It's absolutely heartbreaking, isn't it? I'm at the FUMC Clermont Fl, and the conference wanted us to pay 1.2 million in total fees. (We are a bigger church for the UMC) praise God our team negotiated that down to 500k, but still! Having to pay for our own property that we've owned for 131 years is outrageous! The UMC has committed great evil in the sight of the Lord, and I pray that he judges them accordingly.

all about the money the UMC, never about God or the bible

Wow, $300,000 is a large "fine" to commit to trying to follow the Bible. The GMC still has no idea of how much their fees will be, especially when they start to consider retreat and camping and conference centers which the UMC already have. Pension commitments are the bulk of the charges. Sad situation for any Methodists.

I am of the opinion to bring a lawsuit! They are ungodly people!

All of this makes sense, it is like the aftermath of a divorce or unwinding a partnership. (A good argument against sessions by states . . ..)

Our little congregation voted "100% to leave the UMC"!!! How can they reason that one of the things GOD calls an "abomination" is all of a sudden it is not an "abomination"???????

I know there is a lot of heartache over the “fees” to exit the UMC but when you break them down, they don’t feel all that unreasonable. These are commitments all UMC congregations made from the start - so honoring those commitments is fair and reasonable. The only “fee” I have any concern about is the land value - but 10% of those first two seem like a random number, it is likely well under the actual land/building value of the church building - so you’re probably getting off easy. I’m glad you are able to make this work, although I wish the UMC would actually make it easier to let dissatisfied churches to leave since it works to their advantage to get rid of the dissenters.

Excellent!

The UMC will be loaded with lots of money for awile. The top heavy hierarchy will run out of money when the apportionments stop coming in after second year. Our church votes this Tuesday (Sept 5) Can't wait to get out.

Cost a lot of money to fun from worldly sins!

😮 that sounds like a scam. The church was created to spread the good news and make disciples, not to burden the bride. I would urge all churches to follow Christ and not a "conference"

Hierarchical church organizations are not scriptural in the first place. The only church mentioned in the NT is the local church regulated by its elders. It would be completely immoral IMHO to send the UMC any money for any reason. Just walk away if you need to. Go join a sound church elsewhere.

Is splitting the second largest church in the country worth it to y'all now?

Where is Jesus in all this hoopla??? Jesus hated the Pharisees because they loved ceremony more than people He loved the Publican who had a simple belief system: "My Lord and my God! Churches are all about constitutions, the Bible, catechisms, retirement for priests and ministers and not about people! What do the churches do for the people Jesus focused on: the poor, the homeless? Young people stop going to church after they leave the nest. They get it. I give churches fifty years and then extinction!