After years of discord, a season of decision-making has arrived for thousands of United Methodist congregations. Churches are deciding whether to depart the denomination. Several dozen here in South Carolina voted recently to leave. If they meet all requirements, those communities of faith may depart the denomination by vote of the SC Annual Conference this June in Florence, SC.
Lyttleton Street United Methodist Church in Camden, SC, raised me up as a follower of Christ and sent me into ordained ministry in the 1970s. In December 2021, after 37 years of active ministry and four years of retirement in the Upstate, Kay and I moved to Camden. The move allowed us to live close to family and old friends and for me to continue my life of discipleship in the community, which first embraced me and taught me how to follow Christ.
Early this year, LSUMC began a process of discernment to answer this question: Should the congregation leave the United Methodist Church? I quickly published eight posts. I sought to address specific issues facing LSUMC and to write to readers who aren’t part of the congregation.
Then, in late February, the LSUMC Church Council stopped the process before it culminated in a Church Conference. If a two-thirds majority had voted to approve departure, LSUMC might have disaffiliated from its denomination at this year’s Annual Conference. The Church Council voted to re-start the discernment process at some later date.
The Church Council’s postponement is giving me time to re-write the posts. So, I have taken down my eight blog posts.
- I’ll address a wider audience.
- I’ll explain why churches are leaving.
- I’ll offer excellent reasons to stay with the United Methodist Church.
Thanks for reading! And keep coming back to PalmettoPaul.com.