Discerning the Future

The information contained on this website is for informational purposes only and represents a good faith effort by the CFMC Discerning the Future Task Force to educate and inform our congregation on the full range of perspectives regarding the current issues facing the MC and their impact on the future of our church.  The inclusion of any links herein does not imply a recommendation or endorsement of the views expressed within them by the Discerning the Future Task Force, and we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness or factual accuracy of any opinions/information presented.  We encourage the congregation to prayerfully consider all information disseminated, independently verify any information upon which you rely, and seek out truthful information on your own such that if the time comes, you will be able to make a decision on disaffiliation or not based upon your own informed heart and mind. 

Three Phases within the Discerning the Future with Key Dates

Phase 1: Introduction

Information Sessions and Listening Sessions over the Summer of 2022.

 8/27/22 Leadership Board Retreat
 Time: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Leadership Board prayerfully decides to go forward with the Church Conference vote to potentially disaffiliate from the MC in the Spring of 2023. 

9/1/22 – 9/15/22 Nomination Team calls for a new Disaffiliation Discernment Team to help the church become educated of two choices of staying in the MC or disaffiliation from the MC to join with another Methodist denomination.

10/02/22 – 10/16/22
Congregation Survey

Designed to properly inform the Leadership Board with feedback from the congregation on numerous topics
Paper and online version

10/16/22 Leadership Board
6:00 p.m.
Meeting to present The Discerning the Future Plan
Handouts of The Discerning the Future Plan will be made available to each attendee
This info will be posted on our church website as soon as the Leadership Board approves The Discerning the Future Plan

Phase 2: Education (Updated)

 *The following events are stand alone and serve a specific purpose – they are NOT duplicative

10/1/22 – 11/23/22
Scheduled Updates and Special Events

11/24/22 – 12/31/22 Advent and Christmas Season of Prayer

 1/1/23 – 2/28/23 Continued Education

 Phase 3: Call to Action

Following education and the presentation of survey results by the Task Force, the Leadership Board will meet to determine next steps in our Discerning the Future. The Leadership Board has decided that Conyers First MC will submit a formal request to the District Superintendent that he conduct a Church Conference wherein the membership of the church shall be given an opportunity to vote on disaffiliation from the MC.

1/1/23 – 2/28/23
Per the guidelines set forth by the North Georgia Conference, such a request shall be made by the Leadership Board, between January 1, 2023 and February 28, 2023.

3/1/23
The District Superintendent shall begin the process of scheduling church conferences for those churches requesting a conference on disaffiliation, set to ensure completion and efficiency (not based on when a request is made). Conyers First Church Conference on disaffiliation will occur sometime after this date. The decision to disaffiliate from The Methodist Church must be approved by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the professing members of the local church present at the church conference.

FAQ

Background: For the past 50 years the Methodist Church has been discussing the subject of Human Sexuality. The current Book of Discipline (2016) states that, “All people are of sacred worth but that we consider the practice of homosexuality to be incompatible with Christian teaching.”

In addition, the Book of Discipline forbids ordination of practicing self avowed homosexuals and forbids clergy from performing same sex marriages and same sex marriages from taking place in Methodist Churches.

In 2019 a called special session of General Conference was held in St. Louis to settle the issue. The General Conference (governing body of the Methodist Church) approved a Traditional plan which kept the Book of Discipline’s the same and did not change the position of the MC. It also approved a way for churches to disaffiliate from the MC, paragraph 2553.

But, this did not resolve the debate over the issue of Human Sexuality in the MC. The argument to change the Book of Discipline towards full inclusion of LGBTQ persons including ordination and marriage in the church by UM clergy continues. Many, including our Bishop, think this will happen at either General Conference 2024 or 2028. The discussion continues.

1. What is the decision Conyers First is facing?

Conyers First is facing the decision of whether to stay in the Methodist Church or disaffiliate (leave) the Methodist Church. Many MC congregations are not considering or debating the issue -they have simply chosen to stay in the MC. Conyers First has chosen to explore the issue and prayerfully discern what the congregation will do.

2. What is disaffiliation?

Disaffiliation is a process described in paragraph 2553 in the Book of Discipline that allows a congregation to leave the MC with all of its property and resources under very limited circumstances, namely: “for reasons of conscience regarding a change in the requirements and provisions of the Book of Discipline related to the practice of homosexuality or the ordination or marriage of self-avowed practicing homosexuals as resolved and adopted by the 2019 General Conference, or by the actions or inactions of its Annual Conference related to these issues which follow.” The choice by a local church to disaffiliate with the MC must be made in sufficient time for the process for exiting the denomination to be complete prior to December 31, 2023 when the provisions of par. 2553 are set to expire.

3. For churches considering the possibility of disaffiliation, what is the process that will be used in our Annual Conference?

The overall framework for disaffiliation is found in par. 2553. You can find that document here. The process is as follows:

a) The Leadership Board must vote by simple majority of members of the Council present at a duly called meeting of the Council to request a Called Church Conference for the purpose of considering the question of staying MC or disaffiliating. If the Leadership Board decides not to request a called Church Conference, then the process to disaffiliate ends and the church remains in the MC.
b) If the Council requests the Church Conference, the request must be submitted to the District Superintendent between Jan. 1 and Feb. 28, 2023.
c) The Church Conference date will be set by the District Superintendent sometime after March 1, 2023.
d) At the Church Conference, a vote will be taken. The vote will be by members of the church and they must be present to vote. There are no proxy votes or mail in votes or Zoom votes. In order for disaffiliation to be approved, at the duly called Church Conference 2/3 of the members present must vote in favor of disaffiliation. If a church member is present and chooses to abstain from voting, this is considered a no vote against disaffiliating. If less than 2/3 vote to disaffiliate, then the disaffiliation process ends and the congregation stays in the MC.
e) If the Church Conference vote is to disaffiliate, a simple majority of members of the Annual Conference must approve the ratify the decision at a regular or called session of the Annual Conference. The North Georgia Annual Conference is held each year in June.

4. Who are the members who can vote?

Any member of Conyers First currently on our church roll can vote. We are beginning a process to try to contact inactive members to find out if they still want to be included on our membership roll. A person can only be removed from our roll if they request to be removed either verbally or in writing or if their name is presented to the annual Charge Conference as one to be removed for two consecutive years.

5. Does a Methodist congregation have to vote?

No. If a congregation desires to remain in the MC, no vote is necessary. Many congregations are waiting until General Conference 2024 in order to see what will happen in the MC and how disaffiliating congregations have managed.

6. Are there costs to a congregation pursuing disaffiliation?

Yes. The actual cost is determined on the day of disaffiliation but it will include the following:

Payment of any unpaid Conference Apportionments for the 12 months prior to disaffiliation.
Payment of one additional year of Conference Apportionments.

An amount equal to the local church’s pro rata share of any aggregate unfunded pension liability of the Annual Conference.
Repayment of any Annual Conference grants since 2018.

In addition, the church will bear any legal costs incurred in the process. There will be other incidental costs of transitioning from being a MC congregation as well.

7. Why would the church consider disaffiliating now rather than later?

The General Conference 2019 approved a disaffiliation process for local churches to leave the MC with all their property and resources. Since the beginning of Methodism, all churches have had within their deeds a Trust Clause which states that the land, buildings, etc are held in trust by the local church for the Methodist Church. If the congregation ever ceased to be Methodist, all the land, etc. reverts to the Methodist Church.

The disaffiliation par. 2553 expires on December 31, 2023. If a church does not act prior to that time, then it will remain in the MC.

We do not know how the MC might change the Book of Discipline in the future. This includes whether or not there will be included a disaffiliation process included in the future.

This might be the only opportunity for a congregation to leave and remove itself from the ongoing conflict within the MC regarding human sexuality.

8. What happens to the church records and membership records?

Upon disaffiliation, the local church is required to send a copy of all its church records and membership records to the Annual Conference while still retaining a copy for its own use.

9. If the church votes to disaffiliate, how will the church be governed?

The individual congregation will have to set up its own governance if it exists as an independent congregation. If the congregation affiliates with another denomination, then the governance of that denomination will be followed. Some churches that have already disaffiliated but have not yet joined another denomination are using the governing structure found in the 2016 Book of Discipline as it relates to the Local Church.

10. If the church votes to disaffiliate, what will happen to our Pastors and Staff?

The Staff are employees of Conyers First and would not be affected by the church’s decision to leave or stay in the MC.

The Pastors would not be able to serve Conyers First if the church disaffiliates and if they continued as active Methodist clergy. The Bishop and Cabinet have stated that even in retirement Methodist clergy would be unable to serve any congregation that is not Methodist. This last statement is currently being reviewed. The Pastors could serve Conyers First if they give up their Ordination in the MC and become clergy in another denomination.

11. Will the church join another denomination? And if so, which denomination?

If Conyers First completes the process of disaffiliation from the MC, then there are a number of options to explore. The congregation could remain independent or it could join another denomination. Information concerning these other denominations will be provided at a later date.

12. What happens to my membership at Conyers First?

If the congregation votes to disaffiliate then your membership would remain at Conyers First. If you desired to stay in a Methodist congregation then you would have to transfer your membership to a local MC congregation nearby.

Conversely, if the congregation decided to stay in the MC, your membership would remain at Conyers First. If you desired to leave the MC then you would transfer your membership to a non-MC congregation.

13. What happens with the Conyers First Missions Endowment?

The Missions Endowment stays with Conyers First whether it stays in the MC or leaves the MC. It is directly attached to the Conyers First congregation.

14. Can a person be a member of the MC and a congregation that is not MC at the same time?

No. Your membership must be in one or the other.