“For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.” – 2 Timothy 4:3-4
The United Methodist Church (UMC) is one of the largest Protestant denominations in the world with currently over six million members. Unfortunately, over the last few years, the denomination has been engulfed in internal conflict and dissension.
The inner dispute raging in the UMC centers around the issue of same-sex unions and the denomination’s official stance on the matter. The denomination’s official stance on homosexuality is clear and is laid out in the Book of Discipline. As it stands now, the UMC officially prohibits the blessing of same-sex unions and outlaws the ordination of homosexuals.
The denomination, however, has not been enforcing its position on gay marriage and has actually shown great acceptance of it for years. This has caused many churches in the UMC to disaffiliate from the denomination in order to remain true to the teachings about marriage being between one man and one woman that is found in the Scriptures. There has been no minor exodus of churches from the denomination in the last few years.
Just days ago, 439 out of 799 churches affiliated with the UMC in the Dallas and Houston area in Texas, voted to disaffiliate with the denomination. Nearly half of all UMC congregations in Texas have now disaffiliated from the denomination. By the end of 2023, it is expected that nearly 5,000 congregations nationwide will exit the UMC.
Most of these leaving congregations have now affiliated with the newly organized Global Methodist Church (GMC) which is a theologically conservative UMC alternative. When the church caves to the culture’s doctrine, it only diminishes our witness and weakens our reach.
LET US PRAY…
Father, please help Your body, Your Church, to remain strong and faithful to Your Word regardless of the culture’s opinions. Lord, may the institution of marriage be held in high regard throughout the different denominations of our day. Father, may we be pleasing to You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
