![]() The California Pacific Annual Conference, the local division of the United Methodist Church, also requires congregations choosing to leave to pay 50 cents on the dollar to keep their property. Local geographic regions can also set additional requirements. The denomination allows congregations to leave if they pay two years of church dues plus fund pension obligations. In this country, the larger and often more conservative congregations tend to be in the South and Midwest.Ī recent accounting by the United Methodist News Service shows that about 20% of United Methodist congregations – more than 6,000 – have left the denomination in recent years.īut disaffiliating isn't necessarily easy. – said that they would openly not enforce these policies as a matter of justice for LGBTQ people.Īround the world, there are more than 12 million United Methodists, with about half of them living in the United States. But, a number of bishops and other church leaders – mostly in the U.S. In 2019, the United Methodist General Conference voted to uphold those bans. The problem, as Haworth sees it, is that church leaders openly defy this official teaching and other rules that flow from it such as bans on ordaining LGBTQ clergy and blessing of same-sex marriages. It states, "Homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching." "And we believe, as do many Christians, that the Bible is very specific in that teaching."Īnd he believes that teaching is accurately reflected in the United Methodist Church's official rule book, called the Book of Discipline. "Most recent and probably most prominent is the differences of opinion we have with regard to homosexuality, marriage in general, the sexual ethic," he says. More recently, the congregation voted unanimously to leave the United Methodist Church because of what Haworth describes as a drift from traditional biblical teachings on morality. He says that when he arrived, the 50-member congregation was already unhappy with the direction of the denomination. ![]() Haworth, a lifelong United Methodist who's been a pastor his entire professional life, came to The Fount nine years ago. The United Methodist congregation was founded in 1964, during boom times in Southern California. ![]() "So when we say we're the church, we're referring to our Lord and not ourselves." He wants to make clear what the banner means. "Come thou fount of every blessing," reads Glen Haworth as he gestures toward the front of the sanctuary. A blue and white banner hangs behind the altar table at The Fount Church in Fountain Valley, Calif. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |