Although not in the mainstream news, a movement is sweeping nearly every state in the USA and in some other countries. People are leaving or wanting to disaffiliate from an organization that is not following its doctrine set forth by past and present leaders to be compatible with the Bible.

The United Methodist Church is at a dividing moment, of those who believe the words of the Bible are God-inspired, and those who wish to interpret the words to accommodate the precepts of men.

The Council of Bishops and other leaders of the UMC have disregarded The Book of Discipline in its entirety. They have disregarded several issues in the past 18 years while telling the rank and file congregations they must follow every rule set forth in The Book of Discipline.

There are websites to go to help filter through the different views on what is actually going on with both sides of this struggle. It is not going away and you and your church could forever be changed.

The Wesleyan Covenant Association is supporting the traditional or conservative church view. The Council of Bishops president Bishop Thomas J. Bickerton was quoted as saying, while the Methodist Church will maintain basic Christian teachings and its historic roots in Wesleyan theology, he does expect United Methodists to make changes.

What might these changes be, and how will they affect the church?

The finances involved in disaffiliating from the United Methodist Church appear to be punitive for those churches desiring to leave the denomination. Painful is the money involved in the disaffiliation process. The UMC is requiring churches to pay their way out, even through these churches have been and still are self-supporting, with only clergy being appointed to the church. However, each local church pays the wages and, if necessary, pension payments.

Please start asking questions about this denomination. Be gracious, your pastor is in the middle of the struggle. Like the names and statues of America being dismantled, is the Bible next?

Nick Channell

Elkins