Arkansas United Methodists allow 67 more congregations to leave; conference has lost more than 15% of its churches

Wye Mountain United Methodist Church in Bigelow, Ark.
was cleared to disaffiliate. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette photo)

UPDATE, Oct. 16: The Arkansas conference voted to let another 62 churches leave, the Democrat-Gazette reports.

Amid continued debate over sexuality and Christian teaching, the annual Arkansas conference of the United Methodist Church voted to allow 67 additional congregations to disaffiliate from the denomination, "bringing the total number that has left in the past six months over 'issues related to human sexuality' to 102," reports Frank E. Lockwood of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. "Though there was plenty of debate, none of the congregations wishing to leave were forced to stay. . . . [after this decision] the Arkansas conference has lost more than 15% of its local churches."

Disagreements over whether to allow or not allow gay ordination, gay marriage and LGBTQ+ inclusion have tested the denomination "for a half-century, revisiting the issue every four years," Lockwood explains. In 2019, Paragraph 2553 was approved for the denomination's Book of Discipline. "It allowed local churches to disaffiliate if they were dissatisfied with the denomination's stand on issues such as same-sex marriage and the ordination of gay clergy. . . . Thus far, theological conservatives have repeatedly triumphed ... ensuring that the denomination continues to define 'the practice of homosexuality' as 'incompatible with Christian teaching'. . . . They have struggled, however, to get some church officials to uphold provisions in their Book of Discipline."

Roy Patterson Smith, pastor of Trinity United Methodist Church in Little Rock, told Lockwood, "I realize there are people who are going to leave and need to leave. The thing I want to do is to see that processes are fair, that we pay attention to all the people in the church -- whether they want to stay or whether they want to go, ultimately -- and that people make decisions out of good discernment, not misinformation, disinformation or fear tactics." Lockwood reports, "Conservatives, including many of the Arkansans cutting ties with the denomination, are frustrated by the flouting of church discipline in some of the U.S. church's 54 regional bodies. . . . Progressives are fed up with denomination-wide positions they view as unjust. . . . Although Methodist congregations traditionally hold their property in trust for the broader church, Paragraph 2553 created a temporary exit ramp."

Not all past exits have gone smoothly. "Thirty-five congregations were allowed to disaffiliate in November, while three others were blocked," Lockwood reports. "Each of the churches completed a discernment process of not less than three months before deciding to depart. . . . . Two of the three denied disaffiliation, Jonesboro First United Methodist Church and Searcy First United Methodist Church, subsequently filed suit. . . . Thus far, the conference has spent $212,147.76 on legal costs. . . That figure could well double if the Jonesboro case proceeds to trial in January, as currently scheduled. . . . [Paragraph 2553] sunsets on December 31, 2023."