BARBARA BRANNON | THE CAPROCK COURIER
Divisions among affiliated churches over religious questions aren’t a new development— questions have arisen over centuries regarding belief, interpretation, doctrine and modes of worship. But often the questions are matters the larger world grapples with, too. The Methodist Church split in the 1840s over the biggest human rights issue of its day—slavery—and gradually came together again. Today it’s struggling with yet another major societal concern, that of LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer) peoples’ rights, many of which have now been ratified into U.S. law, sharpening the divide. “After decades of intensifying debate and defiance of church bans on same-sex weddings and ‘self-avowed practicing’ gay clergy,” reported the United Methodist Insight denominational newspaper recently, “the coming General Conference faces multiple proposals for denominational separation.”
The way forward, for the United Methodist Church as a whole and for individual churches, has been complicated by cancellations of its General Conference during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The most endorsed of the separation proposals, according to the Insight story, is the Protocol of Reconciliation & Grace Through Separation, which if adopted, “would allow churches and conferences that support bans on gay wedings and ordination to leave with church property and $25 million in United Methodist funds to form a new ‘traditionalist’ denomination.”
Locally, Rev. Don Boren, superintendent of the Lubbock District of the Northwest Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church, has spoken with area churches about the new denomination, the Global Methodist Church, which has attracted some congregations—especially in conservative-leaning districts of the southern U.S. and overseas— to join up.
The decisions facing congregations will not be easy, according to denominational leaders, and will involve not only matters of belief and practice but of division of church property.
Boren is slated to preside over a meeting of the Methodist church of Matador on Mon., Aug. 29, at 5:30 p.m., during which that congregation will consider a vote.
McAdoo’s Methodist church will meet in their fellowship hall that night at 7:30 p.m. for the same purpose. The meetings are open, read a notification to members; “however, only professing members may vote.”
The First United Methodist Church of Spur, according to a congregational announcement, will meet in August for a similar purpose, to begin discussion regarding possible disaffiliation. Rev. Boren previously provided background on the subject following a Sunday morning worship service.
Church and denominational leaders were not immediately available for comment.
For this article, recent news coverage in “Christianity Today” and The United Methodist Church newsletter, “Insight,” wwere consulted. Regular updates from the denomination may be followed at um-insight.net. The Northwest Texas Conference has provided “Transition Pathways” resources at www.nwtxconf.org/transition.
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