Silencing United Methodist Voices
By Rob Renfroe I have now been banned in two states. Ok, that’s a bit of an overstatement. Two annual conferences, each covering an individual state, have determined that I may not speak to their churches. Even though I am still a United Methodist elder. Even if I am...
Loneliness & Loving Our Neighbor
Loneliness & Loving Our Neighbor By Jennie Lyons My hometown of Washington, D.C. was recently named the loneliest city in America. Another study found a growing number of Americans have few or no close friends at all. Most of us allow ourselves to get pulled ever...
Why I Support the Separation Proposal
By Rob Renfroe - Responses to the proposed plan for separation could hardly be more divergent. Some are shouting "hallelujah" and others are feeling dismissed, even sold out. There are several components of the plan that I do not like. In particular, I don't like the...
Reflections on the Proposed Protocol for Separation
By Timothy Tennent - Quite a stir has rippled out across the country because of reporting by Christianity Today, CNN, New York Times, among others, with headlines like this: “Methodists Agree to Split Denomination” (Christianity Today headline), “United Methodist...
Why a Mediated Negotiation?
By Keith Boyette - This year, The United Methodist Church is 52 years old. Of course, the Methodist movement, currently composed of approximately 80 distinct Methodist denominations worldwide, is much older than that. The UM Church was formed from the union of The...
United Methodist Traditionalists, Centrists, Progressives & Bishops sign agreement aimed at separation
United Methodist Council of Bishops - A diverse group of representatives from United Methodist advocacy groups with contrasting views and bishops from around the world has collaborated on a proposed agreement for the separation of The United Methodist Church (UMC)...
Frequently Asked Questions United Methodist Mediation Team
How was the group which produced the Protocol formed? In the summer of 2019, Bishop John Yambasu (Sierra Leone Episcopal Area) invited five persons from three constituencies within The United Methodist Church – traditionalists, centrist, and progressives – to meet in...
Diverse leaders’ group offers separation plan
By Sam Hodges, UMNS - A diverse, 16-member group of United Methodist bishops and other leaders has offered a proposal that would preserve The United Methodist Church while allowing traditionalist-minded congregations to form a new denomination. The separating group...
