United Methodist Disaffiliation Under 2553

The Process for Disaffiliation is as follows:

1.Contact your District Superintendent for an informational meeting. 

If it doesn’t happen document it and the laity should find other trusted sources to come speak to your Admin. Board.

2. Shortly after your Admin Board should vote to have the district superintendent chair a Church conference.

3.Request for church conference and call by the district superintendent to take a church vote.

You all will need an accurate list of all Full Members of your church  This list be emailed to the District prior to the called Church Conference. Only those who have taken the full vows of membership will be able to vote at this special conference

Approval of the disaffiliation resolution by a two-thirds majority of the professing members of the local church present and voting at the church conference. 

At least two-thirds (2/3) of the professing members present at a church conference of Local Church must vote to disaffiliate from The United Methodist Church “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 the actions or inactions of its annual conference related to these issues which follow.” 

3. Establishment of the terms and conditions, including effective date, of the disaffiliation agreement between the annual conference and the exiting local church by the conference board of trustees. 

a. Payments. Prior to the Disaffiliation Date, Local Church shall pay to Annual Conference, the following:

i. Any unpaid apportionments for the twelve (12) months immediately prior to the Disaffiliation Date; 

ii. An additional twelve (12) months of apportionments; 

iii. An amount equal to Local Church’s pro rata share, as determined by Annual Conference, of Annual Conference’s unfunded pension obligations, based on the Annual Conference’s aggregate funding obligations as determined by the General Board of Pension and Health Benefits using market factors similar to a commercial annuity provider; 

iv. Any direct-bill obligations as verified by the Conference Benefits Office. b. Other Liabilities. Local Church shall either satisfy all of its debts, loans, and liabilities or assign or transfer such obligations to its new entity. Local Church must provide sufficient documentation of same to Annual Conference. 

c. Intellectual Property. Local Church shall cease all use of “United Methodist,” the Cross & Flame insignia, and any other intellectual property of the denomination and Annual Conference, including the removal of all signage containing the same.” 

d. Group Tax Exemption Ruling. As of the Disaffiliation Date, Local Church shall cease to use, and also shall ensure that any affiliates of Local Church which have been included in 

The church conference shall be conducted in accordance with ¶ 248 and shall be held within one hundred twenty (120) days after the district superintendent calls for the church conference. 

the group tax exemption ruling shall cease to use, any and all documentation stating that Local Church is included in the denomination’s group tax exemption ruling administered by the General Council on Finance and Administration of The United Methodist Church. 

e. Records and Cemeteries. The Local Church shall cooperate with the staff of the Annual Conference to ensure the preservation of church archives, membership rolls, historical documents related to funerals, baptisms, weddings, minutes, etc.. If the Local Church has a cemetery or columbarium, the Local Church shall ensure provisions related to continued maintenance after disaffiliation and continued access for families and loved ones of United Methodists buried there. 

4. Ratification of the disaffiliation agreement by a simple majority of the members of the annual conference present and voting. 

The final Disaffiliation Agreement, after preparation by the Board of Trustees and execution by the Local Church, must be “ratified by a simple majority of the members . . . present and voting” at a duly-called session of the Annual Conference. 

5. Completion of all steps must occur prior to December 31, 2023 (Probably 2 months before your annual conference in 20223) so as to make it on the agenda for the Annual Conference vote. 

 The choice by a local church to disaffiliate with The United Methodist Church under this paragraph shall be made in sufficient time for the process for exiting the denomination to be complete prior to December 31, 2023. 

Again document all roadblocks, stalling responses, obstacles, and time delays