Major decisions are being weighed by Methodist churches both locally and abroad as they opt whether to remain affiliated with the United Methodist Church.
While some remain and others align with groups like the Global Methodist Church and Wesleyan Covenant, Dublin’s First United Methodist Church has decided to lose the “United” and become First Methodist Church- an independent entity focused on local ministry.
FMC Pastor Danny Pelton said there were several reasons for the church’s decision including a feeling that the United Methodist Church (UMC) had “drifted away from core beliefs” with spokespersons for the church on the national level making statements that contested long-held Christian beliefs.
Pelton, however, said the principle reason for the church leaving the conference was the “extremely large salaries” of administrative members of the conference which is paid by the annual fees of the churches.
Pelton said there has only been one visit from a Bishop in the history of Dublin First United Methodist Church and it had been three years since a district supervisor had been in the building.
The feeling was the church wasn’t seeing much benefit from the annual dues, and those funds could be better served by paying into the programs helping the local community like the food pantry and the community table, a food and fellowship event which provides free meals for anybody in the community on the last Wednesday of every month from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Their decision to disaffiliate coincides with many other Methodist churches in the area leaving and joining with other organizations. Greens Creek Methodist Church voted on Aug. 7 to disaffiliate with Pastor Mark Castleberry citing the inaction of bishops to hold pastors in violation of the United Methodist Book of Discipline accountable as part of the church’s decision. Greens Creek will meet this week on what its new name will be and whether it will join with Global Methodist Church.
First Methodist’s long affiliated church, Laurel Street Methodist, will remain with the UMC and meet under Pastor Dean Reed.
Pelton said First Methodist didn’t really consider joining another conference an option since the reason for their split was to become independent and serve the local community better.
“We didn’t want to be part of a hierarchy,” he said.
The administrative board of the Dublin church discussed the above issues and voted 19 to 1 to disaffiliate.
A pastor from Comanche was brought in to preside as a meeting was held for the membership of the church.
The majority (37 to 2) agreed with the decision to go independent.
Pelton called the move from the conference “bittersweet,” since many members grew up in the UMC or are part of several generations brought up in the UMC. Pelton pointed out, however, that the UMC is relatively young with its foundation in 1968.
The signage of First Methodist Church will reflect the name change soon but the church will officially be independent on Nov. 1.
A special service will be held Oct. 30 that will celebrate the heritage, with all professing members to be accepted and Pelton to be ordained as the minister.