tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4615496199721498323.post3760568780253315499..comments2024-03-22T08:29:51.173-05:00Comments on UM & Global: A Primer on UMC Assets: Departing Annual Conference and Remaining Local ChurchesDavid W. Scotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17024204453848260271noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4615496199721498323.post-3831737020926441582020-03-01T02:57:41.600-06:002020-03-01T02:57:41.600-06:00Thanks for pointing this out. Did they indicate wh...Thanks for pointing this out. Did they indicate whether an annual conference in the jurisdictions needed General Conference approval to leave, as is required for annual conferences in the central conferences to become autonomous? If so, then annual conferences (and jurisdictions) should not assume that they can act unilaterally to withdraw without facing possible lawsuits.David W. Scotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17024204453848260271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4615496199721498323.post-76447188685979108152020-03-01T02:55:20.217-06:002020-03-01T02:55:20.217-06:00Sweden was in a central conference, and there is a...Sweden was in a central conference, and there is a provision in the Book of Discipline for annual conferences in central conferences to become autonomous or merge into united churches (which is what Sweden did). Puerto Rico is a more interesting precedent, since, as you point out, it was part of the Northeastern Jurisdiction, not a central conference. They also became autonomous. To my knowledge, none of the churches in Puerto Rico wanted to challenge that decision. The decision was also ratified by General Conference. I think the difficulty comes in when some churches are not willing to abide by an annual conference's decision to seperate, especially if that decision was not ratified by General Conference. I think in that instance, there is still a strong potential for lawsuits.David W. Scotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17024204453848260271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4615496199721498323.post-8210688891442694422020-02-28T19:04:22.543-06:002020-02-28T19:04:22.543-06:00We actually have a precedent for what happens to ...We actually have a precedent for what happens to local churches when the annual conference withdraws. In the recent past both Puerto Rico and Sweden withdrew. In both cases, one in a central conference and the other in a jurisdiction (Northeastern), all the local churches, complete with their assets and liabilities, were withdrawn with the annual conference, and there was no objection raised.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17604328921688958502noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4615496199721498323.post-31630949262429802732020-02-28T16:42:58.010-06:002020-02-28T16:42:58.010-06:00I bleieve that the Judicial Council, while conside...I bleieve that the Judicial Council, while considering proposals brought to the Feb 2019 Special Session of the General Conference, did indicate that an annual conference could secede from the UMC under the present BOD. A member of Judicial Council says it is in the notes. Derekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12666114998035134335noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4615496199721498323.post-15511243579728245932020-02-28T16:32:23.749-06:002020-02-28T16:32:23.749-06:00Yes, many churches do say this. They have no recol...Yes, many churches do say this. They have no recollection of what investment the AC made when their church was begun. They have no record of who paid the pastor when their church began. Many do not know that the initial loan was subsidized by the annual conference. But they still say it.<br />Derekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12666114998035134335noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4615496199721498323.post-82227071754959752192020-02-28T15:55:14.744-06:002020-02-28T15:55:14.744-06:00In discussions at local churches most say we never...In discussions at local churches most say we never recieved a dime from our conference why should they want our propertyAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07206781871257656162noreply@blogger.com