Why We Voted to Disaffiliate

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  1. Our core beliefs (for example, that Jesus is God) have been denied by some Bishops and pastors without accountability.
  2. The UMC has declined in US worship attendance and membership every year since it began in 1968, but this decline has radically increased in the past 20 years to a dangerously unsustainable level; the General Conference and the Bishops have been unable to make meaningful changes to slow this rapid decline.
  3. Per paragraph 2553 of the 2019 UM Book of Disciple, the actions and inactions of our annual conference related to human sexuality has led to division in our conference and local churches.
  4. The system that sends pastors to churches has become more focused on the needs of the pastor than the needs of the church
  5. Our contributions over the past 200 years have paid for our church and its buildings, but the UMC owns that property. This is a holdover from the colonial era. If we were to leave the UMC, we will have more control over our property and hence our future. 
  6. Our annual apportionments (currently ~$250,000 per year, paid to the UMC) are significant, and we have no voice in how they are spent.  We believe we could make  better decisions for how this money is spent to benefit our church, our community and the world.