Nearly 200 churches in Northeast Florida and 25% of congregations nationally have left the United Methodist Church due to perceived liberal views and practices.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — It’s a religious battle that affects thousands of churches across the country. Because of views on gay marriage and other religious practices, roughly 25% of congregations of the United Methodist Church in the United States, which equates to 7,658 churches, are disaffiliating with the United Methodist Church and forming their own denomination.
Many churches in Jacksonville have already left the United Methodist Church and they say it goes deeper than the right to worship in their own way. Millions of dollars in buyout money has changed hands in Florida alone; all so people can practice what they believe.
Just days away from one of the most prominent dates on their religious calendar, 193 congregations in Florida are forming a new denomination.
“I often tell people I did not leave the United Methodist Church, the United Methodist Church left me,” said Jay Therrell, President Pro Tempore of the Florida Conference of the Global Methodist Church. 20 former United Methodist Church congregations in Northeast Florida are now under the Global Methodist Church denomination.
“We’ve always said it’s about the authority of scripture and about the lordship of Jesus Christ and we did not believe either of those was being respected,” said Therrell.
The United Methodist Church did not respond to calls and emails for comment regarding this story, but a portion of a video posted to their website states some of their current viewpoints.
“Historically we have failed to fully live into the equitable love of God, we’ve begun to be vulnerable with our past, our shortcomings and tell whole stories and repent for our past social sins of racism, sexism, colonialism and homophobia,” said Dr. Ashley Boggan Dreff, General Secretary of the United Methodist Church.
“Our churches are open to everyone and we want everyone to receive God’s grace,” said Therrell, “but we also don’t think we have the right to change parts of God’s scriptures.”
Many of the people leaving the United Methodist Church don’t support gay marriage as a religious practice. According to rule 2553, the United Methodist Church calls for monetary payouts in order for a church to disaffiliate.
Florida churches have filed lawsuits and paid more than $20 million in order to worship the way they choose.
“It didn’t have to be the way it turned out to be and I pray and hope that $22 million gets used for good kingdom purposes,” said Therrell.
Ortega Church left the United Methodist Church and will join the Global Methodist Church, Rev. Art McClellan told First Coast News, “it was a membership decision to move in a new direction, we hope to bless the community through the ministry or our local church.”
A link to the full video from the United Methodist Church referenced earlier in this story can be found here: https://www.umc.org/en/who-we-are/what-we-believe
Currently only churches in the United States are allowed to buy their way out of the United Methodist Church. In the spring the United Methodist Church is expected to formally adopt a more liberal stance on gay rights as it relates to religious practices within its church.
