FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
The questions were created based on the FUMC Florence congregation survey and also questions that Discernment Team members have been asked. If you have more questions, please email discernment@fumcflo.org.
• Why is Florence First United Methodist Church going through the Discernment process? Bishop Wallace-Padgett from the North Alabama Conference established that each church with members who wish to disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church under paragraph 2553 of the Book of Discipline (https://wesleyancovenant.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/2553-Disaffiliation.pdf) must go through the Discernment Process of at least three (3) months. Some in our congregation called for FUMC Florence to disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church denomination; this call prompted the formation of the Discernment Team.
• How were the members of the Discernment Team chosen to serve? People have asked about how the church put the Discernment Team together. As an ad hoc committee of the church, Steve White, as the Administrative Board Chair, appointed the committee after consulting with the District Superintendent and various members of the Administrative Board. Originally there were fifteen people on the Team. In addition to the two pastors (who do not vote), four others are on the Team by virtue of their elected positions: Administrative Board Chairperson, Lay Leader, Staff-Parish Relations Committee Chairperson, and the North Alabama Conference Lay Leader. Steve White as Administrative Board Chairperson, Calvin Durham as Lay Leader, and Lindsey Davis as Staff-Parish Relations Chairperson all have a vote. As Conference Lay Leader, Lisa Keys-Mathews is not a voting member of the Team. Steve White requested that every adult Sunday School class elect someone to represent their class on the Discernment Team. With the diversity of adult classes, this selection method would most closely reflect our members. The Almon Class elected Kathy Gamble and Gary Jester to serve alternatively with only one vote between them, and only one attends the Discernment Team meetings at a time. The Discussion Class elected Katy Beth Carr, the Ferguson Class elected Al Ford, the Graham Class elected Roy Stevens, the Norton-Mussleman Class elected Terry Buchanan, the Parlor Class elected Paula Michael, and the Sonshine Class elected Will Beadle. Since Steve White, Lindsey Davis, and Calvin Durham are members of the Cornerstone Class, the class did not elect a representative. As some members are not involved in Sunday School, Steve White asked the Adult Choir to elect someone, and Ann Lyndon was elected. Mak Knowlden, whom Steve also selected, represents our Children, Youth, and Young Adults. All these people have a voice and vote on the Discernment Team. Roy Stevens stepped down, and the Graham Class chose not to replace him. The result is eleven voting members, seven elected by Sunday School classes, and four appointed by the Administrative Board Chairperson.
• What is the Discernment Team doing? The Team is meeting once or twice a month, usually for 2-3 hours at a time. All of the Discernment Team entered into a covenant related to their commitments to the Team and the FUMC Florence. The team is seeking to discern God’s will for Florence First United Methodist Church by praying, studying, listening to congregation members' input, and contemplating the ramifications of this decision. A summary of the Team’s meetings can be found here (include link). The Team is making every effort to ensure that there is transparency in the process. A webpage (insert web address) contains summaries of the team meetings and information on the UMC, GMC, and other Methodist affiliations. Weekly small group sessions for the congregation began January 9, and will continue for six weeks, to help everyone understand the issues facing our church. On January 29, FUMC Florence hosted Bishop Debra Wallace-Padgett at our 11:00 am worship service, followed by a covered dish luncheon, and presentation to attendees. On February 5, our Church will host Vaughn Stafford (GMC) and Brian Erickson (UMC) to present on their respective denominations. Link to Covenant - https://www.fumcflorence.org/team-covenant Link to Meeting Notes - https://www.fumcflorence.org/discernment
• How will the voices of Florence First UMC members be heard? The Team members are discussing the issues with Sunday School classes. A survey was recently put out to all members, providing an opportunity for individuals to voice their concerns and questions to the Team. Members of Florence First UMC are also encouraged to email discernment@fumcflo.org. A weekly video series started in January with two speakers of opposing viewpoints discussing the United Methodist Church denomination and its future. Members of the Discernment Team are present for the videos to facilitate dialog. On February 5, there will be an event with two speakers at our Church to discuss the United Methodist Church and Global Methodist Church. On January 29, Bishop Debra Wallace-Padgett preached at the 11:00 am worship service and speaking with the Congregation after a potluck lunch. Our goal is to hear from as many of the members of Florence First UMC as possible. The Team will prepare a report to present to the congregation and Administrative Board. The Team’s goal is to have its report finalized by the end of March 2023.
• Will the Discernment Team determine what Florence First UMC will do? No. The Discernment Team has no decision-making authority for the congregation. They will bring a recommendation that has been prayerfully discerned to the Church’s Administrative Board/Church Council. The Administrative Board/Church Council is the decision-making body of the church. (add link to the Admin Board members)
• How is the Florence First Vote involved in the Discernment process? Florence First Vote (FFV) is comprised of a group of members who have chosen to make their voices heard collectively as a group through emails, a website, and a private Facebook group. The Discernment Team is listening to the voices and concerns of all members of the congregation and is listening to the voices and concerns expressed by FFV. FFV is not a part of the Discernment Team. Neither Florence First United Methodist Church nor the Discernment Team provided FFV group with members’ contact information.
• Will the congregation take a church-wide vote following the Discernment Team’s recommendation to the Admin Board? That will depend both on what the Discernment Team’s recommendation is and whether or not the Administrative Board approves or rejects the recommendation. Each of the following is a possible scenario once the Discernment Team’s recommendation is given to the Administrative Board for consideration. Scenario 1: The Discernment Team recommends to the Administrative Board that Florence First UMC should remain a local congregation of the United Methodist Church. In the event of this scenario, should the Administrative Board vote to accept the Discernment Team’s recommendation for Florence First UMC to remain a local congregation of the United Methodist Church, then a church-wide vote would not be necessary and Florence First UMC would remain a local congregation of the United Methodist Church. In the event of this scenario, should the Administrative Board vote to reject the Discernment Team’s recommendation for Florence First UMC to remain a local congregation of the United Methodist Church, then a church-wide vote would be scheduled for a later date to determine whether or not Florence First UMC would remain a local congregation of the United Methodist Church or disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church. Scenario 2: The Discernment Team recommends to the Administrative Board that Florence First UMC should disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church and become an independent congregation or join another expression of Methodism. In the event of this scenario, should the Administrative Board vote to accept the Discernment Team’s recommendation, then a vote of the entire congregation would be scheduled for a later date to determine whether or not Florence First UMC would disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church. The vote would take place on one day by paper ballot at the church. Members must vote in person. A two-thirds vote of members present is required to disaffiliate. In the event of this scenario, should the Administrative Board vote to reject the Discernment Team’s recommendation for disaffiliation then FUMC Florence would remain a United Methodist congregation and a church-wide vote would not be necessary. It is important to note that church-wide votes are only required by local congregations when a church is seeking to disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church. If the elected leadership of the local church (Administrative Board) votes in favor of a recommendation to remain a United Methodist Congregation, then a church-wide vote is not necessary as no change is being made.
• What can we do to be helpful to the Discernment Team? Several things: Pray for the Discernment Team as a group, and each individual on the team (link to team). Pray for Florence First UMC, and pray that we may have the wisdom and courage to discern and be who God is calling us to be. Pray for unity, not uniformity. Pray that we follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit and allow God time to work within our church family. Listen to people who think differently than you. This is how we grow in our understanding. The ability to respect people who think differently than we do is part of what makes a person and church strong and wise. When we can only listen to people we agree with, then we are often feeling insecure in our beliefs. Become informed, not just by groups that you agree with, but truly informed, recognizing that human error and sin in the form of gossip and judgment often create pain and division. Participate in the opportunities that the Discernment Team provides for dialog such as viewing videos, attending the Bishop’s visit and that of Brian Erickson and Vaughn Stafford.
• What are the membership statistics of the United Methodist Church? The United Methodist Church is a worldwide denomination consisting of 131 Annual Conferences with millions of members. The North Alabama Conference of the UMC is made up of over 600 churches and over 100,000 members across north Alabama. As of December 11, 2023, 440 churches remain in the North Alabama Conference. The United Methodist Church is in mission to 136 countries across the world, with 677 missionaries, 125,000 volunteers in mission, and 550 refugee and relief workers. The UMC provides an average of $6.3 billion dollars in generosity and outreach annually. There are many churches in the discernment process, but being in the discernment process does not mean a church is leaving the United Methodist Church. Two examples of churches that have concluded their discernment processes are Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church and Trinity United Methodist Church in Homewood, Alabama. Vestavia Hills UMC voted on Sunday, November 13, 2022, to disaffiliate from the United Methodist Church and become an independent congregation while Trinity UMC’s Church Council voted on Monday, November 14, 2022, to remain a United Methodist congregation. A Called Special Session of the North Alabama Conference was held on December 10, 2022, to process current requests from congregations for disaffiliation. There are 440 churches remaining in the North Alabama Conference as of December 11, 2022 and 198 churches having disaffiliated. Another Called Special Session of the North Alabama Conference has been set for May 11, 2023, to process additional requests from congregations at that time, and a third special session could be called prior to the expiration of Discipline ¶2553 on December 31, 2023.
• Are all the churches that are leaving joining the Global Methodist Church? No. Some are joining other expressions of Methodism and some are becoming independent churches.
• If a church decides to disaffiliate, is there a cost? The simple answer is yes. Each conference appears to be handling the cost of leaving differently. In the North Alabama Conference, a church needs to go through a discernment process, fund its unfunded pension liabilities, and pay its apportionments. There are costs to disaffiliate which includes costs for apportionments and pastor retirements. Other costs will include replacing items that contain the cross and the flame such as hymnals, pew Bibles, and signage.
• What decisions are being made within the N. AL Conference to insure a healthy environment for all churches? The North Alabama Conference has committed to the following leading up to the 2024 General Conference: We continue to follow our polity as defined in the Book of Discipline. We will not demonize one another over differing beliefs. We will never seek to punish or coerce, financially or otherwise, for a spirit-led decision to disaffiliate or remain. We will respect existing convictions and views, including during the appointment process. Here is a video that you may find helpful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCW60ZZ8P2E
• Is the United Methodist Church really asking traditionalists to leave the denomination? No. The requests for disaffiliations are coming largely from traditionalists. Keith Boyette, former president of the Wesleyan Covenant Association and now leader of the Global Methodist Church, describes the reasons he and other leaders are asking traditionalists to leave beginning at 13:32 in this video.
• Is the United Methodist Church really about to alter its doctrine to deny the virgin birth, the divinity of Jesus Christ, the resurrection of Jesus Christ, or salvation through Christ alone? No. All of these positions are bedrock in the doctrinal standards of The United Methodist Church.
• How long is the discernment process? There is no time limit but the minimum amount of time for discernment is three (3) months. The FUMC Discernment Team anticipates providing a recommendation to the Administrative Board/Church Council in the spring of 2023.
• What happens to my UMC membership if my church disaffiliates from The United Methodist Church? According to the North Alabama Conference, you can transfer your membership to another United Methodist congregation or to your District’s membership roll. Visit https://www.umcna.org/umc-membership for more information and a form you can use to transfer your membership.
• If our congregation disaffiliates and becomes an independent church, will the North Alabama Conference help find a pastor? No. The Bishop and Cabinet only make appointments for churches within the North Alabama Conference. If the church disaffiliates from The United Methodist Church and thus leaves the North Alabama Conference the congregation will be responsible for recruiting and hiring a pastor.
• Why are some areas of the UMC not being held accountable for breaking the Book of Discipline? In the North Alabama Conference, leaders have not changed their commitment to upholding our Book of Discipline which are typically handled confidentially.
• What about the money in the Congregational Fund / Endowment? The Foundation is a separate entity and is not owned by the church. The Foundation has its own board. The Board is vested with the decision-making authority as to the fund.
• Is the United Methodist Church going bankrupt? No. The UMC is a connection of many entities (e.g., local churches, annual conferences, General Church Agencies). The General Board of Finance and Administration (GCFA) posts audit reports of all General Church Agencies and Funds on the GCFA website at http://www.gcfa.org/reports/. As evidenced by the audit reports, General Church entities are solvent.
• On what basis can a United Methodist congregation request disaffiliation? An addendum to the Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church was added by the General Conference of the United Methodist Church in 2019. This addendum – known as Paragraph 2553 -Disaffiliation over Human Sexuality.