Well, I’ve heard tell there’s a whole heap of churches leavin’ the United Methodist Church. Don’t rightly know why, but folks are talkin’. Heard somethin’ ’bout disaffiliatin’ churches. Sounds fancy, don’t it? Probably just means they’re packin’ up and movin’ on out.
Now, some fellas, they keep track of these things. There’s this Lewis Center for Church Leadership, they done put out some reports. First, they had a couple of early ones, back in March of 2023, I think it was. Then, just recently, they put out a final one. Said somethin’ ’bout coverin’ over seven thousand churches. That’s a lot of churches, ain’t it? Seven thousand six hundred and thirty-one, to be exact. All approved to leave by the end of last year.
Seems like Texas had the biggest bunch leavin’. They called it the most “significant loss of congregations” in them 2022 special sessions. Land sakes, I wonder what riled ’em up so bad. Must’ve been somethin’ serious. Churches don’t just up and leave for nothin’, ya know. They’re supposed to be stickin’ together, like a good family. But families fight sometimes, I reckon.
- So, what’s the deal with all these churches leavin’? Like I said, I ain’t no scholar, but from what I hear, it’s got somethin’ to do with disagreements.
- Some folks don’t like the way things are goin’, and they want out. Can’t say I blame ’em. Nobody likes bein’ told what to do, ‘specially when it comes to their beliefs.
And it ain’t just a few churches here and there. The report said somethin’ about twenty-five percent of churches disaffiliatin’. That’s a whole quarter of ’em! Imagine that! Like cuttin’ a pie into four pieces and throwin’ one whole piece away. That’s a lot of pie, and a lot of churches.
Now, I ain’t sayin’ who’s right and who’s wrong. That ain’t my place. But it does make ya think, don’t it? What’s gonna happen to all them folks? Where will they go? Will they start their own churches? Or will they just join up with another group? So many questions, and I ain’t got no answers. Just an old woman watchin’ the world go by.
This whole “list of churches leaving UMC” thing, it’s a big deal. It’s changin’ things, that’s for sure. And it ain’t just about numbers. It’s about people, and their faith, and their communities. It’s about what they believe in and where they belong. It’s a mess, is what it is. A big ol’ complicated mess.
I tell ya, it makes my head spin just thinkin’ about it. All them churches, all them people. It’s enough to make ya wanna just sit down and have a good cup of coffee, maybe with a slice of that pie we talked about earlier. But even then, I reckon I’d still be wonderin’ what’s gonna happen next. This UMC split, or whatever you wanna call it, it ain’t over yet. Not by a long shot.
I heard some folks sayin’ this has been brewin’ for a while. Years, maybe even decades. Seems like folks have been unhappy for a long time, and now it’s all comin’ to a head. Like a pot of water boilin’ over. You can only keep the lid on for so long before it blows. And I guess that’s what happened here. The lid blew off, and now all the churches are scatterin’ every which way. Like chickens in a thunderstorm.
The impact of this disaffiliation is gonna be felt for a long time, I reckon. It’ll change the landscape, not just for the United Methodist Church, but for other churches too. People will be watchin’ to see what happens. And they’ll be makin’ their own decisions based on what they see. It’s like a domino effect. One church leaves, then another, and another. And before you know it, the whole thing’s changed.
So, if you’re lookin’ for a list of churches leaving UMC, you can probably find it online somewhere. I ain’t got it myself. But I can tell you this: it’s a long list. And it’s gettin’ longer every day. That’s the truth of it, plain and simple. No fancy words or sugar-coating. Just the way it is.
