I write this post after the Church Conference (all Professing Members present and voting) decided to disaffiliate from The United Methodist Church. The vote was not even close. It was 100% in favor of disaffiliation! After the vote was taken, our United Methodist district superintendent, the Rev. Sandra Olewine, said she was heart-broken and adjourned the conference.

Immediately, our Church Council chairperson, Joy Goebel, convened a congregational meeting, which then voted to join the Global Methodist Church, after completing the disaffiliation process with the UMC.

None of this was surprising. I fully expected the votes to go the way they did. But what is surprising is the relative joy I witnessed in the congregation as they exercised their membership right and stood for what they believe. The ironic thing is that The Fount is probably more faithful in its adherence to the United Methodist Book of Discipline than most of the churches in this annual conference! We are more “United Methodist” than the vast majority of so-called “United Methodist” churches in our conference, because we actually believe the doctrines of the church (because they align with the teachings in the Bible) and we actually follow the decisions of the General Conference. The moment, however, was somber as many of us who have loved The United Methodist Church for most of our lives felt the sting of separation.

Our journey is not over; it is just beginning. Because we have voted to disaffiliate from the denomination, we will now be presented with the requirements for that disaffiliation, including the costs required of us. So, while the vote was relatively easy, the process will not be. We are prepared to fight for a just and equitable separation arrangement that does not kill our church, and yet provides that we fulfill our obligations to the annual conference and to former pastors. We are prepared to demand fairness. We need to continue to pray!

The action of The Fount sends a clear message to our conference leaders: there are consequences for disobedience. And while the consequences may not be what they should be (holding disobedient leaders accountable), they are painful and “heart-breaking.”

The Fount steps out into a new season of faithful ministry in the name of Jesus Christ!

Faithfully,