Members of Willow View United Methodist Church held a vote to dissolve the congregation's affiliation with the United Methodist Church.
Willow View severed relations with the United Methodist Church because of their belief that the congregation and the UMC hold fundamentally different views regarding the role of national leadership. The final tally was 137 in favor, 41 opposed, and 8 didn't vote.
Willow View Cut Ties from United Methodist Church Denomination
The 2019 General Conference demonstrated a split in the United Methodist Church over the topic of homosexuality, and Willow View felt compelled to either break away and join a another denomination or strike out on its own.
According to Enid News, congregation members were given the opportunity to voice their opinions in the form of three remarks in favor and three in opposition.
People who are in favor have argued that they need to so they can follow and worship the Bible's basic teachings. A number of those interviewed who were opposed to disaffiliation cited a lack of information on the topic and a sense that the church was less friendly than in the past.
It also stated that members voted to seek Oklahoma Annual Conference approval for leaving the United Methodist Church.
Having passed a resolution to withdraw from the denomination, the matter will be discussed in the upcoming Special Annual Conference of the Oklahoma United Methodist Church in October.
The disaffiliation will occur 14 days after it receives majority support from the Board of Trustees.
Due to Theological Differences with National Leadership
Enid News also revealed that due to theological conflicts with the national leadership, Willow View started looking into disaffiliation from the United Methodist Church.
Members were informed that their denomination was becoming more tolerant of clergy, especially bishops, who undermine the authority of Scripture.
According to the church, some people have been rejecting fundamental Christian beliefs, including the deity of Christ and His bodily resurrection.
They also mentioned that there has been a precipitous collapse in their denomination due to fundamental theological conflicts, and Willow View Church recognizes the need to set a new course.
Moving Forward After Disaffiliation Vote
As they wait for the acceptance of their disaffiliation, the attention of the congregation, which will now be known as Willow View Church for a brief period of time, has shifted to the following steps, according to the pastor, Mark McAdow.
McAdow said they are open to exploring many different faiths, but that the Global Methodist Church is the most likely fit.
As he explained it, the former Conservative United Methodists officially split from the United Methodist Church on May 1, and it became the Global Methodist Church.
According to another report by Enid, McAdow further stated that thousands of churches across the United States are considering breaking ties with their denominations. Additionally, he noted that certain conferences as a whole are deciding to de-affiliate, giving rise to the establishment of new conferences centered on other religious traditions.
McAdow stated that even if the decision to disaffiliate has been approved by the congregation of Willow View, there is still a lot of work that has to be done in the upcoming months to guarantee that they are strengthening their confidence in the will of God.
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