What's Going On In The Baltimore-Washington UMC Annual Conference?
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- Опубліковано 23 бер 2023
- We continue our look at the various Annual Conferences across the United States, this time we look at the Baltimore-Washington Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church. This conference was recently sued by 38 churches within the conference who are attempting to leave the denomination but were disheartened by what they saw as unfair conditions placed on leaving. Unlike most Annual Conferences the Board of Trusties here has implemented a 50% "fair market value of real estate" condition before any church can disaffiliate from the UMC.
Show Notes:
Moving The Needle Article:
wesleyancovenant.org/2022/10/...
Baltimore-Washington Annual Conference Website:
www.bwcumc.org
Legal Article:
peopleneedjesus.files.wordpre...
Bishop Easterling's Response:
www.bwcumc.org/news-and-views...
WCA Response:
wca-bwc.org
Bishop Easterling has said that she is doing departing churches a favor by only demanding 50% of the property value.
Isn't that just so nice?
And they think there are so few churches that are departing. Let's make it to ZERO, and make the super majority voting requirement to simple majority. and see what happens.
Thank you for speaking plainly about what's happening here in the BWC. For those congregations that are able to either pay the ransom or just walk away, I'm hearing hope and joy and revival. Praying for your ministry and for all who trust in the Lord.
I agree that there is no racial component to the reasoning for this split. Total nonsense.
If tomorrow all of the churches suing the Baltimore-Washington conference decided that the process and penalties of disaffiliating were so onerous that they dropped the lawsuit and decide to stay, would this alleviate the sadness of Bishop Easterling? If my interpretation is correct, she claims that most of the churches wishing to exit are, by her own reckoning, filled with people who have hatred in their hearts for people of other races, lifestyles, cultures, etc., and it is evidenced by the very fact that they desire to disaffiliate. If Bishop Easterling were to get her wish, and those churches stayed, it causes one to wonder what her relationship with those churches would then be. Would she seek to understand their point of view and then support them? Would she seek to remediate them in some fashion? Would she leave them alone with the understanding that they will wither away anyway since they are so out of touch with modern culture?
I am distraught over the racism perpetrated in the name of religion, but from what I see it's primarily coming from the Liberal side and American blacks. I have a wonderful working relationship with African and Jamaicans, and have them preach in our rural white church when they are available. Any taint of American leftist influence poisons these relationships and needs to be called out.
Yeah I didn't want to be too incendiary in my language, but my overall impression was that a good deal of race-baiting has been done over time so as to maintain a robust distrust of evangelical white folks. First-generation black immigrants don't carry that disposition and are generally much more willing to consider relationships with conservative white folks. Not so with American-born folks of African descent. I'm speaking generally, of course. Nigerian and Jamaican immigrants are generally more successful than native-born American white folks, along with a couple other ethnic African nationalities that I can't summon off the top of my head right now. A lot of racism disappears when folks just choose not to think about it anymore. But so long as grievances continue, the wall of separation is maintained.
@@plainspokenpod I think it's time we call the race hucksters out, whether politicians or bishops. It's an old, worn out game and does nothing but harm the church and society that would otherwise be color-blind. The last I heard of a white Methodist church segregating by ethnicity was nearly 40 years ago, and the conservative Southern pastor refused the call to the church for their unbiblical behavior.
Yes, we have to keep speaking the truth in love. It is a difficult time to do so. Rather than acknowledge the rebuke, so many just keep speaking as though they haven't been called out. That's one of many reasons why many have just chosen to leave. We can't have a meaningful conversation with folks who don't listen.
The Bishops lie! We were hosed in Georgia.
Thank you for making these videos. Michigan's Annual Conference is in June 2-4. I hope you will give a recap when the time comes. My church is headed for a vote on Disaffiliation in the near future. Currently waiting for a date from our D.S. - Hoping and praying our conference remains gracious to those wanting to leave...
Did I see recently that your largest church in Michigan voted to disaffiliate?
I thank you for your posts. Much needed info.
Can you explain what going on in Alabama West Florida Conference.
Sure. Send me materials at plainspokenpod@gmail.com. It would be great to cover a lot more conferences. But I need articles and video, as well as people with whom to speak who know something of the inner workings of your conference. I work more eagerly with the conferences that make it easy to get info, so send me what you've got and connect me with who you know. Thanks!
It was 25 million
Thank you for being the Martin Luther of your generation
I hope you mean that in a flattering sense. Luther was pretty caustic and hateful a lot of the time. If I'm helpful in facilitating a conversation, then great. If I'm just an instrument of division and discord (as Luther often was), then I sure am sorry and will repent!
Luther was a man God prepared for his generation. A weaker man would not have stood, and a bold man was needed for the battles he faced.
@@jeffdollar1646he was a weak and wilful individual...a curse whose spirit of division led to the protestant disaster of today
@@rosieokelly I'm sure Luther had his faults, but weakness was not one of them. To defy the Holy Roman Emperor and refuse to recant, knowing full well it could cost him his life, sort of takes the starch out of that argument.
@@jeffdollar1646 just shows wifulness, nothing more...his vows meant nothing. His proclamation in his letter to "sin body, even fornicate" for God's grace has saved you certainly demonstrates this immorality today. There are no fences any more...no spiritual transference of orders ..heck, even John Wesley appointed himself a bishop! What gall...nuff said...you reap what you sow
A lot more seems to happening all around the Virginia Conference just not the Virginia Conference
Are you politely hinting that you want me to cover Virginia? It seems to me that a good deal IS happening there. Perhaps you'd be willing to email me some articles/videos and connect me with someone who can speak accurately to the more recent dynamics at play there? If so, you can email at plainspokenpod@gmail.com. Thanks for watching!
Can churches refuse to pay apportionments if they remain?
Yes. But then the conference will often take the preacher away and send a new one who is loyal to the conference. If the church still won’t pay, then the conference can declare exigent circumstances and seize church assets. Things don’t usually get that bad, but they can.