specific circumstances ONLY applies to UMC churches. Likewise, the full-communion agreement that is in process and will hopefully eventually allow us to exchange ordained ministry on a person-by-person basis will only apply to the UMC. (For more about this, see “Methodists and the Episcopal Willy Wonka” at https://bit.ly/3Ilj2Mu )
In short, pray for them. Reach out to your Methodist friends and buy them coffee. Be thoughtful and cautious in how you continue or form any ecumenical partnerships with Methodist churches that are disaffiliating. Most of all, continue to pray for the unity of the church in all of its beautiful and diverse forms.
The Rev. David Simmons, ObJN
Co-Chair, Standing Commission on Ecumenical and Interreligious Relations (TEC)
Ecumenical Officer, Episcopal Diocese of Milwaukee