February 2020

Dear church members and friends,
I hope and pray that you are in good health and good spirits.
Let me update you about our denomination’s stance on homosexuality. It’s all but certain that the United Methodist Church will split over the homosexual issues. The representatives of the progressives, the centrists, and the traditionalists agreed on splitting amicably.
The progressives and the centrists will remain as the United Methodist Church and the traditionalists, who oppose the full inclusion of homosexuals, will break away from the UMC and start a new denomination.
Congregations who would want to break away from the UMC can leave the UMC and join the new denomination if over 57% of church members vote for leaving the UMC. Congregations who would want to remain as the UMC don’t have to vote. The UMC will give $26 million to the new denomination and $39 million to the ministries of Africa, Asia and Eastern European countries. Congregations who would leave the UMC will keep their church buildings. Pensions of the pastors who would leave the UMC will be intact.
If this agreement passes at the next General Conference, which will be held in Minneapolis, MN in May, 2020, the traditionalist will leave the UMC and form a new denomination. The UMC will eliminate the wording “Homosexuality is not compatible with Christian faith” from the Book of Discipline. The UMC will have another General Conference to regroup the UMC.
It is my hope that our church will remain as the United Methodist Church with the slogan of “Open Hearts, Open Minds, and Open Doors.”
​Sincerely, Pastor Jerry