Disaffiliation FAQ

The scriptural, doctrinal, experiential, and reasoned discernment regarding the marriage of same-gender persons and the ordination of self-avowed and practicing gay clergy started 50 years ago during the 1972 General Conference and has continued to evolve over the past half-century. Since then, language regarding all people being of sacred worth, sanctions, and chargeable offenses under church polity have been enacted to prohibit the marriage and ordination of self-avowed practicing gay persons. In 2016, the General Conference appeared ready for a schism. General Conference delegates stood up and requested that the bishops get involved beyond merely presiding over the Commission on a Way Forward, which provided three possibilities known as the One Church Plan, the Connectional Plan, and the Traditional Plan. (See Commission on a Way Forward Report: What You Should Know) Those options were presented at a special session of the General Conference in 2019 in St. Louis. The Traditional Plan — which enhanced current policies in the Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church (BOD) about homosexuality and strengthened enforcement — was narrowly approved. Many clergy, laity, congregations, and UMC institutions lamented and resisted the outcome, and multiple annual conferences passed resolutions seeking to bypass the General Conference’s decision. In response to the growing unrest, a group of people representing traditional, progressive, and centrist views began meeting in the summer of 2019 (after the conclusion of the Called Special 2019 General Conference) and developed the Protocol of Reconciliation & Grace Through Separation, or “The Protocol.” The Protocol was an agreement that, if it had been approved by General Conference, would have given U.S. churches and conferences leeway on same-sex marriage and ordination of self-avowed and practicing gay clergy. It also would have allowed traditional-leaning congregations and/or pastors to leave the UMC for another denomination — with churches being able to retain their property and assets in accordance with BOD ¶2553, which was adopted by the 2019 General Conference. (For more on The Protocol visit umnews.org/en/news/protocol-of-reconciliation-and-grace-through-separation-faq). 

Church doctrines (teachings) do not change easily. Sometimes they change at a painstakingly slow pace. For example, the Church’s teaching on the age of the earth and the creation of the universe in six literal 24-hour days has reluctantly and gradually changed over millennia. There are now numerous permissible interpretations. Some Christians today still hold to a literal six-day week creation belief. Another interpretation is informed by the “day-age” Hebrew understanding for day (yom) which can represent long periods of time – even billions of years like modern science talks about. And yet another interpretation is the “framework” interpretation that conveys the sequencing of life-giving formations over billions of years. Today’s Church is comprised of faithful Christians that hold a broad spectrum of viewpoints on LGBTQ+ people and who seek to discern Christian truth in ever-changing contexts considering Holy Scripture as the primary source, the Church’s historical teachings, human experience, and reason based on emerging human knowledge. To have these discerning discussions about human sexuality is a sign of our Christian faithfulness and quest as United Methodists for a vital and appropriate Christian witness. 

Put simply, the Olympics and other sporting or entertainment events don’t have to handle legislation and floor debate. The General Conference is, at its most basic level, a large-scale, multi-national business meeting with more than 850 delegates comprised of people from more than a dozen time zones on four continents. For all elected delegates to have an opportunity to participate fully, interpretation has to be conducted in real-time, as is done when the meeting is conducted in person. If the meeting were to be conducted online, such as using Zoom or other videoconferencing software, participants would have to allow for delays — most likely lengthy ones — as speakers’ words are translated into English, French, Korean, Russian, German, Portuguese, and Tagalog. Allowances also would have to be made for slower internet speeds in some countries. Then, there is the reality of a complete lack of internet capabilities in some areas. For example, some delegates from the African continent would have to cross into the territory of warring tribes to participate, putting their lives in danger — a serious social justice concern. Add in pandemic-related travel restrictions and limitations on travel visas either allowing persons into the United States or to exit the delegates’ home countries and it’s perhaps a little easier to understand why General Conference would be postponed. However, the next session of General Conference is now scheduled for April 23 – May 3, 2024. 

- If the Church Leadership Team votes by a simple majority to explore disaffiliation, the Church Leadership Team should send a letter to their District Superintendent (DS) by June 1, 2023 indicating their desire to explore disaffiliation. 
- The DS will schedule an informative session to discuss the process, its requirements and estimated exit costs. 
- The church enters a 30-day period of prayerful discernment. If after the 30-days of prayerful discernment, the church leadership chooses to proceed with disaffiliation, the DS will call a special church conference to address the request. The Church Conference will consider and vote on a resolution to disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church. A two-thirds majority is required to approve the resolution. Only professing members present at the meeting may vote. 
- If approved by the Church Conference the resolution will be presented to Annual Conference for a vote. A simple majority is required to approve the resolution by the Annual Conference. 
- Churches who submit letters by June 1, 2023 requesting disaffiliation in 2023, and who subsequently decide by a two-thirds majority vote to pursue disaffiliation will have their disaffiliation requests considered during the Special Called Fall 2023 Central Texas Annual Conference. 
- If approved by the Annual Conference, the disaffiliating church will then complete the remaining steps to disaffiliate with conference staff as directed by the Central Texas Conference Board of Trustees. These steps include: 
- payment of any unpaid portion of 2022 Connectional Mission Giving (CMG – aka apportionments), and full payment of 2023 CMG. 
- payment of the church’s exit liabilities as determined by Wespath, as well as any liabilities to the clergy retiree healthcare plan, and 
- other steps as required by the Conference Trustees, including signing a Disaffiliation Agreement 

Yes, if the church disaffiliates under ¶2553 and completes all the required steps and exit costs, the Central Texas Conference releases any and all claims on all property and assets owned by the church. These include land and buildings, cash, investments, as well as furnishings or other personal property purchased by, or donated to, the congregation.  

 It is impossible to foresee what, if anything, will be decided by General Conference in 2024 related to “The Protocol” or any other disaffiliation legislation. Churches may feel free to discern best how God is leading them. Over the course of the last 18 months or so, more clarity has been provided about how disaffiliation can be completed according to The Book of Discipline. 

At their March 31, 2022, meeting, the Conference Trustees unanimously adopted the following policy: 

Paragraph 2553 will be the primary path of disaffiliation in the CTC and churches can invoke 2553 for “reasons of conscience” without further detail. Paragraph 2548 will be the path of disaffiliation reserved for special situations and after 2553 expires at the end of 2023. Paragraph 2548 will now and after 2023 follow similar processes to paragraph 2553. 

In August of 2022, however, the Judicial Council ruled in Judicial Council Decision 1449 that paragraph 2548 may not be used for disaffiliation in place of 2553. Therefore, on April 17, 2023 the Trustees voted to rescind the second and third sentences of the policy, so that it now reads: 

Paragraph 2553 will be the primary path of disaffiliation in the CTC and churches can invoke 2553 for “reasons of conscience” without further detail. 

Churches that have prayerfully discerned a desire for disaffiliation this year, have until June 1 to appropriately notify their District Superintendent to have their disaffiliation request processed and considered during the Special Called Annual Conference this Fall. The best thing you and your church can do in this matter is to be in conversation with your District Superintendent to consider and ask questions about all aspects of disaffiliation carefully and prayerfully.