Hartwell First Methodist disaffiliated from United Methodist Church

On Nov. 18, the United Methodist Church’s North Georgia Conference held a “Special Called  Session” in Athens, in which they voted to grant 262 congregations’ desire to divide from the Church. Hartwell First Methodist Church (which was Hartwell First United Methodist Church until their disaffiliation was solidified Dec. 20) was one of these congregations.

The congregations’ break was rooted in theological disputes between individual congregations and the UMC, notably the question of LGBT+ people’s role within the church. However, controversy surrounding LGBT+ issues offered an exit strategy for people looking to separate because of other issues as well. Congregation members also had concerns about the UMC’s interpretation of Scripture, for instance–all of which Hartwell First Methodist took into consideration before choosing to vote.

The United Methodist Church (UMC) prohibits performing marriage ceremonies for openly LGBT+ couples and having same-sex weddings on church property, as well as ordaining LGBT+ clergy. However, many Methodist churches refute this forbiddance, prompting conservative Methodists to consider leaving the denomination to avoid association with the LGBT+-affirming churches (some even formalized their own Global Methodist Church last year).

Hartwell First Methodist, along with the 261 other congregations, had until Dec. 30 to meet the disaffiliation terms or continue to be part of the United Methodist Church. Some of the disaffiliation terms included paying the exit fee, remaining liable to finish paying salaries of clergy who “elect to remain United Methodist after the church votes to disaffiliate,” changing signage and any “worship elements” with the church’s former name, and that “for a period of two (2) years following the Disaffiliation Date, both [Annual Conference and Local Church] will refrain from making any disparaging or defamatory comments or remarks whatsoever about the other,” according to the Disaffiliation Agreement Pursuant to Paragraph 2553.

The UMC added Paragraph 2553 to their Book of Discipline errata in 2016; the paragraph became effective at the 2019 General Conference and is explicitly about “Disaffiliation of a Local Church Over Issues Related to Human Sexuality.” Earlier this year, Hartwell First Methodist posted a statement on their website titled “Why the time to consider the Paragraph 2553 disaffiliation process is now,” noting that the deadline to request a Paragraph 2553 disaffiliation vote in North Georgia was Feb. 28. After this date, the church’s exit fee would potentially be much more costly.

According to the Trustees of the North Georgia Conference of the UMC, local churches must agree to divide from the UMC with a ⅔ majority in order to move forward with disaffiliation. Hartwell First Methodist’s decision to disaffiliate was almost completely unanimous, with almost 91% in favor of disaffiliation when the vote was held Aug. 13. Voter turnout was consistent with regular attendance.

“We felt really good that everybody felt the importance of it, to come and make their voice known,” Mike Everett, who has been a member of Hartwell First Methodist for 10 years and is Chair of the Future Directions Committee, told The Sun.

The committee was formed in April 2022 to consider disaffiliation. “Our approach was that we provided resources to [the congregation] from both sides: staying United Methodist or leaving United Methodist. So we were just trying to…make people informed. We were not trying to direct how this was going to turn out; we left that up to our church members to decide,” Everett said.

Everett stated that the committee members also try to make themselves “accessible” for whoever has questions, and seek to give the congregation opportunities to make their concerns known.

“We determined that our church should have the opportunity to vote, to make that decision…No one was pushing it, but I think some of the lay leadership in our church knew that this window was open, and didn’t want us to miss the opportunity,” Everett said.

Rev. Richard Jarvis, who is the pastor at two other local churches remaining United Methodist, and on the Hart Interdenominational Ministry (HIM) Board, said he is ready to move on.

“I love my brothers and sisters who left [the UMC]. I have friends on both ideas of this, and it’s been painful. The churches made their individual decisions…for whatever reasons that they chose.”

Jarvis said that this sentiment applies not only towards individuals attending United Methodist/Methodist churches throughout North Georgia, but also towards congregations and their pastors. “There were churches that left whose pastors did not leave, and their pastors are no longer their pastors, and vice versa,” Jarvis explained.

Additionally, Jarvis shared that many of the churches who voted to disaffiliate in November had very small congregations; therefore, the daunting 262 figure does not necessarily reflect an overwhelming amount of disaffiliations in general. He emphasized how there are in fact over 400 remaining United Methodist churches in North Georgia.

Nevertheless, according to United Methodist News’ reviews of General Conferences, over 7,000 congregations have split from the denomination since 2019. Disaffiliation remains both a sensitive topic and a formidable task.

“I just want us to be at peace towards each other,” Jarvis said.

For Hartwell First Methodist, the congregation will begin to consider its next steps in January, concerning issues such as whether it will stay independent or affiliate with another denomination.

“We want to take our time and make sure everyone is informed…And of course that will ultimately be a decision made by church membership, not a committee or church leadership,” Everett reinforced.