1. What would be the impact of disaffiliation (leaving the UMC) be on the church’s future?

Southside UMC would cease to exist. SUMC would transfer all of its buildings, property, and bank accounts (total estimated value $8 - $10 million) to a new corporation to operate as a church with that property. After that, SUMC would be required to promptly dissolve and liquidate. Whether the new church would fold into another denomination (e.g., the new Global Methodist Church) or become an independent, non-denominational congregation remains to be seen.

Upwards of $600,000 would have to be paid in order to disaffiliate (most of which is underfunded liabilities of Pastor’s pension fund). The church’s Trustees would ultimately determine the sources of funding these costs. They could decide to have the congregation raise the money or to use SUMC’s cash on hand to cover disaffiliation costs.

If the result of the vote is to disaffiliate from the UMC, some members who favored staying with the UMC may leave. This would have a negative impact on the total amount of giving. In the event the disaffiliated church failed, its assets would likely be distributed to some charitable cause, but not transferred back to the UMC.

The benefits of being part of the UMC would cease. The connection with both children’s homes, 16 camps, including the Warren Willis camp would be severed. There would be no connection with the 34 associated colleges or seminaries, and no established resources to provide emergency relief to people in desperate need.

The disaffiliated church would have higher insurance costs. The disaffiliated church would not be eligible to participate in the Florida Conference’s insurance consortium and thus could not continue to obtain FLUMC’s favorable rates for property and liability insurance.

The disaffiliated church would be an independent, or community church unless and until it affiliated with another denomination. As a community church, it would be self-governing; no policy or guidebook (replacing the Book of Discipline (BOD) has been identified. On a mid to long term basis, the church would also have to find its own pastors.

The specific timing, process, and method for the disaffiliated church to affiliate with another denomination has not been brought forth. Those decisions would be made without the structures, rules, and BOD requirements that are guiding the current disaffiliation process.

The disaffiliated church might affiliate with the Global Methodist Church (GMC). One or more GMC representatives are expected to address our congregation in late January or early February 2023. The GMC has copied sections of the UMC BOD but made significant deletions. Among them, there are no District Superintendents, resulting in no pastoral supervision after disaffiliation. However, it is important to understand that this BOD is only provisional. The Global Methodist Church will formally approve their official BOD at their first “Convening Conference” This Conference is not expected to happen for several years. What actually makes it into that first BOD is unknown. Apportionments paid to the GMC are represented to be less than the apportionments being paid to the Florida Conference. The GMC has not shared any financial statements.

2. What will happen if the vote is to stay with the UMC?

Nothing will change. The United Methodist denomination, the Florida Conference of the UMC and our church will continue their missions. Our church, Southside UMC would retain its buildings, property, and bank accounts (total estimated value $8 - $10 million).

The Book of Discipline (BOD) cannot be amended until 2024 and no one knows if or how it would be amended. It is expected that any references to homosexuality will be removed, as was the case in every BOD prior to 1972. Many believe that full inclusion of LGBTQ people is part of the denomination’s future.

There would be no payout of $500,000 - $600,000 for disaffiliation expenses.

SUMC would retain its Contingency Reserve fund with a current balance of $404,000.

If the result of the vote is to remain affiliated with the UMC, some members who favored disaffiliation may leave. This would have a negative impact on the total amount of giving. In the event SUMC failed, its assets would become the property of the FLUMC thereby continuing to support the mission of the UMC.

FLUMC will continue to be financially strong. As of December 31, 2022, the Florida UMC had unrestricted cash assets of $434.8 million. See FL UMC assets. The conference’s financial strength can come in handy if there is a need to borrow for an unexpected expense such as high insurance premium or storm deductible.

The denomination will continue to operate 34 colleges and seminaries.

The FLUMC will continue to operate two children’s homes and 16 camps, including the

Warren Willis camp.

UMCOR remains ready to respond to disasters, like Hurricane Ian with cash on hand. No

event related fundraising required.

The church would remain a part of the Florida Conference insurance consortium and continue to obtain its favorable rates for property and liability insurance.

3. If we Stay UMC, what is the likelihood that the Bishop will appoint a gay pastor to our church?

The appointment process is specified in the Methodist Book of Discipline (BOD) ¶ 426 – 429. The appointment process, as applied in the FLUMC for the past 60 years, is a joint consultative process taking into consideration the needs of the appointment, the mission of our Church, and the convictional stance of our congregation.

If past practice is followed, the Bishop would not appoint any pastor - white or black, woman or man, straight or gay - to a local church that was not ready to welcome such a pastor. For example, in 1964 an unsuccessful attempt was made to integrate First Methodist Church in St. Augustine. It took another 50 years before that church was finally able to welcome a black pastor to its pulpit. Juana Jordan interned in our church before starting her appointment to First Methodist St. Augustine, as its first black and first woman pastor. Unless and until our congregation is ready to welcome a gay pastor, it is highly unlikely one would be appointed.

4. How does the UMC interpret the Bible?

In the Book of Discipline (BOD), we read:

United Methodists share with other Christians the conviction that Scripture is the primary source and criterion for Christian doctrine. Through Scripture the living Christ meets us in the experience of redeeming grace. We are convinced that Jesus Christ is the living Word of God in our midst whom we trust in life and death.

Is the Bible inerrant, or perfect in every way? What does it mean to say that the Bible is “inspired?” In response to these questions (and others like them) the BOD is quite specific about the truth of the Bible.

Our standards affirm the Bible as the source of all that is “necessary” and “sufficient” unto salvation (Articles of Religion) and “is to be received through the Holy Spirit as the true rule and guide for faith and practice” (Confession of Faith)

Thus, the Bible serves both as a source of our faith and as the standard by which the truth and fidelity of any interpretation of faith is measured. While we acknowledge the primacy of Scripture in theological reflection, our attempts to grasp its meaning also involve tradition, experience, and reason.

In the current debate over sexuality in the UMC, six Bible verses deal directly with the practice of homosexuality. Careful study of those verses link homosexuality with the practice of paganism, idolatry, and temple prostitution. The context of these verses is quite different from the modern reality of gay marriage and family life.

What’s more, Jesus never directly teaches on the subject. A mere six verses scattered across the entire 31,102 verses of the Bible are scant evidence upon which to build a sexual ethic that marginalizes a significant portion of humanity. The Bible spends much more attention on loaning money with interest (highly sinful), slavery (endorsed), and the status of women in the community of faith (highly restricted).

If we believe that the scriptures are inerrant and we read these six verses literally and without any sense of historical context, we misuse the Bible much as some churches have – over the centuries -- misused selected verses to reinforce racism, antisemitism, and sexism. It is said that if Joseph had “simply obeyed the Bible,” he would have called for Mary to be stoned to death for conceiving a child in violation of her betrothal.

In short, it is possible to use the Scripture to marginalize certain people instead of using it to meet the living Christ in the experience of welcoming and redeeming grace.

“Love Thy neighbor” means the radically inclusive love of Jesus welcoming and embracing all - particularly those marginalized in society.