Vote on the Way Forward

Dear Church Members,

At a meeting of the Administrative Council on Thursday, December 8, 2022, the motion was made, seconded, and approved unanimously to continue with the discernment process and hold a formal vote. This is the only way to ensure each member of this church can have their voice heard. As part of this process, District Superintendent Rev. Todd Harris will be present and preside over the formal vote. The date we were able to schedule for this vote is January 30, 2023, at 6:00 p.m.

This is not a vote to break up the congregation. This vote determines if our congregation will remain under the umbrella of The United Methodist Church or disaffiliate and join with other Methodist churches in a different Methodist Denomination.

In the interim, I pray all will do as much study and research as possible into this matter. This is a grave situation no one wants to face but we have no choice. In the coming weeks, we will ask the various committees (Finance, Trustees, Staff Parish Relations, Nominations) to try to predict what our congregation will look like if we remain United Methodist or if we choose to disaffiliate and join a different Methodist Denomination.

Paragraph 2553 from the 2019 General Conference outlined the procedures we must follow. Part of the process includes a timeline for local congregations choosing to exit The United Methodist with their property and assets. This provision underscores the importance of meeting the requirements set forth in the Protocol of Reconciliation. Between now and January 30th, we will have additional “Town Hall” meetings to answer your questions.

The Task Force assembled to study the direction of our way forward includes Gaylord Kennedy, Adney Stowe, Doug Bridwell, Denise Bailey, and myself. Pastor Rick is an advisory member of this Taskforce. Please feel free to reach out to any of us with questions, we look forward to hearing from you.

Regards,

Randy McComis
Chairperson, Administrative Council