Seth Udinski, FISM News
One of the most newsworthy topics in the Christian Church in the last several months has been the fate of the United Methodist Church, one of the largest Protestant denominations in the United States. The denomination is barreling down the path towards an inevitable split over the biblical definition of gender and sexuality. If not for the lockdowns from the COVID-19 pandemic, the church would likely already be severed. The UMC’s General Conference, where many believe the denomination will formally split, has been postponed several times, with a target date of August 2022.
According to a report by Christianity Today, many Methodists on both sides of the theological and political debate are leaving the denomination before the split. FISM News previously covered the case of the Global Methodist Church, a group of conservative Methodists who have already announced their plans to form a new denomination whether the UMC splits or not. 54 congregations chose to leave the denomination in 2020, and already 38 have abandoned ship in 2021.
No matter the outcome, it is best for the UMC to split, for the sake of those who have remained faithful to the Word of God. Hopefully those who have remained faithful will obtain the funds necessary to continue in ministry, and hopefully those who have not will repent.