In 2024, United Methodists will make headlines, but for what?

The year was 2019. The United Methodist Church made national headlines for all the wrong reasons. Our international ruling body, called General Conference, had met in a special session in St. Louis. The entire intent of the gathering was to forge a path forward where an inclusive UMC could emerge – a centrist denomination that allows for inclusion and diversity of thought. With that, the relatively small group of people and churches who felt they could not live in a denomination with such theological diversity could form their own, new denomination and exit peacefully. Mostly, these folks wanted a non-inclusive denomination they could build from scratch, with seed money from The UMC. 

Instead headlines across the country said The UMC would not only remain so-called “traditionalist,” but there would even be new, stricter rules and penalties for dissent. I was not a year out of seminary, suddenly being interviewed by several media sources as a dissenting pastor.

Here’s the thing: the headlines made it sound like the church is moving in one direction, while it is clearly moving in another. Here in Michigan, our Board of Ordained Ministry made a clear statement that it would not discriminate against LGBTQ+ candidates for ordained ministry. Our own Pastor Joan was commissioned just months later, and the Michigan Conference took a straw poll to say we want to be a body that allows for full inclusion. Our Bishop was clear he would be the bishop for all people, but that he himself would align with an inclusive church. Central Church voted to join the Reconciling Ministries Network that year, as did many groups and churches across the country and even in other parts of the world. 

Also as expected, despite the decision, a new, “traditionalist” denomination has formed. This is a place for churches who are not only “traditionalist” about marriage and sexuality, but they also are so staunch in that belief that they cannot share a denomination with churches like Central. The Global Methodist Church has been actively recruiting, and they pushed hard to get as many churches as possible to join them though the end of 2023, when there were favorable terms for an exit. 

Far from a split, only about 17% of churches have left the Michigan Conference, and about 25% of churches have left nationwide. These are almost all “traditionalist,” but only about half have joined the new denomination. Read more about churches that have left in this Lewis Center analysis. 

Turns out I am not a fringe dissenter, but squarely in the midst of a denomination that increasingly is already living into its motto: Open Hearts. Open Minds. Open Doors.

Now we come to 2024. Due to pandemic delay, General Conference will meet this spring (April 23-May 3) for the first time since 2019. Expect headlines. What headlines, I cannot predict. General Conference is about as complicated and unwieldy as Congress. I certainly hope paths will be forged forward for an inclusive church that allows for diversity of a wide range of views. But, regardless of what happens this May, we can expect this: 

• United Methodists are growing increasingly inclusive. 
• Based on the results of the 2019 vote, United Methodists in Michigan and other parts of the country will not tolerate a denomination that does not invite inclusion.
• Central Church is the second largest UMC church in the state, by attendance rate. We are leaders in the voice of inclusion in Michigan. We will continue to be this voice as the denomination grows into a new future.
• We are a centrist church that will fit comfortably in a centrist UMC. Just as not all Central members have squared inclusion with theology, that will remain true across the denomination. We are committed to remaining in communion – and therefore conversation – with those who disagree with us and who wish to remain United Methodist.
• For those churches who are “traditionalist” and chose to leave The UMC as it embraces churches like Central, we wish them well and choose to invite them to gracious exit. We do not require anyone to leave, and we grieve their loss.
• We expect to continue to be fully supported in Michigan by our Bishop and Conference, as does Pastor Joan – who was the first married LGBTQ pastor to be commissioned and ordained in our state. She is a powerful witness, a faith-filled leader and a gifted pastor and we are privileged to have her witness among us. 

By all means, read the headlines, and know they may not tell the whole story of where we are headed as the people called Methodists. 

My door is always open for those who have questions or concerns.

Thanks!

Pastor Linda