The United Methodist Church, a global denomination with around 12 million members, is facing an uncertain future after two delayed meetings leaving the church unclear on whether and how the denomination will split and reorganize. In the meantime, LGBTQIA+ UMC members and those yearning for a decolonized and anti-racist denomination struggle to trust an organization that has fallen far short in creating a radical vision of God’s beloved community. This podcast talks about how the nation's second largest Protestant denomination has reached this point and what is at stake. This talk follows on the heels our the talk on Christian Nationalism with Katherine Stewart, and they are, sadly, related. We point you to that conversation as well.
Andrew and Pastor Katie welcome the Rev. Dr. Izzy Alvaran and the Rev. Jeremy Smith for this conversation. Rev. Dr. Alvaran is an out gay ordained Elder from the Philippines who works for the Reconciling Ministries Network and is a proponent of the Christmas Covenant. Rev. Smith is the pastor of Seattle First United Methodist Church, serves on the board for the General Commission or Archives and History and runs www.HackingChristianity.net, a blog about technology, faith, and the church.
Hacking Christianity covers the ongoing issues within the denomination and detail.
Christmas Covenant lays out one plan for a regional reorganization of the denomination.
Liberation Methodist Connexion is working for a new progressive denomination.
Protocol of Reconciliation and Grace Through Separation (“the Protocol”) is a proposal for schism.
Alaska Omnibus Proposal attempts to combine the Christmas Covenant, Wespath Provisions, and the Protocol.
Information from Wespath can be found here.
The Global Methodist Church is the church being formed by the Wesleyan Covenant Association, a conservative movement.