The Seattle megachurch’s move to disaffiliate from the denomination comes as the ECC was prepared to vote this summer on expelling Quest and Awaken Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, over the churches' stance on sexuality.
The North Georgia Conference had barred churches wishing to leave the UMC from disaffiliating before the 2024 General Conference
Each of the three schools will remain independent with its own identity, mission and governance.
White’s Chapel plans to invite others to join the Methodist Collegiate Church once its disaffiliation is approved by Central Texas United Methodists next month
To date, at least 2,804 churches have left the United Methodist Church since 2019, according to United Methodist News Service.
United Methodist bishops from across the globe are meeting this week for the first time in person since the COVID-19 pandemic.
A Wisconsin bishop had required clergy whose churches were disaffiliating to give up their jobs or their credentials.