Shalimar United Methodist Church Statement of Eligibility for Disaffiliation Process
Shalimar United Methodist Church (Shalimar) provides the information below as our statement of eligibility and right to enter into the disaffiliation/discernment process due to reason of conscience as provided under Paragraph 2553 of the United Methodist Church Book of Discipline.
For several decades, the United Methodist Church (UMC) has been divided on Scriptural authority and interpretation around the areas of marriage, human sexuality, and the ordination of self-avowed practicing homosexuals. In keeping with the historical teaching of Scripture and Christendom, Shalimar affirms that marriage and sexual intimacy are gifts of God (Gen. 2:24, Matthew 19:8, 1 Cor. 6:18; 7:2-5; Heb. 13:4) We believe that the biblical definition of marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union and that God desires faithfulness in marriage and celibacy in singleness. The current UMC Book of Discipline (BOD) maintains this same traditional ethic, yet there has been a widespread disregard of this biblical standard and The Discipline by UMC Bishops and clergy members.
Reasons for disaffiliating under ¶2553 of the United Methodist Book of Discipline. Professing Members of Shalimar who vote to disaffiliate at the called Church Conference must do so “for reasons of conscience” under ¶2553 in The Discipline. The paragraph states:
Because of the current deep conflict within The United Methodist Church around issues of human sexuality, a local church shall have a limited right, under the provisions of this paragraph, to disaffiliate from the denomination for reasons of conscience regarding a change in the requirements and provisions of The Discipline related to the practice of homosexuality or the ordination or marriage of self-avowed practicing homosexuals as resolved and adopted by the 2019 General Conference, or the actions or inactions of its annual conference.
Because of these issues, and the reasons of conscience stated below, the Church Council believes that we should continue the disaffiliation/discernment process approved by the Church Council on January 30, 2023 due to the action or inaction of the leadership boards and agencies of the Alabama-West Florida Conference.
#1. The leadership of the Alabama-West Florida Annual Conference, including, but not limited to the Episcopal Office, the Cabinet, the extended Cabinet, and the Annual Conference staff have failed to publicly act and convey and give their disapproval of the fact that fellow UMC clergy including Bishops, elders, deacons, and lay pastors, as well as laity in several other Annual Conferences have violated paragraphs 304.3, 304.5, and 415.6 (as amended) by certifying, ordaining, or consecrating self-avowed practicing homosexuals, and by allowing them to continue in their ministerial office.
#2 We have not seen any evidence that the Alabama-West Florida Conference was active against the aspirational resolution passed at the 2023 South Eastern Jurisdictional Conference which “…urges the SEJ to support LGBTQIA+ people, affirm a moratorium on lawsuits and complaints surrounding sexual orientation, and not pursue (or resolve complaints in a nonpunitive and just manner) against Bishops around their sexual orientation or who officiate LGBTQIA+ weddings, and support elections of Bishops who uphold this.”
#3. The UMC is a “connectional” system by nature, including a financial connection. Each year the Alabama-West Florida Conference collects what is known as “apportionments” from its churches to fund a broad spectrum of ministry and administration expenses within the annual conference and the general church. Shalimar has a history of paying 100% of its apportionments every year. Two of the specific funds these apportionments support are the Episcopal Fund (funding UMC Bishops’ salaries and administrative budget), and the Ministerial Education Fund (funding the UMC colleges and seminaries, including Duke Divinity School), that are particularly troubling to us. These funds also support general boards and agencies of the church that actively disregard the current BOD of the church. The action of the Alabama-West Florida Conference to financially support these “groups” with our apportionments goes against our conscience and beliefs.
#4 Our Bishop refers to churches that do not pay their apportionments as “disobeying The Discipline.” Yet, the apportionments that churches pay are passed on to directly support Bishops and Seminaries that are actively disobeying The Discipline and promoting a progressive theological agenda, and preparing future UMC clergy in ways that are contrary to what we believe are the clear teachings of Scripture and are not in line with The Discipline.
#5. Because the 2019 General Conference resolved that the provisions of ¶2553 (that relate to issues of human sexuality) will expire on December 31, 2023 (before a General Conference is held to decide what the requirements and provisions of The Discipline will be related to the practice of homosexuality or the ordination or marriage of self-avowed practicing homosexuals), for conscience sake, Shalimar seeks to continue disaffiliation/discernment under ¶2553 rather than risk not being able to disaffiliate with the same conditions found in ¶2553 if the next General Conference makes changes to The Discipline that go against our conscience and beliefs on any issues related to human sexuality.
Because of the actions or inactions of the Alabama-West Florida Annual Conference stated above, Shalimar United Methodist Church, for reasons of conscience, has chosen to continue the disaffiliation/discernment process with the Alabama-West Florida Annual Conference as previously approved by our Church Council, and notice given to our District Superintendent, Rev. Jean Tippit, on January 30, 2023 by Rev. Dr. Philip McVay and Rev. Dr. Brad Bradford.
